ABSTRACT
Biological transformations by microorganisms, grouped under the term fermentation, have an important, specific place in food industries. The main problem in the control of fermentation processes results from the lack of sensors, detectors, and measurement devices. Optical methods are based on the transmission, reflection, and scattering of light. The on-line measurement of substrates and products in culture media also suffers from a lack of suitable sensors. Computer systems have only weak output signals to control these organs, and so relay systems are necessary to obtain the required power. In all cases, the application software uses the low-level subroutines of the operating systems. Modeling fermentation processes is becoming increasingly interesting in food industries. The installation of computerized data acquisition systems, however, creates a huge daily mass of data that is often unused. The diversity of research shares the objective of increasing knowledge of bioprocesses and their progression.
