Scale-Up Rules and Reactor Accessories

Abstract

The scale-up has critical importance for the development of bioprocess from bench, pilot to industrial scales to fulfill the path of the laboratory to market. Different strategies are employed to sustain bioprocess yield and productivity in larger volumes. While these strategies are primarily based on geometric aspects of bioreactors, vital parameters such as agitation or aeration for the requirements of living systems are also essential. Therefore the scale-up must take into account as a whole not only classical parameters such as power input and tip speed but also the effects of environmental parameters including physiology. These features are specific to each production and related to the complex response of living systems to rapid changes in environmental conditions under heterogeneous growing conditions, which mostly depend on rheology. While successful scale-up is crucial, in terms of rapid time-to-market, it is also important for transferring the process between various production facilities where the type, size, or design of the bioreactor changes. This chapter aims to focus on the theory of scale-up, comprising its definition and basics, without underestimating the engineering background and novel perspectives highlighting bioreactors. © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.