Effect of weak gravitation on the plane Poiseuille flow of a highly rarefied gas

Plane Poiseuille flow of a highly rarefied gas that flows horizontally in the presence of weak gravitation is studied based on the Boltzmann equation for a hard sphere molecular gas and the diffuse reflection boundary condition. The behavior of the solution in the regime of large mean free path and small strength of gravity is studied numerically based on the one-dimensional Boltzmann equation derived by means of the asymptotic analysis for a slow variation in the flow direction. It is clarified that the effect of weak gravity on the flow is not negligible when the gas is so rarefied that the mean free path is comparable to the maximum range that the molecules travel along the parabolic path within the channel. When the mean free path is much larger than this range, the effect of gravity that makes the molecules fall plays the dominant role in determining the distribution function, and thus the over-concentration in the distribution function as well as the flow velocity does not increase further even if the mean free path is increased. The upper bound of the flow velocity and the mass flow rate of the gas are obtained as a function of the gravitational acceleration.     

On the behavior of a slightly rarefied gas mixture over plane boundaries

Summary The behavior of a slightly rarefied gas mixture bounded by plane boundaries is investigated on the basis of the linearized Boltzmann equation ofB-G-K type for gas mixtures under the diffusive boundary condition. A useful result of the present analysis is that the macroscopic equations and the appropriate boundary conditions in terms of slip and jump are obtained together with the Knudsen-layer corrections near the boundaries. This system of equations makes possible the treatment at fluid dynamic level for various problems of gas mixtures with plane geometry which require kinetic theory consideration. As an application of this system, some basic flow problems of a slightly rarefied gas mixture, namely, Couette flow, thermal slip flow and diffusion slip flow between two plates are taken up. The total velocity distributions of these concrete problems are explicitly obtained for the first time, and their dependence on the properties and concentration of the component gases in the mixture are clarified in some detail.

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Zusammenfassung Das Verhalten einer verdünnten Gasmischung, bei kleiner aber nicht vernachlässigbarer Knudsen Zahl, zwischen zwei parallelen Platten wird analytisch untersucht. Die linearisierten Boltzmann Gleichungen desB-G-K Typs für Gasmischungen mit diffusiven Randbedingungen werden angewendet. Aus der vorliegenden Untersuchung resultieren brauchbare makroskopische Gleichungen mit den zugehörigen Randbedingungen, — mit Gleitgeschwindigkeit und Temperatursprung formuliert, — sowie die Korrekturen für die wandnahe Knudsen-Schicht. Verschiedene Strömungen von Gasmischungen, bei denen gas-kinetische Effekte eine Rolle spielen, entlang ebener Begrenzungen können mit den Gleichungssystemen auf strömungsmechanischem Niveau behandelt werden. Das System wird auf die Couette Strömung und die thermal-slip und diffusion-slip Strömungen angewendet. Zum ersten Mal werden die Geschwindigkeitsprofile dieser elementaren Strömungen explizit berechnet. Der Einfluß der Gaseigenschaften und Konzentrationen auf diese Profile werden weitgehend erklärt.

     

Numerical study of the Couette flow of a diatomic rarefied gas

The Couette flow is numerically studied using a model kinetic equation for a diatomic rarefied gas (nitrogen). The boundary condition set on the wall takes into account that the molecular rotational energy passes into translational energy when the molecule interacts with the wall. For comparison purposes, the Couette flow is computed using the classical diffuse model of the gas-wall interaction. A comparison of the results obtained with both types of boundary conditions shows that the computed parameters of the Couette flow coincide only for sufficiently low Knudsen numbers. This suggests that transitions between rotational and translational energy in the gas-wall interaction have to be taken into account in the boundary condition.     

Magnetohydrodynamic flow of a rarefied gas near an accelerated porous plate

An investigation is made of the flow of an electrically conducting rarefied gas due to the time-varying motion of an infinite porous plate, the gas being permeated by a transverse magnetic field. The suction is taken to be a constant and the magnetic lines of force are taken to be fixed relative to the fluid. The effects of magnetic field, rarefaction parameter, suction parameter are shown by means of some tables. The expressions of the skin friction for the two particular cases have also been obtained.     

Application of a momentum method to some rarefied gas flow problems

Zusammenfassung Eine Kombination der Lees-Methode und des Mott-Smith Ansatzes wird auf zwei Probleme der Couette-Strömung zwischen zwei Zylindern angewandt. Es werden Ausdrücke hergeleitet für das Moment im Fall, dass ein Zylinder rotiert, und für den Wärmefluss im Fall, dass beide Zylinder stationär sind, aber verschiedene Temperatur haben; diese Ausdrücke sind für alle Werte der Knudsenzahl gültig.     

Unsteady rarefied gas flow in a microchannel driven by a pressure difference

The kinetic S-model is used to study the unsteady rarefied gas flow through a plane channel between two parallel infinite plates. Initially, the gas is at rest and is separated by the plane x = 0 with different pressure values on opposite sides. The gas deceleration effect of the channel walls is studied depending on the degree of gas rarefaction and the initial pressure drop, assuming that the molecules are diffusely reflected from the boundary. The decay of the shock wave and the disappearance of the uniform flow region behind the shock wave are monitored. Special attention is given to the gas mass flux through the cross section at x = 0, which is computed as a function of time. The asymptotic behavior of the solution at unboundedly increasing time is analyzed. The kinetic equation is solved numerically by applying a conservative finite-difference method of second-order accuracy in space.     

Efficient method for computing rarefied gas flow in a long finite plane channel

The linearized kinetic S-model is used to study the nonisothermal steady rarefied gas flow driven by differences in pressure and temperature in a plane channel between long finite parallel plates joining two tanks of infinite volume. An efficient composite (asymptotic) method is developed: a one-dimensional asymptotic solution corresponding to an infinitely long channel is constructed in the middle part of the computational domain, while a solution of the two-dimensional kinetic equation matched with the middle-part asymptotic solution is constructed near the ends of the channel. The latter solution is found numerically by a high-order accurate conservative method. The basic quantity to be computed is the gas flow rate through the channel. Characteristic flow features are also investigated. The resulting solutions are compared with previously known results.     

Numerical study of the transverse supersonic flow of a diatomic rarefied gas past a plate

The two-dimensional supersonic rarefied gas flow past an infinite plate placed normally to the flow is analyzed. The gas possesses rotational degrees of freedom. The problem is stated for a model kinetic equation and is solved by applying a second-order accurate implicit conservative finite-difference method. The gas parameters correspond to nitrogen. The results are compared with those obtained for a monatomic gas. The influence exerted by the rotational degrees of freedom and the boundary conditions at the plate’s surface on the aerodynamic characteristics of the plate and the flow pattern is illustrated.     

Numerical analysis of the spiral Couette flow of a rarefied gas between coaxial cylinders

An implicit quasi-monotone second-order accurate method is proposed for analyzing the spiral Couette flow of a rarefied gas between coaxial cylinders. The basic advantages of the method over the conventional method of stationry iterations are that the former is conservative with respect to the collision integral, has a simple software implementation for any types of boundary conditions, and applies to a wide range of Knudsen numbers.     

Continuum models in problems of the hypersonic flow of a rarefied gas around blunt bodiest

All possible continuum (hydrodynamic) models in the case of two-dimensional problems of supersonic and hypersonic flows around blunt bodies in the two-layer model (a viscous shock layer and shock-wave structure) over the whole range of Reynolds numbers, Re, from low values (free molecular and transitional flow conditions) up to high values (flow conditions with a thin leading shock wave, a boundary layer and an external inviscid flow in the shock layer) are obtained from the Navier-Stokes equations using an asymptotic analysis. In the case of low Reynolds numbers, the shock layer is considered but the structure of the shock wave is ignored. Together with the well-known models (a boundary layer, a viscous shock layer, a thin viscous shock layer, parabolized Navier-Stokes equations (the single-layer model) for high, moderate and low Re numbers, respectively), a new hydrodynamic model, which follows from the Navier-Stokes equations and reduces to the solution of the simplified (“local”) Stokes equations in a shock layer with vanishing inertial and pressure forces and boundary conditions on the unspecified free boundary (the shock wave) is found at Reynolds numbers, and a density ratio, k, up to and immediately after the leading shock wave, which tend to zero subject to the condition that (k/Re)^1/2 → 0. Unlike in all the models which have been mentioned above, the solution of the problem of the flow around a body in this model gives the free molecular limit for the coefficients of friction, heat transfer and pressure. In particular, the Newtonian limit for the drag is thereby rigorously obtained from the Navier-Stokes equations. At the same time, the Knudsen number, which is governed by the thickness of the shock layer, which vanishes in this model, tends to zero, that is, the conditions for a continuum treatment are satisfied. The structure of the shock wave can be determined both using continuum as well as kinetic models after obtaining the solution in the viscous shock layer for the weak physicochemical processes in the shock wave structure itself. Otherwise, the problem of the shock wave structure and the equations of the viscous shock layer must be jointly solved. The equations for all the continuum models are written in Dorodnitsyn--Lees boundary layer variables, which enables one, prior to solving the problem, to obtain an approximate estimate of second-order effects in boundary-layer theory as a function of Re and the parameter k and to represent all the aerodynamic and thermal characteristic; in the form of a single dependence on Re over the whole range of its variation from zero to infinity.

An efficient numerical method of global iterations, previously developed for solving viscous shock-layer equations, can be used to solve problems of supersonic and hypersonic flows around the windward side of blunt bodies using a single hydrodynamic model of a viscous shock layer for all Re numbers, subject to the condition that the limit (k/Re)^1/2 → 0 is satisfied in the case of small Re numbers. An aerodynamic and thermal calculation using different hydrodynamic models, corresponding to different ranges of variation Re (different types of flow) can thereby, in fact, be replaced by a single calculation using one model for the whole of the trajectory for the descent (entry) of space vehicles and natural cosmic bodies (meteoroids) into the atmosphere.     

A moving-wall boundary layer flow of a slightly rarefied gas free stream over a moving flat plate

In the current work, the boundary layer flow of a slightly rarefied gas free stream over a moving flat plate is presented and solved numerically. The first-order slip boundary condition is adopted in the derivation. The dimensionless velocity and shear stress profiles are plotted and discussed. A theoretical derivation of the estimated solution domain is developed, which will give a very close estimation to the exact solution domain obtained numerically. The influences of velocity slip at the wall on the velocity and shear stress are also addressed.     

On the unsteady Poiseuille flow in a pipe

We show that in an unsteady Poiseuille flow of a Navier–Stokes fluid in an infinite straight pipe of constant cross-section, σ, the flow rate, F(t), and the axial pressure drop, q(t), are related, at each time t, by a linear Volterra integral equation of the second type, where the kernel depends only upon t and σ. One significant consequence of this result is that it allows us to prove that the inverse parabolic problem of finding a Poiseuille flow corresponding to a given F(t) is equivalent to the resolution of the classical initial-boundary value problem for the heat equation. G. P. Galdi: Partially supported by the NSF grant DMS–0404834. K. Pileckas: Supported by EC FP6 MCToK program SPADE2, MTKD–CT–2004–014508 A. L. Silvestre: Supported by FCT-Project POCI/MAT/61792/2004     

On the unsteady Poiseuille flow in a pipe

We show that in an unsteady Poiseuille flow of a Navier–Stokes fluid in an infinite straight pipe of constant cross-section, σ, the flow rate, F(t), and the axial pressure drop, q(t), are related, at each time t, by a linear Volterra integral equation of the second type, where the kernel depends only upon t and σ. One significant consequence of this result is that it allows us to prove that the inverse parabolic problem of finding a Poiseuille flow corresponding to a given F(t) is equivalent to the resolution of the classical initial-boundary value problem for the heat equation.     

Ideal gas approximation for a two-dimensional rarefied gas under Kawasaki dynamics

In this paper we consider a two-dimensional lattice gas under Kawasaki dynamics, i.e., particles hop around randomly subject to hard-core repulsion and nearest-neighbor attraction. We show that, at fixed temperature and in the limit as the particle density tends to zero, such a gas evolves in a way that is close to an ideal gas, where particles have no interaction. In particular, we prove three theorems showing that particle trajectories are non-superdiffusive and have a diffusive spread-out property. We also consider the situation where the temperature and the particle density tend to zero simultaneously and focus on three regimes corresponding to the stable, the metastable and the unstable gas, respectively.     

Compressible perturbation of Poiseuille type flow

The paper examines the issue of stability of Poiseuille type flows in regime of compressible Navier–Stokes equations in a three dimensional finite pipe-like domain. We prove the existence of stationary solutions with inhomogeneous Navier slip boundary conditions admitting nontrivial inflow condition in the vicinity of constructed generic flows. Our techniques are based on an application of a modification of the Lagrangian coordinates. Thanks to such an approach we are able to overcome difficulties coming from hyperbolicity of the continuity equation, constructing a maximal regularity estimate for a linearized system and applying the Banach fixed point theorem.     

Nonisothermic flow of gas mixture in a channel at intermediate Knudsen numbers

Solution of the problem of gas mixture flow in a plane channel at intermediate Knudsen numbers is considered on the basis of the 20-moment approximation as a function of distribution. The applied method consists of averaging moment equations valid throughout the flow region (including the Knudsen layers) with the determination of boundary values of macroscopic parameters on the wall using the approximate Loyalka method /1,2/. Expressions are obtained for a binary mixture for the mean molar velocity averaged over the channel cross section, difference of component velocities, and the relative heat flux in the presence of longitudinal gradients of partial pressures, and for the temperature gradients. Respective kinetic coefficients of the Onsager matrix are calculated. Dependence of these coefficients on the Knudsen number, and the properties of molecule scatter on the channel wall are analyzed in detail in the case of one-component gas and of a binary mixture with small relative difference of mass and diameters of molecule scatter.     

Nanoscale Poiseuille flow of charged particles

We consider the convection-diffusion process of charged particles in a fluid which is described by the Navier-Stokes equations. Assuming a Hagen-Poiseuille flow profile, a one-dimensional model is derived. For stationary cases, the positivity of the concentrations is proven. Unique equilibrium solutions are shown to exist for a certain range of Dirichlet boundary data. Based on the one-dimensional model and their analytical solution, numerical simulations are presented for several test cases.     

Non-existence of a steady rarefied supersonic flow in a half-space

The one-dimensional BGK model for a Boltzmann gas is studied by linearizing about a drifting Maxwellian. This linearized BGK model is then expressed as an operator differential equation whose unique solution is given by a contour integral of the resolvent of the relevant transport operator. The Wiener-Hopf factorization of the dispersion function for the problem is employed to show that the unique solution to the differential equation exists only for subsonic drift velocities.

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Riassunto Si studia il modello unidimensionale di Bhatnagar, Gross e Krook, linearizzato intorno a una maxwelliana con velocità di deriva. Si trasforma poi questo modello in una equazione differenziale operatoriale, la cui soluzione (unica) è data da un integrale curvilineo del risolvente dell'operatore di trasporto di cui ci si occupa. Impiegando la fattorizzazione alla Wiener-Hopf della funzione di disperisione del problema, si dimostra che la soluzione (unica) del problema esiste solo per velocita di deriva subsoniche.