Optimal design of a closed loop controller for estimation of parameter couples of microbial growth kinetics

This paper deals with the design of a feedback controller for the decorrela ted estimation of a parameter couple appearing in an unstructured model for growth of one biomass on one limiting substrate in a fed-batch bioreactor. By optimal experimental design, feed rate strategies for decorrelated para meter estimation have been constructed las reported elsewhere). These profi les have in common a feeding phase in which the substrate concentration is kept constant at a setpoint value by a feedforward controller. On simulatio n level this controller can be applied as an open loop controller. However, in practice these feed rate strategies are to be implemented in closed loo p. Since during experimental design on simulation level a nominal parameter set is required, an iterative approach is needed to end up with a truly op timal experiment for estimation of the unknown parameters. Such an iterativ e scheme is proposed and its convergence properties are discussed.