A fuzzy logic application to aquaculture environment control

One of the major problems facing modern filtration technology is the cost-effective filtration of nitrate, NO/sub 3/. The design of a cost-effective, integrated nitrogen removal system including both nitrification and denitrification processes is paramount to the continued development of commercial recirculating aquaculture systems. Current nitrification systems are adequate and many are commercially available; however, current techniques for denitrification are almost exclusively based on water exchange. The purpose of this research is to produce the first commercial, autonomous denitrification filter, using extant biotechnology (i.e., biological reactors and artificial intelligence). The goal of the study has been to design a fuzzy logic system to control the operation of a denitrification bioreactor developed by the University of Texas Medical Branch, Marine Biomedical institute, for use in a closed recirculating aquaculture system. The development of a prototype system was accomplished through a multi-disciplinary program involving computer scientists, bioengineers, biochemists and aquaculturists.