|
Organizers |
Flammability limits in closed vessel experiments: A Semenov model.
by
Mark Nelson
School of Mathematics & Statistics, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, AUSTRALIA
The standard Semenov model is extended to incorporate flammability experiments in which oxygen-fuel-inert mixtures are assembled in a closed vessel at a specified initial pressure and temperature.
The model contains three generic steady-state diagrams: unique; isola; and, mushroom. Of these the mushroom response represents the most severe hazard. The three types of response arise as the system is unfolded from a winged cusp singularity by varying the nitrogen fraction and/or the ambient temperature. A complete unfolding of this singularity is not possible as it is degenerate.
The isola steady-state structure contains two extinction limit points which define the lower and upper flammability limits. Unfolding these points with secondary bifurcation parameters mimics certain experimental procedures revealing qualitatively agreement between theory and experiment.
Date received: July 18, 2000
Copyright © 2000 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # caek-05.