On Thermal Stability Analysis for a Reacting Slab

Abstract

In this chapter, thermal stability analysis of the steady state exothermic chemical reaction in a slab of com- bustible material is investigated in the present of convective heat loss to the ambient. The nonlinear d ifferential equations governing the system are obtained and solved using perturbation technique together with a special type of Hermite-Pade series summation and improvement method. The effects of various embedded parameters on the temperature pro file and thermal stability of the system are p resented graphically and discussed quantitatively. The possibility of thermal runaway phenomena was shown and the corresponding thermal criticality values were obtained and illustrated on a bifurcation dia- gram. The results reveal the thermal stability crit icality as well as the effects of various embedded parameters on the system.