The effect of the yield expression on the existence of oscillatory behavior in a three-variable model of a continuous fermentation system subject to product inhibition.

A three-variable model of a continuous fermentation process characterised by product inhibition is studied. It is shown that if the cell to substrate yield is constant, the system cannot have periodic solutions. If, on the other hand, the yield term is a variable function of substrate concentration, the model will exhibit oscillations in the cells, substrate and product concentrations in the form of Hopf bifurcation in the underlying system of three nonlinear, ordinary differential equations which comprise the model.