NONLINEAR REGULATION FOR A CONTINUOUS BIOREACTOR VIA A NUMERICAL UNCERTAINTY OBSERVER

A robust adaptive control strategy for a class of continuous-flow bior eactor process where the intrinsic reaction rates are poorly know is p rovided. A numerical observer is used to obtain on-line discrete estim ates of the main uncertainties (kinetics term, yield production, and b iomass concentration) of a continuous bioreactor. With this estimate, a linearizing feedback control law is obtained which provides robust r egulation against uncertainties, disturbances and additive noise on th e substrate concentration measurements. The performance of the closed- loop system is illustrated via numerical simulations. (C) 1998 Elsevie r Science S.A. All rights reserved.