Chaos in thermal pulse combustion

C. Stuart Daw, John F. Thomas Engineering Technology Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN 37932-6472

George A. Richards U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory Morgantown WV 26505

Lakshmanan L. Naranyaswami Department of Aerospace Engineering Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach FL 32114

[Addresses updated 2001-03-31]

An experimental thermal pulse combustor and a differential equation model of this device are shown to exhibit chaotic behavior under certain conditions. Chaos arises in the model by means of a progression of period-doubling bifurcations that occur when operating parameters such as combustor wall temperature or air/fuel flow are adjusted to push the system toward flameout. Bifurcation sequences have not yet been reproduced experimentally, but similarities are demonstrated between the dynamic features of pressure fluctuations in the model and experiment. Correlation dimension, Kolmogorov entropy, and projections of reconstructed attractors using chaotic time series analysis are demonstrated to be useful in classifying dynamical behavior of the experimental combustor and for comparison of test data to the model results. Ways to improve the model are suggested.

Daw CS, Thomas JF, Richards GA, Narayanaswami LL (1995). Chaos in thermal pulse combustion. Chaos 5(4): 662-670.

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Updated: 2001-03-31 ceaf