A Renaissance Foundry Model Approach to Developing a Fundamental Understanding of Bio-fluid Mixing

Abstract

In the domain of bioprocess engineering, mixing is a foundational aspect that requires concepts at the interface of rheology, fluid mechanics, and mass transfer. In practical aspects, mixing has been employed in physics and engineering fields and, although it has been extensively researched (Ottino, 1989, pp. 56-67), areas in bioprocess engineering need additional work. This leads to gaps in understanding mixing as it applies to, for example, the formation of fibril-based hydrogels. Improving comprehension of mixing requires use of complementary approaches including exercises such as simulation, experimentation, and analytical solution methodologies. This parallel learning approach emphasizes a pedagogical strategy to guide students in building an understanding via the Renaissance Foundry Model which provides a model for the acquisition and transfer of information and knowledge and is the foundation upon which a method is established. The approach provides the opportunity for specifications, limitations, scope, and scale of research to develop a preliminary understanding of mixing. The model adapts to the student goals in promoting and understanding key concepts such as scale of research, rheology, fluid mechanics, mass transfer, and reaction kinetics. At its core, this model provides organization to guide the collection and analysis of information to create a basic understanding of mixing, and further expansion under the direction of the model can advance this understanding.