Effects of inlet conditions on dynamics of a thermal pulse combustor

To increase the pulse combustor load, a higher amount of fuel-air mixture has to be supplied. This increases the flow rate or equivalently, the flow time is reduced. However, an increase in flow rate leads to an early extinction. This implies that obtaining pulsating combustion is difficult at higher loads. The objective of the present work is to explore the possibility of extending the regime of pulsating combustion at higher flow rates by preheating and diluting the reactants. In this work, the effects of preheating and dilution are examined by varying the inlet temperature and inlet fuel mass fraction. Varying these parameters, a map, presenting regime of pulsating combustion from steady combustion to extinction for each value of flow time considered, has been made. Lastly, Hopf bifurcation points of the system have been investigated by determining the eigenvalues of Jacobian matrix of the coupled non-linear system at the fixed point using a specialised package for bifurcation analysis, MATCONT. It has been found that at higher load, pulsating combustion can be achieved at higher inlet temperature and lower inlet fuel mass fraction. Comparing the Hopf points with mapping, it is found that existence of Hopf bifurcation agrees with the birth and death of pulsating combustion. The results indicate that altering the mixture condition at the inlet can be used for controlling chaos and stabilising periodic solutions in thermal pulse combustors and thus increase the range of pulsating combustion to higher power regimes.     

Bifurcation analysis of steady states and limit cycles in a thermal pulse combustor model

Oscillatory behaviour of state variables is desirable in pulse combustors, as properly designed pulsations lead to improved performances, such as higher thermal efficiency and lower emissions compared to steady combustors. In the present work, we perform a systematic investigation of the stability of steady states and limit cycles of a pulse combustor model through numerical continuation. Different bifurcation parameters such as tailpipe friction factor, wall temperature, convective heat transfer coefficient, inlet temperature and inlet fuel mass fraction are varied to identify the complete ranges of those parameters at which limit cycles can be expected. This analysis identifies alternative stable periodic regimes in parameter space (e.g. friction factor). In addition, a few performance indicators such as amplitude of oscillations, cycle-averaged heat transfer and cycle-averaged specific thrust are compared between different ranges of friction factor yielding limit cycle oscillations. The comparison clearly shows that, depending upon the application, friction factor can be chosen from different regimes. The time-integration of the model is also performed to support the bifurcation results obtained from numerical continuation, wherever appropriate. The complete stability margin of limit cycle oscillations for those bifurcation parameters can be useful for improved design of the combustor and for determining the optimal operating conditions of pulse combustors.     

Modeling of a self-excited pulse combustor and stability analysis

The major bottleneck for popularization and utilization of the conventional mechanical valve pulse combustors is the self-priming mode of gas supply. An aerodynamic valve (as against mechanical valve) self-excited pulse combustor of the Helmholtz-type with continuous supply of gas and air was designed and a mathematical model was established in this paper. The theoretical model employed well-stirred reactor model and a single step Arrhenius chemistry, and took those factors which might affect the combustion stability into account. The factors include the variation of the mass rate of the reactants affected by the pressure in the combustion chamber, the convective and radiation heat loss in the combustion chamber, and the heat transfer and wall friction in the tailpipe. The effect of wall temperature of combustion chamber, wall heat transfer coefficient, tailpipe length and friction coefficient on combustionstability were analyzed. The range of combustion oscillations can be predicted. It is theoretically and experimentally shown that combustion oscillations can be produced with a continuous supply of fuel and air without mechanical valves. The experimental data show qualitative agreement with predictions from the theoretical model. The theoretical model could be a tool for designing and optimizing the self-excited pulse combustor.     

Selective triggering of phase change in dielectrics by femtosecond pulse trains based on electron dynamics control

In this study we experimentally reveal that the phase change mechanism can be selectively triggered by shaping femtosecond pulse trains based on electron dynamics control (EDC), including manipulation of excitations, ionizations, densities, and temperatures of electrons. By designing the pulse energy distribution to adjust the absorptions, excitations, ionizations, and recombinations of electrons, the dominant phase change mechanism experiences transition from nonthermal to thermal process. This phenomenon is observed in quadruple, triple, and double pulses per train ablation of fused silica separately. This opens up possibilities for controlling phase change mechanisms by EDC, which is of great significance in laser processing of dielectrics and fabrication of integrated nano- and micro-optical devices.     

Ultra-broadband supercontinuum generation with a nonlinear chirped pulse for controlling quantum path

We theoretically investigate the high-order harmonic generation in helium atom driven by a nonlinear chirped laser pulse with few-cycle duration. By employing appropriate chirp to the driving pulse, an efficient electric field waveform of controlling quantum path for ultra-broadband supercontinuous harmonics is realized, and then an isolated sub-50 as pulse with bandwidth of 739 eV can be significantly obtained.     

Effect of nonlinear dispersion on pulse self-compression in a defocusing noble gas

Media with a negative Kerr index (n₂) offer an intriguing possibility to self-compress ultrashort laser pulses without the risk of spatial wave collapse. However, in the relevant frequency regions, the negative nonlinearity turns out to be highly dispersive as well. Here, we study the influence of nonlinear dispersion on the pulse self-compression in a defocusing xenon gas. Purely temporal (1+1)-dimensional investigations reveal and fully spatio-temporal simulations confirm that a temporal shift of high intensity zones of the compressed pulse due to the nonlinear dispersion is the main effect on the modulational instability (MI) mediated compression mechanism. In the special case of vanishing n₂ for the center frequency, pulse compression leading to the ejection of a soliton is examined, which cannot be explained by MI.     

Analysis of a gained nonlinear directional coupler pulse switch

We have investigated the switching performance of a gained (nonlinear directional coupler) NLDC switch in the presence of both 2nd and 4th order gain nonlinearities. In this system, we have achieved a nearly complete pulse switching at half beat length of the coupler which implies about 40% reduction in the switching length as compared to the switching length reported in Trillo et al. (1988). We have shown that at the half beat length the output energy of each branch is equal to that of the input energy and hence the gained NLDC switches have ability to be cascaded. Our initial investigations reveal that this gained NLDC switch has remarkable performance and potential to be used in ultra-fast optical communication systems.     

Some comments on nonlinear dynamics

I summarize here the remarks made at the closing of the Conference and Research Workshop: Perspectives on Nonlinear Dynamics, held in Trieste in July 2007.      

高功率脉冲光隔离器非线性及热效应分析

从理论上分析了脉冲情况下,磁光晶体横向温度梯度引起的光弹效应、消光比以及克尔效应对光隔离器隔离度的影响,并与连续入射情况进行了对比。结果表明：在平均功率相同的情况下,脉冲光束入射比连续光束入射情况隔离度更低;当平均功率较小时,消光比对隔离度的影响较大;当平均功率较大时,消光比对隔离度的影响有限,主要表现出光弹效应对隔离度的影响;当峰值功率密度较大时,克尔效应将显著降低隔离度,并且峰值功率密度越大,对隔离度的降低程度越大。     

高功率脉冲光隔离器非线性及热效应分析

从理论上分析了脉冲情况下,磁光晶体横向温度梯度引起的光弹效应、消光比以及克尔效应对光隔离器隔离度的影响,并与连续入射情况进行了对比。结果表明:在平均功率相同的情况下,脉冲光束入射比连续光束入射情况隔离度更低;当平均功率较小时,消光比对隔离度的影响较大;当平均功率较大时,消光比对隔离度的影响有限,主要表现出光弹效应对隔离度的影响;当峰值功率密度较大时,克尔效应将显著降低隔离度,并且峰值功率密度越大,对隔离度的降低程度越大。     

基于脉冲复制的单脉冲激光对比度测量

为测量超短单脉冲激光的时间波形以及对比度信息,基于三阶强度相关原理,结合光脉冲复制技术,提出了基于脉冲复制的测量方法。对测量原理进行了详尽的理论分析。利用分步傅里叶和龙格库塔数值计算方法对测量方案做了模拟验证。基于脉冲复制的测量法能同时进行多窗口测量。通过拼接测量时间窗口,可以有效解决测量分辨率与测量时间窗口不能兼顾的问题,同时实现大时间窗口和高分辨率测量。通过将主脉冲与预脉冲分离到不同的测量窗口,避免了梯度衰减片的使用,且具有高对比度测量能力。     

基于脉冲复制的单脉冲激光对比度测量

为测量超短单脉冲激光的时间波形以及对比度信息,基于三阶强度相关原理,结合光脉冲复制技术,提出了基于脉冲复制的测量方法。对测量原理进行了详尽的理论分析。利用分步傅里叶和龙格库塔数值计算方法对测量方案做了模拟验证。基于脉冲复制的测量法能同时进行多窗口测量。通过拼接测量时间窗口,可以有效解决测量分辨率与测量时间窗口不能兼顾的问题,同时实现大时间窗口和高分辨率测量。通过将主脉冲与预脉冲分离到不同的测量窗口,避免了梯度衰减片的使用,且具有高对比度测量能力。     

The effects of nonlinear interactions and network structure in small group opinion dynamics

We present a model of opinion dynamics in social networks in which an individual's opinion evolves under the action of (i) a linear force which tends to restore the opinion back towards the individual's natural bias that is his or her initial opinion and (ii) a nonlinear coupling with other individuals which acts to bring opinions closer together but wanes for high opinion discrepancies. Bifurcation analysis for the case of a two-person group shows that a critical value for the difference in natural biases exists which demarcates regimes of qualitatively different behavior. For low to moderate natural bias differences, the dynamics are qualitatively similar to linear theory. For high bias differences, the system takes on a binary nature and is marked by discontinuous transitions between deadlock and consensus as well as hysteresis as the coupling is varied. The coupling required to force consensus grows extremely rapidly with the natural bias difference indicating that trying to achieve group consensus solely via increasing the communications rate becomes fruitless as the biases become extremely divergent. We also show that, for high bias differences, a triad broker network topology can reduce group discord more effectively than a clique, contrary to linear theory.     

具有几个光振荡周期的飞秒激光脉冲

从麦克斯韦方程组出发 ,推导出了具有几个光振荡周期的飞秒激光脉冲在非线性光纤中传输的方程和非线性光纤的折射率。给出了描述具有几个光振荡周期的飞秒激光脉冲在非线性光纤中传输方程的解。研究了在非线性光纤中自相位调制导致具有几个光振荡周期的飞秒激光脉冲频谱展宽 (脉宽压缩 )的详细物理过程。研究了非线性光纤中飞秒光孤子产生的条件     

Maintenance of chaos in a computational model of a thermal pulse combustor

The dynamics of a thermal pulse combustor model are examined. It is found that, as a parameter related to the fuel flow rate is varied, the combustor will undergo a transition from periodic pulsing to chaotic pulsing to a chaotic transient leading to flameout. Results from the numerical model are compared to those obtained from a laboratory-scale thermal pulse combustor. Finally the technique of maintenance (or anticontrol) of chaos is successfully applied to the model, with the result that the operation of the combustor can be continued well into the flameout regime. (c) 1997 American Institute of Physics.     

Analysis of femtosecond optical pulse propagation in one-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystals using finite-difference time-domain method

In this paper, we have used the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method to analyze the optical pulse propagation in a nonlinear, one-dimensional photonic crystal (1DPC). Hyperbolic secant pulses with various carrier wavelengths are utilized in this study. In a nonlinear regime, a 1DPC introduces a photonic band-gap whose central wavelength and width depend on the input pulse intensity. In the present work, three different cases are considered. These correspond to the carrier wavelengths of the incident pulses being out of, near to, and partially in the band-gap. For each case, the effect of nonlinearity on pulse propagation is investigated. Also, we have analyzed the two-frequency regime, in which each of the two pulses has a different carrier frequency (wavelength). This kind of study can be done directly with FDTD without any further computational burden but it is somewhat complicated using nonlinear coupled-mode equations (NLCME) and nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE), which require separate treatments for each carrier wavelength.     

An investigation of dark soliton behaviors within the nonlinear micro and nano ring resonators

We firstly propose the interesting results of a dark soliton pulse propagating within the nonlinear micro and nano waveguides. The system consists of nonlinear micro and nano ring resonators, whereas the dark soliton is input into the system and traveling within the waveguide. A continuous dark soliton pulse is chopped to be the smaller pulses by the nonlinear effects known as chaos. The nonlinear behaviors such as chaos, bistability and bifurcation are analyzed and discussed. The power amplification is the property that can be used to perform the long distance link, where the security is the dominant reason.     

Pt-Au核-壳结构纳米粒子热稳定性的分子动力学研究

采用分子动力学方法结合嵌入原子势, 对Pt-Au核-壳纳米粒子的热稳定性进行了研究. 计算结果表明: Pt-Au纳米粒子的熔点明显高于Au纳米粒子而低于Pt纳米粒子. 通过计算Lindemann指数发现: 壳层中的Au首先熔化, 然后逐渐向内部扩展, 最终导致核中的Pt完全熔化; 熔化所经历的温度区间明显宽于单质纳米粒子, 而且该熔化过程呈现典型的两阶段熔化特征; 在两次熔化之间, 存在着固(核)液(壳)共存的结构. 关键词： 纳米粒子 熔化 分子动力学     

Integrals of the motion for a nonlinear quantum oscillator

We construct and discusss explicitly time dependent integrals of the motion of non-autonomous quantum systems. Such integrals may exist even when the classical limit of the dynamics is non-integrable.