Modelling and optimal control of fed-batch fermentation process for the production of yeast

Abstract

Fermentation is the process that results in the formation of alcohol or organic acids on the basis of growth of bacteria, moulds or fungi on different nutritional media (Ahmed et al., 1982). Fermentation process have three modes of operation i.e. batch, fed-batch and continuous mode ofoperation. The process that interests a lot of control engineers is the fed-batch fe=entation process (Johnson, 1989). The Fed-batch process for the production ofyeast is considered in the study. The considered yeast in the study is the Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It grows in both aerobic and anaerobic environmental conditions with maximum product in the aerobic conditions, also at high concentration of glucose (Njodzi, 2001). Complexity of fedbatch fe=entation process, non-linearity, time varying characteristics, application of conventional analogue controllers provides poor control due to problems in tuning individual loops and the process characteristics. The problem for control of the fedbatch process for the production of yeast is further complicated by the lack of on-line sensors, lack of adequate models as a result of poorly understood dynamics. The lack of on-line sensors results in the impossibility of tuning the analogue controllers in real time. The process for propagation of yeast in aerobic conditions is considered in the dissertation. The experiments are conducted at the University of Cape Town (VCT), Department of Chemical Engineering with a bioreactor and bio-controller are combined in a Biostat ® C lab scale plant (B. Braun Biotech International, 1996). The bio-controller has built in PID controller loops for control variables, with the ability to adjust the controller parameters i.e. P, D and I through the serial interface (Seidler, 1996).