Advanced Bioreactor Control Strategies for Sustainable Bioprocesses: Preparing Future Engineers for Environmental Challenges

Bioprocesses offer promising answers within the framework of sustainable development. This paper presents a course on advanced estimation and control strategies for microorganism cultivation in bioreactors. The course, part of CentraleSupélec’s engineering education program, aims to equip students with skills to optimize bioreactor performance. Despite decades of research, industrial implementation of advanced control strategies remains limited, with only basic controls used. This course addresses this gap, providing students with comprehensive knowledge of optimal bioreactor operation for sustainable applications. Offered as an elective, it focuses on advanced control strategies tailored for this kind of system. It covers a wide range of theoretical concepts for nonlinear systems, such as Kalman filtering, asymptotic observers, model predictive control, input-output linearizing control, adaptive control, and experimental and analytical optimization. The main goal is to provide students with the skills that could help them to address environmental challenges.