10 Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook Finally, the mainframe computer communicates with a company computer via a data highway. This is used for decision-making, planning, and other managerial functions. The lower level computer, shown as the first level in Fig. 3, is directly interfaced to some highly-instrumented fermenters Figure 5 illustrates a brand new fermenter for fed-batch operation. Control is originally confined to pH, temperature, defoaming, air flow rate, agitation speed, back pressure, and medium feed rate. Analog signals from various sensors are sent to a multiplexer and A/D converters. After the computer stores the data and analyzes it on the basis of algorithms, the computer sends the control signals to the corresponding controllers to control the fermentation process MAINFRAME COMPUTER LINE COMPUTOR 3 quISiTiOn Graphy ic display LIME CONTROLLER Sophist icated contre ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■国■■■■■■■■■■■■薯■■ DATA HIGHWAY Level I OPERATOR OPERATOR CONSOLE CONSOLE PID cor UFCU: Field control unlt Figure 3. Configuration of distributed hierarchical computer system for fermentationIO Fermentation and Biochemical Engineering Handbook DATA HIOHWAY Finally, the mainframe computer communicates with a company computer via a data highway. This is used for decision-making, planning, and other managerial functions. The lower level computer, shown as the first level in Fig. 3, is directly interfaced to some highly-instrumented fermenters. Figure 5 illustrates a brand new fermenter for fed-batch operation. Control is originally confined to pH, temperature, defoaming, air flow rate, agitation speed, back pressure, and medium feed rate, Analog signals from various sensors are sent to a multiplexer and ND converters. After the computer stores the data and analyzes it on the basis of algorithms, the computer sends the control signals to the corresponding controllers to control the fermentation process. level m MAINFRAME COMPUTER Figure 3. Configuration of distributed hierarchical computer system for fermentation pilot plant. Optimi zit ion VEWMAC 300 LINE COMPUTOR tevei II Data aquisition LINE CONTROLLER 3600-M$A Optimization Sophisticated control I ! UFCU