• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.27-33
• /
• 2007

Rarefied gas flows through two-dimensional micro channels are studied numerically for the performance optimization of a nanomembrane-based Knudsen compressor. The effects of the wall temperature distributions on the thermal transpiration flow patterns are examined. The flow has a pumping effect, and the mass flow rates through the channel are calculated. The results show that a steady one-way flow is induced for a wide range of the Knudsen number. The DSMC(direct simulation Monte Carlo) method with VHS(variable hard sphere) model and NTC(no time counter) techniques has been applied in this work to obtain numerical solutions. A critical element that drives Knudsen compressor Is the thermal transpiration membrane. The membranes are based on aerosol or machined aerogel. The aerogel is modeled as a single micro flow channel.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2006.08a
• /
• pp.493-496
• /
• 2006

Rarefied gas flows through two-dimensional micro channels are studied numerically for the performance optimization of a nanomembrane-based Knudsen compressor. The effects of the wall temperature distributions on the thermal transpiration flow patterns are examined. The flow has a pumping effect, and the mass flow rates through the channel are calculated. The results show that a steady one-way flow is induced for a wide range of the Knudsen number. The DSMC(direct simulation Monte Carlo) method with VHS(variable hard sphere) model and NTC(no time counter) techniques has been applied in this work to obtain numerical solutions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2007.04a
• /
• pp.281-285
• /
• 2007

The flow characteristics in the thruster should be analyzed considering its geometry and the pressure ratio to estimate its performance and etc. This paper suggests the computational result of an axisymmetric real nozzle for the altitude control of a satellite to find out the application limit that the assumption of continuum mechanics holds. The steady non-reacted compressible flow field in the unstructured grid system is computed and analyzed with varying the environmental pressure (or the degree of vacuum) under the fixed pressure ratio in a real thruster of which the area ratio of exit to throat is 56. The assumption of the continuum mechanics is not approved when the environmental pressure is reduced less than $10^{-3}$ atm.