Development of a process control system for a bioreactor with multiple vessels

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Helsinki University of Technology | Diplomityö
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Date

2007

Major/Subject

Automaatiotekniikka

Mcode

AS-84

Degree programme

Language

en

Pages

62

Series

Abstract

Bioreactor control has become increasingly important in several industries. Bioreactors are used when developing and producing biotechnological products. For instance, these products include penicillin, vitamins, insulin, enzymes, beer, and wine. Due to the importance of these products, there are enormous economic incentives to optimize the bioprocesses needed to develop and produce the products. Proper process control contributes to the bioprocess optimization, for instance, by reducing the production costs, by increasing the yield, by providing better reproducibility, and by enabling better quality control. This thesis presents how a process control system was developed for a bioreactor with multiple vessels. The developed process control system enabled the operators to carry out cultivations in a temperature and pH controlled environment in each of the 15 bioreactor vessels. The control of the temperature and of the pH value is important since they affect essential process variables like the biomass growth and the product formation. Furthermore, the process control system enabled, to a limited extent, efficient cultivations of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae due to the control of the ethanol concentration. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a commonly used host organism for the production of various biotechnological products. Therefore, it is of great interest to be able to grow the organism efficiently.

Description

Supervisor

Halme, Aarne

Thesis advisor

Pitkänen, Juha-Pekka

Keywords

bioprocess control, bioprocessreglering, bioprocess instrumentation, bioprocessinstrumentering, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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