Apparatus and method for controlling autotroph cultivation

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a controller, measurements from multiple sensors including measurements of a dissolved carbon dioxide concentration of a mixture of fluid containing at least an autotrophic organism;
• applying at least one lag to the measurements from at least one of the sensors;
• determining an adjustment to one or more manipulated variables to control multiple controlled variables using the measurements;
• and
• generating one or more signals to modify the one or more manipulated variables based on the determined adjustment;
• wherein the controlled variables include the dissolved carbon dioxide concentration of the mixture;
• wherein the one or more manipulated variables include a carbon dioxide flow rate for the mixture;
• and
• wherein the at least one lag is defined based on different response times of two or more controlled variables to a change in the one or more manipulated variables.

A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a computer program, the computer program comprising:

• computer readable program code for receiving, at a controller, measurements from multiple sensors including measurements of a dissolved carbon dioxide concentration of a mixture of fluid containing at least an autotrophic organism;
• computer readable program code for applying at least one lag to the measurements from at least one of the sensors;
• computer readable program code for determining an adjustment to one or more manipulated variables to control multiple controlled variables using the measurements;
• and
• computer readable program code for generating one or more control signals to modify the one or more manipulated variables based on the determined adjustment;
• wherein the controlled variables include the dissolved carbon dioxide concentration of the mixture;
• wherein the one or more manipulated variables include a carbon dioxide flow rate for the mixture;
• and
• wherein the at least one lag is defined based on different response times of two or more controlled variables to a change in the one or more manipulated variables.