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Engineering notes on this page are current through 27 August 2026 (Hardware team dump: journal, DoE protocols, V1 reflection, and wiring).

Design requirements for the centralized living hardware (bioreactor) system.

Bioreactor build · requirements

June 17, 2026

Initial requirements brainstorm transcribed from the Centralized Living Hardware Doc (Bioreactor Build → Requirements). This is a living doc; blanks ( _ ) mark values still to be quantified.

7 sections41 requirements
Version historyOnly one version so far — slider activates as the doc evolves.
ImportantDifficultNeeds a number

Overarching objective: try to be power efficient.

ObjectiveRelated sub-objectivesMetric & CriteriaConstraintsLinks / references
importantneeds-quantify
Heating
  • Compact size.
  • Minimize time to achieve temperature (temp is currently measured every 4 minutes — 2.5 min for temp data collection, 1.5 min of heating cycles).
  • KEY EXAMPLE: takes 1 hour to go from 28C to 37C; 24–30C is ~0.5 hours.
  • Maximize heat range (currently ambient to 50C).
  • Need to be able to set a specific temperature; range is likely 20–40C.
  • Time needed to update temperature shouldn't be an issue.
  • Size dimensions: smaller than or equal to pioreactor solution (list out measurements).
  • Time to achieve temperature: reduce to less than _.
  • Range of components: specific range of temperatures still needed — is it 20–40C?
  • Temperature range cannot melt plastic (will break components — similar to how the pioreactor caps at 63C to protect itself).
  • Accurate temperature readings; do not overshoot or it can kill bacteria.
Heating
importantneeds-quantify
Aeration for vials
  • Accessibility: should be included with the base kit, as air bubblers and pumps are currently sold separately (aeration is mainly done by stirring right now).
  • Maximize aeration tube vials, refer to diagram photo (must be above liquid level).
  • Increase surface area to volume ratio.
  • Be included in the base kit.
  • Shortest tube possible (reason unclear) — shorter than _.
  • Surface area / volume: usually the vial takes care of this (20mL / 40mL).
  • Need enough room in the vial for bacteria (aeration tube, vials, and buffers cannot take all the space).
  • At minimum, should have the tube vials — this is what the pioreactor has now and it semi-works.
Aeration for vials
importantneeds-quantify
Mixing fluid (even concentration)
  • Maximize stirrer speed (helps with gas mixing/aeration; currently the limiting factor in pioreactors because of the OD constraint).
  • Stirrer should not affect OD readings (vortex can scuff it).
  • Maximize liquids it can work with (struggles with debris and high viscosity).
  • Reduce stalling at low RPMs.
  • Can also look into the noise it makes when stirring.
  • Stirring speed might not need to be exact.
  • Range of RPM the stirrer can run at without affecting OD — at most _ (find the point where it affects OD).
  • RPM should ideally have no effect on OD readings (might be impossible) — have < _% effect.
  • Capable of mixing a variety of liquids (will it run in the first place).
  • Capable of running at low RPM < _ RPM.
Complaints suggest heating affects the stirring magnet connection, so the mixer should not limit the temperature range the solution can work in.
importantneeds-quantify
Pumping fluid (in and out)
  • Accessibility: should be included with the base kit (currently comes with 2 pumps). Does not come with liquid containers that connect to the pump.
  • Maximize number of pumps it can run with (currently 3).
  • Maximize dosage rate range (currently 1–2mL; may struggle with microdosage).
  • Is included in the kit.
  • Number of pumps capable of being attached > 3 (the greater the better).
  • Dosage the pump can regulate > 1–2mL (the greater the better).
  • Must have at least TWO pumps for in and out movement of fluid (bare minimum).
  • Cannot leak.
  • Must keep fluid entering and fluid exiting separate from each other (thus need 2).
Pumping Fluid (in and out)
needs-quantify
Vial volume
  • Maximize surface area to volume.
  • Resist temperature and pH differences.
  • Patricia is currently happy with the current size of the pioreactor.
  • Surface area to volume at least _:_ ratio.
  • Range of temp and pH from _ to _.
  • Available options are currently 20mL and 40mL.
  • Should NOT affect the bacteria's environment.
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Runtime
Minimum: 1 week to longer than a week.———