Analysis of a model of nutrient driven self-cycling fermentation allowing unimodal response functions

A system of impulsive ordinary differential equations is used to model the growth of microorganisms in a self-cycling fermentor. The microorganisms are being used to remove a non-reproducing contaminant that is limiting to growth at both high and low concentrations. Hence it is the concentration of the contaminant that triggers the emptying and refilling process. This model predicts that either the process fails or the process cycles …