Civil and Environmental Engineering Publications
A quantitative measure of the chaotic behavior in conservative systems: a study of transport phenomena in open systems
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1998
Journal
REVUE GENERALE DE THERMIQUE
Volume
37
Issue
6
First Page
459
URL with Digital Object Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0035-3159(98)80063-9
Last Page
474
Abstract
Assessment of such a measure has been revealed to be especially difficult due to the lake of mathematical criteria applicable to conservative systems. Existing tools are mainly based on the characterization of the 'strangeness' of the attractors. These asymptotic measures are thus limited to dissipative systems. We have adapted some of these tools in order to apply them to conservative systems, based on short time observations of the system instead of asymptotic observations. In this study we have used the alternating Dean flow as a benchmark and on the basis of which the mathematical tools have been constructed. Instead of observing an attractor, we suggest observing the image formed by the cross section of a tracer filament injected upstream of the flow. Such an image is simulated by using a numerical model for the flow. With the image, we evaluate the 'information dimension' as well as the 'integral correlation dimension'. Since we use short time observations, the dimensions depend on the initial position of the injected filament. However, their evolution follows the apparent disorder observed on the images. As a global measure of the chaotic behavior, we suggest calculating the mean value of the dimensions for all injection positions defined as 'mean integral correlation dimensions'. (C) Elsevier, Paris.