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Nonlinear predictive control for maximization of CO2 bio-fixation by microalgae in a photobioreactor

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Abstract

In the framework of environment preservation, microalgae biotechnology appears as a promising alternative for CO2 mitigation. Advanced control strategies can be further developed to maximize biomass productivity, by maintaining these microorganisms in bioreactors at optimal operating conditions. This article proposes the implementation of Nonlinear Predictive Control combined with an on-line estimation of the biomass concentration, using dissolved carbon dioxide concentration measurements. First, optimal culture conditions are determined so that biomass productivity is maximized. To cope with the lack of on-line biomass concentration measurements, an interval observer for biomass concentration estimation is built and described. This estimator provides a stable accurate interval for the state trajectory and is further included in a nonlinear model predictive control framework that regulates the biomass concentration at its optimal value. The proposed methodology is applied to cultures of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris in a laboratory-scale continuous photobioreactor. Performance and robustness of the proposed control strategy are assessed through experimental results.

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Acknowledgments

Part of this research was supported by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) via the program ``Estimbio, PEPS Automatique de l’Institut INSIS’’. Authors would like to thank Sette Diop for valuable discussions on topics related to estimation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Control Department, SUPELEC, Systems Sciences (E3S), 91192, Gif sur Yvette cedex, France

    Sihem Tebbani, Rayen Filali & Didier Dumur

  2. Laboratoire de Génie de Procédés et Matériaux, Ecole Centrale Paris, 92295, Chatenay-Malabry cedex, France

    Filipa Lopes & Dominique Pareau

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  1. Sihem Tebbani
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  2. Filipa Lopes
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  3. Rayen Filali
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  4. Didier Dumur
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  5. Dominique Pareau
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Correspondence to Sihem Tebbani.

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Tebbani, S., Lopes, F., Filali, R. et al. Nonlinear predictive control for maximization of CO2 bio-fixation by microalgae in a photobioreactor. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 37, 83–97 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-013-0928-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-013-0928-0

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