Dynamic Aspects and Controllability of the MELiSSA Project: A Bioregenerative System to Provide Life Support in Space

Manmade ecosystems differ from their prototype biosphere by the principle of control. The Earth Biosphere is sustainable by stochastic control and very large time constants. By contrast, in a closed ecosystem such as the micro-ecological life support system alternative (MELiSSA system) developed by...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied biochemistry and biotechnology 2008-12, Vol.151 (2-3), p.686-699
Main Authors: Farges, Bérangère, Poughon, Laurent, Creuly, Catherine, Cornet, Jean-François, Dussap, Claude-Gilles, Lasseur, Christophe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria, Anaerobic - metabolism
Biochemistry
Biodegradation, Environmental
Bioengineering
Bioreactors
Biosphere
Biotechnology
Chemistry
Chemistry and Materials Science
Cyanobacteria - metabolism
Ecological Systems, Closed
Ecosystems
Food production
Humans
Life Support Systems
Mathematical models
Melissa
Models, Theoretical
Nitrobacter - metabolism
Nitrosomonas - metabolism
Plants - metabolism
Rhodospirillum rubrum - metabolism
Space Flight
Waste Management - methods
Water reuse
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Summary:Manmade ecosystems differ from their prototype biosphere by the principle of control. The Earth Biosphere is sustainable by stochastic control and very large time constants. By contrast, in a closed ecosystem such as the micro-ecological life support system alternative (MELiSSA system) developed by the European Space Agency for space exploration, a deterministic control is a prerequisite of sustainable existence. MELiSSA is an integrated sum of interconnected biological subsystems. On one hand, all unit operations in charge of the elementary functions constitutive of the entire life support system are studied until a thorough understanding and mathematical modelling. On the other hand, the systemic approach of complex, highly branched systems with feedback loops is performed. This leads to study in the same perspective, with the same degree of accuracy and with the same language, waste degradation, water recycling, atmosphere revitalisation and food production systems prior to the integration of knowledge-based control models. This paper presents the mathematical modelling of the MELiSSA system and the interface between the control strategy of the entire system and the control of the bioreactors.
ISSN:0273-2289
1559-0291
DOI:10.1007/s12010-008-8292-2