Sensitivity analysis and identification of kinetic parameters in batch fermentation of glycerol

A nonlinear dynamical system was established in our preceding work to describe the batch and continuous bioconversions of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol by Klebsiella pneumoniae. The purpose of this article is to analyze the sensitivity of kinetic parameters of the dynamical system and identify their values from experiment. A global sensitivity analysis approach is constructed by combining the local technique with the Monte Carlo method. With only those parameters of higher sensitivity as design variables, we propose a parameter identification model and solve it by a gradient-based simulated annealing algorithm. Numerical results show that our methods are feasible and efficient.