Influence of Genetic Algorithm Parameters on Their Performance for Parameter Identification of a Yeast Fed-batch Fermentation Process Model

Eight single (SGA) and eight multi-population (MGA) genetic algorithms (GA) differing in the sequence of implementation of the main genetic operators’ selection, crossover and mutation, or omitting the mutation operator, have been examined for the purposes of parameter identification of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fed-batch fermentation process model. The influence of some of the main genetic algorithm parameters, namely number of individuals, maximum number of generations, generation gap, crossover and mutation rates for both SGA and MGA, and insertion and migration probability for MGA only, have been investigated in depth. Almost all applied SGA and MGA led to similar values of the optimization criterion but the SGA with operators’ sequence mutation, crossover and selection, and MGA with operators’ sequence crossover, selection and mutation, are significantly faster than others while keeping the model accuracy. Among the considered GA parameters, generation gap influences most significantly to SGA and MGA convergence time, saving of about 40% of computational time of the algorithms without affecting the model accuracy.