Abstract
A dynamical model of an activated sludge process system is considered and analyzed. Numerical techniques are used to show when the system exhibits chaos. Three choices of bifurcation parameters produce different pictures of solution behavior in the form of limit cycles, two-torus and chaotic behavior. For some range of the reactor residence time the model exhibits chaotic behavior as well. Practical criteria are also derived for the effects of feed conditions and purge fraction on the dynamic characteristics of the bioreactor model.