COMPLEX AND NONPERIODIC OSCILLATIONS IN THE H-2-2 REACTION(O)

The gas-phase reaction between H-2 and O-2 is the prototype combustion reaction and one of the most studied chemical reactions. Previous wor k has reported the existence of sustained oscillatory ignition in open reactors driven primarily by chemical feedback (chain branching and s elf-inhibition) and of complex (mixed-mode) oscillations originating f rom the coupling of chemical and thermal feedback mechanisms. In this paper, additional complex responses are described for experiments with 'fuel-rich' mixtures at short residence times. Evidence for the exist ence of deterministic chaos in this system is presented. Almost all of the new complex behaviour can be modelled, at least semi-quantitative ly, using the 'minimal complex oscillator model' comprising 12 element ary steps presented previously using kinetic data obtained from indepe ndent sources.