Modeling, Optimization, and Control in Fermentation Processes

A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Fermentation Process Design".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2025 | Viewed by 1267

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Instituto de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, San Juan, Argentina
2. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Interests: linear algebra controller design; trajectory tracking control; non-linear multivariable control; linear systems; process optimization; chemical and bioprocess modelling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to invite you to this Special Issue on modeling, simulation, optimization, state estimation, and control in fermentation processes in the journal Fermentation. Process engineering plays a crucial role in bioprocesses including the production of food, fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels. The complexity of biochemical reactions in fermentation often makes it challenging to achieve optimal performance, such as higher productivity in biofuels or enhancing specific aromas in foods such as wines and beers.

The first step to achieving the best results is understanding the phenomenon and translating this knowledge into a mathematical model. The quality of the model depends on its ability to predict process behavior accurately while remaining simple enough to incorporate subsequent design stages. Th model can then be used to replicate the process behavior under different conditions (the simulation problem) and to find the best conditions for optimal performance (the optimization problem). Once optimal operating conditions are determined, actions must ensure that key fermentation variables (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, agitation speed, etc.) reach their optimal values (the control problem). Additionally, for process control and monitoring, it is necessary to design state observers to estimate variables that cannot be directly measured.

This Special Issue of Fermentation aims to present the latest advances in modeling, simulation, optimization, control, and state estimation. By utilizing the tools of process engineering, we aim to achieve the best possible performance in different fermentation processes.

 

Prof. Dr. Gustavo Scaglia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dynamic models
  • multivariable systems
  • temperature profiles
  • solid state fermentation
  • Luedeking and Piret
  • mathematical modeling
  • first order plus dead time model
  • biocontrol
  • process optimization
  • trajectory tracking control
  • online monitoring
  • batch and fed-batch bioprocesses
  • non-linear and multivariable systems
  • state estimation, Gaussian processes
  • precision fermentation
  • artificial intelligence (AI)

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 1003 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Time-Varying Temperature Profiles for Enhanced Beer Fermentation by Evolutive Algorithms
by Pablo Ruarte, Nadia Pantano, Marianela Noriega, Cecilia Fernández, Emanuel Serrano and Gustavo Scaglia
Fermentation 2025, 11(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11010002 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 856
Abstract
Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages globally, leading to continuous efforts to enhance its production methods. Raw materials and the production process are crucial in the brewing industry, with fermentation being a vital stage that significantly impacts beer quality. The [...] Read more.
Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages globally, leading to continuous efforts to enhance its production methods. Raw materials and the production process are crucial in the brewing industry, with fermentation being a vital stage that significantly impacts beer quality. The aim of this study is to optimize the beer fermentation process by maximizing the ethanol concentration while minimizing species that adversely affect the organoleptic properties of beer. A novel optimization approach has been developed to derive an optimal, smooth, and continuous temperature profile that can be directly applied in real-world processes. This method integrates Fourier series and orthogonal polynomials for control action parameterization, in combination with evolutionary algorithms for parameter optimization. A key advantage of this methodology lies in its ability to handle a reduced parameter set efficiently, resulting in temperature profiles that are continuous and differentiable. This feature eliminates the need for post-smoothing and is particularly advantageous in biotechnological applications, where abrupt changes in temperature could negatively affect the viability of microorganisms. The optimized profiles not only enhance fermentation efficiency, but also improve the ethanol yield and reduce undesirable flavor compounds, providing a substantial improvement over current industrial practices. These advancements present significant potential for improving both the quality and consistency of beer production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Optimization, and Control in Fermentation Processes)
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