A review of control strategies for manipulating the feed rate in fed-batch fermentation processes

•A majority of industrial fermentation processes are operated in fed-batch mode.•The rate of feed addition to the fed-batch process is a focus for optimising the process operation.•This review covers strategies for controlling the feed rate to a fed-batch fermentation process. A majority of industrial fermentation processes are operated in fed-batch mode. In this case, the rate of feed addition to the system is a focus for optimising the process operation, as it directly impacts metabolic activity, as well as directly affecting the volume dynamics in the system. This review covers a range of strategies which have been employed to use the feed rate as a manipulated variable in a control strategy. The feed rate is chosen as the focus for this review, as it is seen that this variable may be used towards many different objectives depending on the process of interest, the characteristics of the strain, or the product being produced, which leads to different drivers for process optimisation. This review summarises the methods, as well as focusing on the different objectives for the controllers, and the choice of measured variables involved in the strategy. The discussion includes a summary of considerations for control strategy development.