Abstract
Due to growing worldwide energy demand, the search for diversification of the energy matrix stands out as an important research topic. Bioethanol represents a notable alternative of renewable and environmental-friendly energy sources extracted from biomass, the bioenergy. Thus, the assurance of optimal growth conditions in the fermenter through operational variables manipulation is cardinal for the maximization of the ethanol production process yield. The current work focuses in the determination of optimal control scheme for the fermenter feed rate and batch end-time, evaluating different parametrization profiles, and comparing evolutionary computation techniques, the genetic algorithm (GA) and differential evolution (DE), using a dynamic real-time optimization (DRTO) approach for the in silico ethanol production optimization. The DRTO was able to optimize the reactor feed rate considering disturbances in the process input. Open-loop tests results obtained for the algorithms were superior to several works presented in the literature. The results indicate that the interaction between the intervals of DRTO cycles and parametrization profile is more significant for the GA, both in terms of ethanol productivity and batch time. In general lines, the present work presents a methodology for control and optimization studies applicable to other bioenergy generation systems.
Highlights
The increasing demand for energy sources has been leading the modern society in a continuous search for more efficient processes, as well as an appreciable research over production alternatives.The current energy matrix, mainly based on fossil fuels has been gradually replaced for a new paradigm, which relies on many sustainable sources, such as the use of solar, wind, hydrothermal and biomass energy, among many alternatives
In terms of the biofuel production processes the benefits of this bioproducts when compared to traditional fuels include greater energy security, reduced environmental impact, and socioeconomic issues related to the rural sector [3], and it is important to notice that the large-scale production of biofuels offers an opportunity for certain developing countries to reduce their dependence on oil imports [4]
The procedures employed for the simulation of the ethanol production through the microbial culture are described, as well as the methodology used for the comparison between the different optimization routines in the study of the aforementioned dynamic optimization problem
Summary
The current energy matrix, mainly based on fossil fuels has been gradually replaced for a new paradigm, which relies on many sustainable sources, such as the use of solar, wind, hydrothermal and biomass energy, among many alternatives. Those emergent sources have an eco-friendly characteristic, and may help to mitigate the environmental problems arising from the utilization of the current energy matrix, such as the release of the massive amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants to the atmosphere, enhancing the green-house effect problem, as well as the air pollution and acid rain. There are several other options of renewable and sustainable energy sources, as example of photo-voltaic, wind, geothermal, this discussion is beyond the scope of the present work
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