Fermentation Process Control: Considerations in Control Scheme Development

It has long been thought that bioprocesses, with their inherent measurement difficulties and complex dynamics, posed almost insermountable problems to the control engineer. Although much research has recently been biased towards the development of biosensors to give more insight into process dynamics, this paper concentrates on more effective use of those measurements which are already available. Fermentation process problems which are significant in control system design are highlighted and several examples given as to how operation maybe improved using currently available technology.