CFD modelling of continuous protein extraction process using liquid-solid circulating fluidized beds

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to describe the hydrodynamics and mass transfer in the process of continuous protein extraction from broth using a liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed (LSCFB) ion exchange system. The CFD model took into account both the adsorption and desorption processes. The quantitative predictions for the protein concentration were compared favourably with the experimental data from a lab-scale system. The model was used to investigate the effects of hydrodynamic and kinetic parameters on the performance of the LSCFB ion exchange system. It was demonstrated that the model is a robust tool to simulate, scale up, and optimize the LSCFB ion exchange systems for protein extraction process.