DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEMS. SUPPLEMENT 2. TRANSPORT PROPERTIES OF PARTIALLY IONIZED MONATOMIC GASES

Abstract

This report is concerned with special problems which arise in connection with calculations of the transport properties of partially ionized monatomic gases. The most serious problem concerns the lack of agreement of the usual thermal conductivity expression in the limit of fullionization with other results derived explicitly for this case. It is shown that satisfactory agreement can be obtained in this limit if one uses the third rather than the second approximation in the Chapman-Enskog theory. Expressions for the fourth and lower approximations to the thermal conductivity, the thermal diffusion coefficient, and the ordinary diffusion coefficient of multicomponent gases are derived. The viscosity of this mixture is considered to the second approximation. It is shown that the thermal diffusion plays a very important role in an ionized gas. Neglect of this effect can cause the thermal conductivity to be seriously overestimated. An expression is presented which approximates the effect of the thermal diffusion on the thermal conductivity. The charged particle cross-section is considered with the screened Coulomb potential.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 1964
Accession Number
AD0609417

Entities

People

  • R. S. Devoto

Organizations

  • Stanford University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boltzmann Equation
  • Charged Particles
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Coefficients
  • Diffusion Coefficient
  • Electrical Conductivity
  • Electrons
  • Energy
  • Equations
  • Heat Transfer
  • Ionization
  • Ionized Gases
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Thermal Conductivity
  • Thermal Diffusion
  • Transport Properties

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Calculus or Mathematical Analysis
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy