Classification of stability behavior of bioreactors with wall attachment and substrate-inhibited kinetics

The biodegradation of pollutants in continuous operation when the microbial population exhibits wall attachment is studied. The proposed model for wal l attachment assumes two morphological forms of the microbial cell connecte d by metamorphosis reactions with first order exchange kinetics. An analysi s of the stability of the bioreactor, carried out using elementary principl es of the singularity theory and continuation techniques, allows for classi fication in the multidimensional parameter space of the various stability b ehaviors exhibited by the reactor model, for both substrate-inhibited and M onod kinetics, The analysis also shows the enhanced stability behavior of t he bioreactor due to wall attachment. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.