Excitable waves in a fixed bed reactor: ethylene oxidation on platinum

✍ Scribed by Moshe Sheintuch; John Adjaye

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 635 KB
• Volume: 45
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-2509(90)87065-z

✦ Synopsis

Fronts

of excitable media are induced by perturbing an adiabatic fixed bed reactor catalyzing ethylene oxidation: the front always travels downstream while a new front is re-established at the inlet. The fixed bed may admit up to three stable steady states and consequently multiple fronts may be realized. The front may lead from a unique stable state to itself or from an ignited to an extinguished state. The fronts travel at constant shape. and speed.

Step changes or perturbations in inlet conditions applied whilethe front is in motion cause adjustment of the local state but do not arrest the front.