Model-based protein estimation during dough formation in a Farinograph

The problem of estimating the protein content in dough during kneading in a farinograph is addressed exploiting underyling structural observability of a suitable model describing the biochemical reaction network of different protein fractions involved in the formation of the gluten network in the dough and its deterioration due to excessive kneading. Based on an observability analysis for the model a reduced order geometric observer and an extended Kalman Filter are designed and tested with experimental data from dough kneading experiments. The results highlight the potential of incorporating such model-based process analytic tools for improved monitoring of the underlying biochemical mechanisms involved in dough formation, and for providing an additional means for estimation of protein content in flour during standard kneading processes.