The temperature-jump problem based on the linearized Boltzmann equation for a binary mixture of rigid spheres

An analytical version of the discrete-ordinates method (the ADO method) is used with recently reported analytical forms for the rigid-sphere scattering kernels to establish a concise and particularly accurate solution to the temperature-jump problem for a binary gas mixture described by the linearized Boltzmann equation. The solution yields, in addition to the temperature-jump coefficient for the general (specular-diffuse) case of Maxwell boundary conditions for each of the two species, the density, the temperature and the heat-flow profiles for both types of particles. Numerical results are reported for two binary mixtures (Ne–Ar and He–Xe) with various molar concentrations.     

Couette flow of a binary mixture of rigid-sphere gases described by the linearized Boltzmann equation

A concise and accurate solution to the problem of plane Couette flow for a binary mixture of rigid-sphere gases described by the linearized Boltzmann equation and general (specular-diffuse) Maxwell boundary conditions for each of the two species of gas particles is developed. An analytical version of the discrete-ordinates method is used to establish the velocity, heat-flow, and shear-stress profiles for both types of particles, as well as the particle-flow and heat-flow rates associated with each of the two species. Accurate numerical results are given for the case of a mixture of helium and argon confined between molybdenum and tantalum plates.     

On the squeeze flow of a power-law fluid between rigid spheres

The lubrication solution for the squeeze flow of a power-law fluid between two rigid spherical particles has been investigated. It is shown that the radial pressure distribution converges to zero within the gap between the particles for any value of the flow index, n, provided that the gap separation distance is sufficiently small. However, in the case of the viscous force, it is useful to consider that there are two contributions. The first is developed in the inner region of the gap and corresponds to the lubrication limit. The second is due to an integration of the pressure in the adjacent outer region of the gap. The relative contribution to the force in this outer region increases as n decreases and the separation distance increases. In particular, for flow indices in the range n>1/3, the contribution in the outer region is negligible if the separation distance is sufficiently small. For n1/3, this is the dominant term and an accurate prediction of the viscous force is possible only for discrete liquid bridges.Based on “zero” pressure and lubrication criteria for the upper limits of integration, two closed-form solutions have been derived for the viscous force. Both are accurate for n>0.5 and are in close agreement with a previously published asymptotic solution in the range n>0.6. For smaller values of n, the asymptotic solution over-estimates the viscous force and predicts a singularity when n approaches 1/3. The two closed-form solutions show continuous and monotonic behaviour for all values of n. Moreover, the solution satisfying the lubrication limit is valid in the range n<1/3 provided that it is restricted to liquid bridges.     

High order parallelisation of an unstructured grid,discontinuous-Galerkin finite element solver for the Boltzmann–BGK equation

ABSTRACT

This paper outlines the implementation and performance of a parallelisation approach involving partitioning of both physical space and velocity space domains for finite element solution of the Boltzmann-BGK equation. The numerical solver is based on a discontinuous Taylor–Galerkin approach. To the authors' knowledge this is the first time a ‘high order’ parallelisation, or `phase space parallelisation', approach has been attempted in conjunction with a numerical solver of this type. Restrictions on scalability have been overcome with the implementation detailed in this paper. The developed algorithm has major advantages over continuum solvers in applications where strong discontinuities prevail and/or in rarefied flow applications where the Knudsen number is large. Previous work by the authors has outlined the range of applications that this solver is capable of tackling. The paper demonstrates that the high order parallelisation implemented is significantly more effective than previous implementations at exploiting High Performance Computing architectures.     

Gas-kinetic unified algorithm for plane external force-driven flows covering all flow regimes by modeling of Boltzmann equation

The nonequilibrium steady gas flows under the external forces are essentially associated with some extremely complicated nonlinear dynamics, due to the acceleration or deceleration effects of the external forces on the gas molecules by the velocity distribution function. In this article, the gas-kinetic unified algorithm (GKUA) for rarefied transition to continuum flows under external forces is developed by solving the unified Boltzmann model equation. The computable modeling of the Boltzmann equation with the external force terms is presented at the first time by introducing the gas molecular collision relaxing parameter and the local equilibrium distribution function integrated in the unified expression with the flow state controlling parameter, including the macroscopic flow variables, the gas viscosity transport coefficient, the thermodynamic effect, the molecular power law, and molecular models, covering a full spectrum of flow regimes. The conservative discrete velocity ordinate (DVO) method is utilized to transform the governing equation into the hyperbolic conservation forms at each of the DVO points. The corresponding numerical schemes are constructed, especially the forward-backward MacCormack predictor-corrector method for the convection term in the molecular velocity space, which is unlike the original type. Some typical numerical examples are conducted to test the present new algorithm. The results obtained by the relevant direct simulation Monte Carlo method, Euler/Navier-Stokes solver, unified gas-kinetic scheme, and moment methods are compared with the numerical analysis solutions of the present GKUA, which are in good agreement, demonstrating the high accuracy of the present algorithm. Besides, some anomalous features in these flows are observed and analyzed in detail. The numerical experience indicates that the present GKUA can provide potential applications for the simulations of the nonequilibrium external-force driven flows, such as the gravity, the electric force, and the Lorentz force fields covering all flow regimes.     

Half-space problem of the nonlinear Boltzmann equation for weak evaporation and condensation of a binary mixture of vapors

The half-space problem of evaporation and condensation of a binary mixture of vapors is investigated on the basis of the kinetic theory of gases. Assuming the Mach number of the normal component of the flow is small, a solution of the Boltzmann equation that varies slowly in the scale of the molecular mean-free-path (slowly varying solution) is introduced. Then a fluid-dynamic system that describes the behavior of the slowly varying solution is derived by a systematic asymptotic analysis. The analytical expression of the conditions allowing steady evaporation or condensation is derived from that system. We analyze the qualitative difference between the conditions in the evaporation and condensation cases: four conditions are needed in the former case while only one condition is required in the latter case. The present paper extends a earlier contribution of the first author for the BGK-type model equation [S. Takata, Half-space problem of weak evaporation and condensation of a binary mixture of vapors, in: Capitelli M. (Ed.), Rarefied Gas Dynamics, AIP, New York, 2005, pp. 503–508] to the Boltzmann equation. The extension is achieved by considering the linear stability of the far field in the case of evaporation and the H theorem, the monotonic decrease of the flux of Boltzmann's H function, in the case of condensation.     

Variance‐reduced Monte Carlo solutions of the Boltzmann equation for low‐speed gas flows: A discontinuous Galerkin formulation

We present and discuss an efficient, high‐order numerical solution method for solving the Boltzmann equation for low‐speed dilute gas flows. The method's major ingredient is a new Monte Carlo technique for evaluating the weak form of the collision integral necessary for the discontinuous Galerkin formulation used here. The Monte Carlo technique extends the variance reduction ideas first presented in Baker and Hadjiconstantinou (Phys. Fluids 2005; 17 , art. no. 051703) and makes evaluation of the weak form of the collision integral not only tractable but also very efficient. The variance reduction, achieved by evaluating only the deviation from equilibrium, results in very low statistical uncertainty and the ability to capture arbitrarily small deviations from equilibrium (e.g. low‐flow speed) at a computational cost that is independent of the magnitude of this deviation. As a result, for low‐signal flows the proposed method holds a significant computational advantage compared with traditional particle methods such as direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Resolution sensitivity of momentum‐exchange and immersed boundary methods for solid–fluid interaction in the lattice Boltzmann method

In the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), the mechanism of fluid–solid interaction can be effectively captured by appropriately enforcing the no‐slip conditions in shear direction, and bounce‐back of the non‐equilibrium distribution portion in the normal direction at fluid–solid interfaces. Among various solid–fluid interaction schemes being proposed for LBM in recent decades, two simple fluid–solid interaction methods—the momentum exchange algorithm (MEA) and the immersed boundary scheme (IBS)—were developed based on the above concept. In this paper, MEA and IBS are implemented in a D2Q9 LBGK system and applied to measure the wall correction factors of drag force upon a stationary circular particle midway in the Poiseuille channel flow at very low Reynolds number and drag coefficients at low to moderate Reynolds numbers. MEA and IBS are also employed to compare the fluid‐induced torque over the cylinder in the Taylor–Couette flow, and the steady velocity of a particle settling under the influence of gravity inside a tube. The above experiments show that IBS seems to be more accurate and less demanding on lattice resolution. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The necessary and sufficient condition of uniformly convergent difference schemes for the elliptic-parabolic partial differential equation with a small parameter

This paper studies the necessary and sufficient condition of uniformly convergent difference scheme for the elliptic-parabolic partial differential equation with a small parameter.Communicated by Lin Zong-chi.