Simple nonlinear observers for on-line estimation of kinetic rates in bioreactors (Q1129623)

A new framework for the analysis of bioreactor dynamics is proposed. The kinetics estimator is synthesized directly on the basis of the state of a nonlinear observer and of the available measurements of the bioprocess. The observers are designed without involving the kinetic rates of the reactions. The continuous-time and discrete-time version of the estimator are presented and convergence properties are established. The calibration of the estimator is achieved through the tuning of a single parameter. The performance of the proposed estimator is illustrated on the microbial growth and biosynthesis reactions.