Direct Numerical Simulation of a Forced Micro Couette Flow using DSMC

Abstract

The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is used in a time-dependent manner to simulate three-dimensional micro Couette flows. An artificial forcing that mimics the centrifugal force in the Taylor problem has been applied to the flow. The sampled behaviors of the resulting flow, including the averaged properties and disturbances, are studied. The computations have been performed using a parallel computer cluster. The results presented include those with various channel heights, plate speeds, and the forcing level. These changes also result in changes in the flow Reynolds number and Knudsen number. Spatially coherent flow patterns can be identified in the averaged flow and the disturbance flow fields. The results indicate that the discrete approach can capture unsteady, three-dimensional vortical flow structures. In cases with strong forcing, the disturbance energy spectra show significant content above statistical scatter.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 13, 2005
Accession Number
ADA446066

Entities

People

  • Graeme A. Bird
  • William W. Liou
  • Yichuan Fang

Organizations

  • Western Michigan University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Angular Momentum
  • Buoyancy
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Computational Science
  • Couette Flow
  • Cross Correlation
  • Flow
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Fluid Flow
  • Gas Flow
  • Geometry
  • Knudsen Number
  • Reynolds Number
  • Simulations
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Three Dimensional
  • Two Dimensional

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  • Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.