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Propose a Design of an Automated System to Control a Bioreactor
Truyen Le
Truyen Le
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Propose a Design of an Automated System to Control a Bioreactor

Create a ladder logic program that automatically controls the operations of a bioreactor.

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Tuesdays
 at
8:00
P.M.
 ET /
5:00
P.M.
PT
8 weeks, 2-3 hours per week
Beginner
No experience required
No experience required
Some experience required
Degree and experience required

Description

In biotech industry, bioreactors are essential for producing various products like pharmaceuticals, enzymes, biochemicals, and more through biological processes such as fermentation. An automated control system optimizes and regulates critical parameters (temperature, pH, agitation, aeration, etc.), that are necessary for the growth and productivity of microorganisms within the bioreactor. In this Build Project, you'll wear the hat of Process Development Engineer and design an automated control system for a bioreactor. Under the supervision of an experienced Build Fellow, you'll learn how to create a ladder logic program to monitor and control various parameters for optimal growth conditions inside a bioreactor. All this will happen in an environment that simulates the operations of a real DSP team. 

Session timeline

  • Applications open
    May 27, 2024
  • Application deadline
    June 23, 2024
  • Project start date
    Week of July 8, 2024
    Week of
    July 8, 2024
  • Project end date
    Week of

What you will learn

  • Design a ladder logic program to control the operations of an automated bioreactor system for Lygos’ pilot plant.
  • Create a control system using ladder logic that monitors and regulates various parameters for optimal growth conditions inside a bioreactor.
  • Successfully set up simulations to demonstrate the system’s functionality and its ability to maintain optimal conditions for bioreactor operation.  
  • Complete a comprehensive report document with the ladder logic program, including annotations and explanations of control strategies.

Project workshops

1
Introductions
2
Introduction to PLC and Ladder Logic Programming
3
Basic Instructions of Ladder Logic
4
Introduction to Bioreactors
5
Automation Applications Part 1
6
Automation Applications Part 2
7
Complete Example of a Ladder Logic Program
8
Presentations

Prerequisites

  • Fundamental grasp of chemistry: you should understand the concept of temperature, pressure, pH, volume, etc.
  • Familiarity with programming elements such as inputs, outputs, numeral systems (decimal and binary), data types (Boolean, Integer, Floating point)
  • Other prerequisites: before the project starts, you'll need to have RSLogix Micro Starter Lite, RSlinx Classic Lite, and RSEmulate 500 installed on your computer. All these programs are free but can only be used on a Window computer.

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About the expert

Truyen Le

Chemical Engineering Fellow
Open Avenues Foundation

Hey everyone, my name is Truyen Le and I’m originally from Viet Nam. I came to the US in 2012 to pursue my bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at University of Minnesota (UofM). In 2017, I was accepted to a master's program in chemical engineering at University of California, Berkeley and the Bay Area was one of the largest technology hubs in the US, so I decided to move there after 6 years living in Minnesota. After graduating from U.C. Berkeley, I have been working as a process development engineer at Lygos to develop downstream processes for purification of specialty chemicals obtained from fermentation.

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