Use of an intelligent system to monitor and control fermentation processes Application to lipase production by Candida rugosa

A supervisor system that permits better monitoring and control of fermentation processes is introduced. This system is composed of two main elements: a real-time expert system developed in G2 (Gemsym Co.) that easily allows both different control structures and process operation strategies, and a PC software, written in C, for monitoring all the process measurements, setting on the controller set-points received either from the operator at the PC or from the expert system, and the management of the peripheral devices in the manifold (mass spectrometer, automatic lipase analyzer, flow-injection glucose analyzer, air-flow meter and controller, and pumps). With this system it is possible to simultaneously perform fermentation data processing, actuate on all process elements, estimate some non-measurable variables, use heuristic knowledge, and apply advanced control techniques. Finally, in order to test the system's performance and reliability, it was used for different Candida rugosa fermentations of which results are presented. © 1994.