High-gain observers for estimation of kinetics in a nonlinear bioprocess

The paper addresses the problem of on-line estimation of kinetic rates inside a nonlinear bioprocess. The analyzed biotechnological process is a lipase production process that takes place into a Fed-batch Bioreactor. The lipase production process is highly nonlinear and, furthermore, the available on-line measurements are lack and the reaction kinetics is not perfectly known. The unknown kinetic parameters of the bioprocess are estimated by using a nonlinear observer, based on high-gain approach. The estimation scheme does not require any model for the kinetic rates. The tuning of the proposed observers is reduced to the calibration of a single parameter. Numerical simulations are included in order to test the behavior and the performance of the proposed observers.