Aerosol reactor theory: Stability and dynamics of a continuous stirred tank aerosol reactor

The stability characteristics of an aerosol reactor in a continuous stirred tank configuration have been investigated theoretically. Three dimensionless parameters, the surface tension group ∑, reaction rate group R, and residence time group θ_c, suffice to determine the dynamic behavior of this system. The stability of the unique steady state was investigated using linear analysis. Numerical integration of the full nonlinear equations shows that the dynamic behavior was in accord with the predictions of the linear stability theory. The system exhibits limit‐cycle behavior in the unstable part of the parameter space. In the unstable region, a simple linear relation was found between the period of the numerically computed solutions and the bifurcation parameter, θ_c. The results of this study are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results of Badger and Dryden (1939).