Modeling of complex dynamics in reaction-diffusion-convection model of cross-flow reactor with thermokinetic autocatalysis

Abstract We examine wave patterns occurring in a simple reaction-diffusion-convection model describing a tubular cross-flow reactor with exothermic first order reaction. First, only reaction-diffusion equations are solved by numerical integration to find characteristic spatiotemporal patterns. Then the effects of convection on these patterns are examined. It is found, that most of the resulting patterns are either steady state non-moving waves, or upstream traveling periodic waves. The analysis of this system includes determination of stability and bifurcations of spatially homogeneous steady state, which leads to a dispersion relation, and a direct application of numerical continuation method to the spatially distributed model.