The Stability Analysis of a Chemical Process in a Flow Reactor

The possibility of emergence of oscillatory conditions during a chemical process in a flow reactor with spatial inhomogeneity is analyzed. The mathematical dynamic model of the reactor takes into account molecular and convective heat- and mass-transfer processes. The problem is solved in a one-dimensional approximation under single-step chemical-reaction conditions. An analytical expression for the stability criterion of the steady-state conditions is obtained provided that the diffusion and temperature conductivity coefficients are equal. The sequence of actions upon determining the critical conditions for the stability of the system is shown. A series of numerical experiments is performed to verify the emergence of oscillatory regimes at different parameter values corresponding to real conditions in the reactor.