Methods and algorithms for optimal control of fed-batch fermentation processes

Abstract

Fennentation is the process that results in the fonnation ofalcohol or organic acids on the basis of growth of bacteria, moulds or fungi on different nutritional media (Ahmed et al., 1982). Fennentation process have three modes of operation i.e. batch, fed-batch and continuous ones. The process that interests a lot of control engineers is the fed-batch fennentation process (Johnson, 1989). The Fed-batch process for the production ofyeast is considered in the study. The fennentation is based on the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. It grows in both aerobic and anaerobic environmental conditions with maximum product in the aerobic conditions, also at high concentration of glucose (Njodzi, 200I). Complexity of fed-batch fennentation 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 fed-batch process for the production of yeast is further complicated by the lack of on-line sensors, lack ofadequate models as a result ofpoorly understood dynamics. The lack of on-line sensors results in the impossibility oftuning 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 (DCT), Department of Chemical Engineering with a bioreactor and bio-controller combined in a Biostat ® C lab scale plant (H. Braun Biotech International, 1996). The bio-controller has built in Pill controller loops for control variables, with the ability to adjust the controller parameters i.e. P, D and I through the serial interface (SeidIer, 1996).