Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE
(ISSN 1009-3095, Monthly)

2004   Vol. 5   No. 12   p.1597-1603

Ant colony system algorithm for the optimization of beer fermentation control

XIAO Jie^*, ZHOU Ze-kui, ZHANG Guang-xin

(National Key Lab of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China)
^*E-mail: seanxiaojie@zju.edu.cn
Received Sept. 23, 2003; revision accepted Oct. 12, 2003

Abstract: Beer fermentation is a dynamic process that must be guided along a temperature profile to obtain the desired results. Ant colony system algorithm was applied to optimize the kinetic model of this process. During a fixed period of fermentation time, a series of different temperature profiles of the mixture were constructed. An optimal one was chosen at last. Optimal temperature profile maximized the final ethanol production and minimized the byproducts concentration and spoilage risk. The satisfactory results obtained did not require much computation effort.

Key words: Beer fermentation, Kinetic model, ACS algorithm, Optimization, Optimal temperature profile
doi:10.1631/jzus.2004.1597             CLC number: TP20