MAPPING REGIONS WITH DIFFERENT BIFURCATION DIAGRAMS OF A REVERSE-FLOWREACTOR

A systematic method is presented for constructing maps of parameter re gions with qualitatively different bifurcation diagrams of the reverse -flow reactor (RFR). These maps are most useful for the rational desig n and periodic operation of an RFR. The method is illustrated by two e xamples. The map for a single, exothermic first-order reaction contain s five regions with qualitatively different bifurcation diagrams when the Damkohler number is the bifurcation variable. The high-temperature branch is isolated in two of these regions. The map for two independe nt, exothermic first-order reactions contains seven regions with quali tatively different bifurcation diagrams when the adiabatic temperature rise is the bifurcation parameter. Three stable periodic stares exist for some values of the bifurcation variable in five of the regions. I n some of these regions the intermediate state cannot be obtained upon a slow change in the concentration of the reactants. In all the examp les we studied, a stability exchange of the pseudohomogeneous model oc curred only at the limit points of the bifurcation diagrams. An effici ent numerical scheme is presented for computing the loci of the singul ar points of the RFR model.