The Effect of Pore Channel Structure Uniformity on the Performance of a Membrane Adsorber Determined by Flow Distribution Analysis Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Poorly designed devices can cause flow maldistribution, leading to subpar performance during macromolecule separation. Analyzing the fluid flow in intricate membrane channel structures is challenging. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was employed to investigate the effects of the channel tortuosity, size, and connectivity on flow distribution and chromatography performance. Sodium chloride (NaCl) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were used as tracers. The results showed that the peaks from the NaCl and BSA were sharper as the tortuosity and size heterogeneity decreased to 0, revealing that both the tortuosity and size heterogeneity are critical factors that affect the flow distribution uniformity and thereby the membrane performance during biomacromolecule separation. These findings underscore the importance of optimizing the channel tortuosity and size to enhance membrane performance, offering practical insights for the design of next-generation purification systems. These insights pave the way for optimizing membrane design in future biopharmaceutical applications.