Simulation of the Onset of Nonstationarity and Chaos in a Hydrodynamic System Governed by a Small Number of Degrees of Freedom

The hypothesis of the onset of nonstationarity and chaos in a hydrodynamic system as a result of the nonlinear interaction of a small number of degrees of freedom is verified experimentally with reference to fluid convection in a toroidal channel. Regimes of motion of a fluid medium which correspond qualitatively to the Lorenz model are obtained experimentally. These include steady-state regimes, their bifurcations, nonuniqueness and instability, unsteady periodic and stochastic regimes. The spectral and statistical characteristics of the and unsteady processes are investigated, the nature of the onset of chaos is analyzed, and the results are compared with calculations. The mathematical model of the problem is refined.