• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.618-619
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• 2010

Thermal transpiration device(Knudsen pump) having no moving parts can self-pump the gaseous propellant by temperature gradient only (cold to hot). We designed, fabricated the Knudsen pump and analyzed pressure gradient efficiency of membrane according to Knudsen number under vacuum condition. In this paper, we measured presented pumping efficiency of Knudsen pump according to Hanji membrane.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.36-40
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• 2008

Minimization of nozzle induces many flow losses in micro-propulsion system. In this study, we studied about thermal transpiration based new conceptual micro propulsion system to overcome these losses. Thermal transpiration device(Knudsen pump) having no moving parts can self-pump the gaseous propellant by temperature gradient only (cold to hot). We designed, fabricated the knudsen pump and analyzed pressure gradient efficiency of membrane according to Knudsen number under vacuum condition. In this paper, we compared mass flow rate of Knudsen pump by using different membrane type ; Polyimide and Hangi, Korean traditional paper.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.483-490
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• 2008

Minimization of nozzle induces many flow losses in micro-propulsion system. In this study, we studied about thermal transpiration based micro propulsion system to overcome these losses. Thermal transpiration device(Knudsen pump) having no moving parts can self-pump the gaseous propellant by temperature gradient only (cold to hot). We designed, fabricated the Knudsen pump and analyzed pressure gradient efficiency of membrane according to Knudsen number under vacuum condition. Experimental results showed that thick membranes are more effective than thin membranes in transition flow regime, and pressure gradient efficiency according to Knudsen number is increased to maximum 82% apart from membrane thickness in free molecular regime.

• KSTLE International Journal
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.27-34
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• 2006

Knudsen number is the ratio of molecular mean free path versus mm thickness and the criterion to determine the flow form. When its value is lower than 0.01, the flow can be assumed to has no slip boundary condition. And in the case that the value is between 0.01 and 10, then the flow has slip boundary condition at both the adjacent walls. The condition of the air flow between the rotating journal and top foil in the air foil bearing is determined by the rotating speed and load, and the Knudsen number is also varied by those values. Because the molecular mean free path is variable to the pressure and temperature, more exact formulation is necessary to understand and analyze the flow regime. In this study, the analysis considering Knudsen number formulated with those variables (pressure, temperature and mm thickness) was executed. The approximate value was examined using the equation to confirm whether the flow has the slip or no-slip boundary condition. From the analytic investigation, it was decided to range approximately 0.01 to 1.0 and the flow can be supposed to have the slip boundary condition. Under the condition of the slip flow, the static characteristics of the air foil bearing were examined using modified Reynolds equations. The results were compared with those considering no slip condition. It shows that the slip condition makes the flow decelerates and the load carrying capacity decreases compared with no slip condition. And as the bearing number and eccentricity ratio increase, the load carrying capacity also increased at both the cases. From this result, it can be supposed that the bearing torque also increases. In the analysis of the dynamic characteristics, the perturbed Knudsen number was taken into consideration. Because the Knudsen number is expressed as the terms of each variable, the perturbed equation can be simply derived. The results of both cases considering and not considering Knudsen number were compared each other. In the case of the direct terms of the stiffness and damping coefficients, the difference between both cases was little and increased as the bearing number and eccentricity ratio increased. And the cross terms have less or more differences.

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

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.866-870
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• 2008

In this study, we designed cold gas propulsion system with minimum 0.25 mm nozzle and micro-thrust measurement system to analyze flow characteristic of micro propulsion system in ambient and vacuum condition. Argon and Nitrogen are used for propellant and the result of experiments is compared with CFD analysis and theory. But there is a point where reduced scale versions of conventional propulsion systems will no longer be practical. Therefore, a fundamentally different approach to propulsion systems was taken. That is thermal transpiration based micro propulsion system. It has no moving parts such as lubricants, pressurizing system and can pump the gaseous propellant by temperature gradient only(cold to hot). We are advancing basic research of propulsion system based on thermal transpiration in vacuum conditions and had tried experiment process and theoretical access in advance. To characterize membrane of Knudsen pump, we select Polyimide material that has low thermal conductivity(0.29 W/mK) and can stand high temperature($300^{\circ}C$) for long time. And we fabricated hole diameter 1, 0.5, 0.2, 0.1 mm using precision manufacturing. Experimental results show that pressure gradient efficiency of Knudsen pump is increased to maximum 82% according to Knudsen number and thick membranes are more effective than thin membranes in transition flow regime.

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

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1394-1405
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• 2002

The performance of micro-actuators utilizing radiometric forces are studied numerically. The Knudsen number based on gas density and characteristic dimension is varied from near-continuum to highly rarefied conditions. Direct simulation Monte Carlo(DSMC) calculations have been performed to estimate the performance of the micro-actuators. In the present DSMC method, the variable hard sphere molecular model and no time counter technique are used to simulate the molecular collision kinetics. For simulation of diatomic gas flows, the Borgnakke-Larsen phenomenological model is adopted to redistribute the translational and internal energies.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.03b
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• pp.405-408
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• 2008

From the previous researches about flow characteristic of micro-nozzle, we found that viscosity and back pressure induced heavy losses in micro nozzle. To overcome thess losses, we began to study new conceptual micro propulsion system that is thermal transpiration based micro propulsion system. It has no moving parts and can pump the gaseous propellant by temperature gradient only (cold to hot). Most of previous research on thermal transpiration is in its early stage and mainly studied for application to small vacuum facility or gas chromatography in ambient condition using nanoporous material like aerogel. In this study, we focus on basic research of propulsion system based on thermal transpiration using polyimide material in vacuum conditions.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.509-517
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• 1997

Results of flat plate compressible boundary layer calculation, based on discrete formulation of DSMC method, are presented in low Mach number and low Knudsen number range. The free stream is a uniform flow of pure nitrogen at various Mach numbers in low pressures (i.e. rarefied gas). Complete thermal accommodation and diffuse molecular reflections are used as the wall boundary condition, replacing unreal no-slip condition used in continuum calculations. In the discrete formulation of DSMC method, there is no need to use ad hoc assumptions on transport properties like viscosity and thermal conductivity, instead viscosity is calculated from values of other field variables (velocity and shear stress). Also the results are compared with existing self-similar continuum solutions. In all Mach number cases computed, velocity slip is most pronounced in regions near the leading edge where continuum formulation renders the solution singular. As the boundary layer develops further downstream, velocity slips asymptote to values that are between 10 to 20% of the magnitude of free stream velocity. When the free stream number density is reduced, so the gas more rarefied, the velocity slip increases as expected.