A nonlinear approach for the on-line estimation of the kinetic rates in bioreactors

The objective of this paper is to propose simple nonlinear observer-based estimators which allow the on-line estimation of kinetic rates inside a bioreactor from the measurements of components' concentrations. The design of these estimators does not require any model for the kinetic rates and the corresponding gains do not necessitate the resolution of any dynamical system. One of the main characteristics of these estimators lies in the easiness of their implementation and in particular their calibration. Their performances are firstly illustrated in simulation through a typical example. Then, estimation results corresponding to a real-life experiment are given in order to confirm the theoretical results and to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed estimators in practical situations.