FEEDBACK LOOP CONTROL IN FERMENTATION PROCESS

In any industrial fermentation process it is of utmost importance that the fermentation process is carried out under the most optimum conditions. This is translated into an efficient and economical fermentation process in terms of fermentation yield and economic advantages.
There is also the tendency to carry out the fermentation process with minimum labour costs and by going ‘computerised’ or robotic in allowing the process to be run almost independent of human input.
In view of these requirements there is the push towards automatism and letting the computer monitor and control the fermentation process by the use of feedback loops control and the use of sensors which can detect the changes in the various fermentation parameters and interfacing it with computer control.
Such advanced robotics require the use or design of special programmes which will detect the changes of parameters within the narrow windows of optimum fermentation.
This aspect of control rely strongly on feedback control and in line monitoring so that immediate action could be taken by the computers to immediately ratify or bring back the deviation back to within the narrow windows of optimum environmental conditions.
Thus we see in such control the use of feedback is more towards sustaining the constancy of the environmental conditions of the fermentation process and not directly the performance of the fermentative organisms. Any benefit from the process is secondary after the sustained control of the environment. You just cant control or interface directly with the microorganisms ( may be in future years????)
As it is now the problem of feedback loop in computerized fermentation control is not so much limited by the capability of the computers or computer programmes but more by the limitation of the sensors that are suitable for the interface as well as the harsh environmental conditions of the fermentors
Here in lies the problem too the two most common type of sensors used are restricted to the invasive probes or sensors which are introduced into the fermentors or by sensors set in flow through pipes
As we have said it many times before the fermentation process is a complex process in perpetual state of flux. Thus it is difficult to sustain constant efficient fermentation process as other parameters that cannot be controlled keeps changing. There is a goldmine of information in this field of control for those that are willing to take up the challenge!



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