Modelling and control of photo-bioreactors integrated in closed-loop biorefineries

This project aims to develop phenomenological control models that can be on-line adjusted to optimize operation of biological processes. The proposed application is on microalgae cultivation, whose economic balance at industrial scale to produce biofuels is currently positive only if some integrated solutions are adopted, as closed-loop waste-to-energy schemes: wastewater in exit from other biowaste-to-biofuels processes and flue gas rich of CO2 are both used as nutrients for microalgae. Scale-up from pilot to industrial usually requires continuous or semi-continuous operation, so feed flowrates to microalgae must be manipulated, by taking into account also light–dark cycles. Moreover, extraction must be operated at controlled time intervals, depending on the dynamics of algae growth.