We characterize complexities in combustion instability in a lean premixed gas-turbine model combustor by nonlinear time series analysis to evaluate permutation entropy, fractal dimensions, and short-term predictability. The dynamic behavior in combustion instability near lean blowout exhibits a self-affine structure and is ascribed to fractional Brownian motion. It undergoes chaos by the onset of combustion oscillations with slow amplitude modulation. Our results indicate that nonlinear time series analysis is capable of characterizing complexities in combustion instability close to lean blowout.

Characterization of complexities in combustion instability in a lean premixed gas-turbine model combustor.

Detonation mode and frequency analysis under high loss conditions for stoichiometric propane-oxygen

This investigation deals with the study of the mean structure of a mildly unstable non-ideal detonation wave. The analysis is based on the integration of one-dimensional reactive Euler equations with friction forces using a third-order Runge–Kutta scheme and a fifth-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO5) spatial discretization. A one-step Arrhenius reaction mechanism is used for modelling the chemical reaction. When the frictional forces are active, the limit cycle based on the post-shock pressure reveals an enhanced pulsating behaviour of the downstream subsonic reaction zone compared to the ideal case. The results show that the detonation-velocity deficit increases as the mean reaction zone becomes thicker compared to the generalized ZND model. A new master equation, based on the Favre-averaged quantities, is derived and analysed along with new sonicity and thermicity conditions. The analysis of the species, momentum and energy balances reveals that the presence of mechanical fluctuations within the reaction zone constitutes another source of energy withdrawal, meaning that the detonation deviates from its laminar structure. Furthermore, the compressibility of the flow is analysed and the relationships between the fluctuations of temperature, velocity and reactive scalar are discussed in terms of strong Reynolds analogies.

Mean structure of one-dimensional unstable detonations with friction

We apply nonlinear forecasting to the time series of the flame front instability induced by radiative heat loss to test for the short-term predictability and long-term unpredictability characteristic of deterministic chaos in flame front instability. Our results indicate that the flame front instability represents high-dimensional chaos generated via the period-doubling cascade process reported in our previous study [H. Gotoda, K. Michigami, K. Ikeda, and T. Miyano, Combust Theory Modell. 14, 479 (2010)], while its short-term behavior is predictable using a local nonlinear predictor based on the Sugihara-May method [H. Gotoda, H. Nikimoto, T. Miyano, and S. Tachibana, Chaos 20, 013124 (2011); G. Sugihara and R. M. May, Nature 344, 734 (1990)] as well as a generalized radial basis function network as a global nonlinear predictor. The feasibility of a new approach based on short-term prediction is also discussed in this work from the practical viewpoint of combustion systems.

Short-term prediction of dynamical behavior of flame front instability induced by radiative heat loss.

Liquid rockets are prone to large amplitude oscillations, commonly referred to as thermoacoustic instability. This phenomenon causes unavoidable developmental setbacks and poses a stern challenge to accomplish the mission objectives. Thermoacoustic instability arises due to the nonlinear interaction between the acoustic and the reactive flow subsystems in the combustion chamber. In this paper, we adopt tools from dynamical systems and complex systems theory to understand the dynamical transitions from a state of stable operation to thermoacoustic instability in a self-excited model multielement liquid rocket combustor based on an oxidizer rich staged combustion cycle. We observe that this transition to thermoacoustic instability occurs through a sequence of bursts of large amplitude periodic oscillations. Furthermore, we show that the acoustic pressure oscillations in the combustor pertain to different dynamical states. In contrast to a simple limit cycle oscillation, we show that the system dynamics switches between period-3 and period-4 oscillations during the state of thermoacoustic instability. We show several measures based on recurrence quantification analysis and multifractal theory, which can diagnose the dynamical transitions occurring in the system. We find that these measures are more robust than the existing measures in distinguishing the dynamical state of a rocket engine. Furthermore, these measures can be used to validate models and computational fluid dynamics simulations, aiming to characterize the performance and stability of rockets.

Dynamical systems approach to study thermoacoustic transitions in a liquid rocket combustor

Occupational Intakes of Radionuclides: Part 5

The dynamical behaviour of one-dimensional pulsating detonations was investigated in detail, with the aid of nonlinear theory tools such as phase plots and correlation dimension. The period-doubling cascade, as routes to deterministic chaos, is depicted through the transformations of the shapes of the attractors. Using a correlation dimension method, the dimension of the attractors is determined and we show that the chaos within a one-dimensional pulsating detonation is deterministic.

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Frederick Paquet

Papers

Occupational Intakes of Radionuclides: Part 5

Applying nonlinear dynamic theory to one-dimensional pulsating detonations