Void Fraction Physics Resulting From Chaos Control of Upward Gas-Liquid Slug Flow
Abstract The present investigation examines open-loop control of chaotic upward gas-liquid slug flow. Though highly structured, slug flow is deterministically chaotic in nature. Recent analytical and experimental investigations indicate that perturbation of a system parameter has the potential to reduce or increase chaos in a system. Slug flow provides an interesting medium for the investigation into control of chaotic systems due to its high degree of structure and complex physics. The response of slug flow under control in turn lends insight into its complex dynamics. The results of the present study validate open-loop control, showing that periodic perturbation of the air inlet conditions at a specific frequency destabilizes dominant system dynamics, pushing the system to less stable orbits with different flow physics.