Bifurcations of limit cycles in open and closed loop reverse flow reactors

The present work analyses the bifurcations of limit cycles in open and loop reverse flow reactors. The open loop system consists of a reactor where the flow direction is periodically forced whereas in the closed loop system, the flow inversion is dictated by a control law which activates when the temperature at the edge of catalytic bed falls below the set-point value. We performed the bifurcation analysis of the open loop system as the switch time is varied and we constructed the solution diagram through the application of continuation technique. Many Naimark-Sacker bifurcations leading to quasi-periodic regimes have been found on the limit cycles branches. Finally, we compared these limit cycles with those of the closed loop system where the flow inversion is dictated by a control system which acts if the temperature measured at the edge of reactor falls below a set-point value. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.