Monte Carlo Modeling of Micro Scale Gas Flows

An information preservation (IP) method has been used to simulate many micro scale gas flows. It may efficiently reduce the statistical scatter inherent in conventional particle approaches such as the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. This paper reviews applications of IP to some benchmark problems. Comparison of the IP results with those given by experiment, DSMC, and the linearized Boltzmann equation, as well as the Navier-Stokes equations with a slip boundary condition, and the lattice Boltzmann equation, shows that the IP method is applicable to micro scale gas flows over the entire flow regime from continuum to free molecular.

Development of a Cell Size Relaxed Scheme for the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo Method

The conventional direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method has a strong restriction on the cell size because simulated particles are selected randomly within the cell for collisions. Cells with size larger than the molecular mean free path are generally not allowed in correct DSMC simulations. However, the cell-size induced numerical error can be controlled if the gradients of flow properties are properly involved during collisions. In this study, a large cell DSMC scheme is proposed to relax the cell size restriction. The scheme is applied to simulate several test problems and promising results are obtained even when the cell size is greater than 10 mean free paths of gas molecules. However, it is still necessary, of course, that the cell size be small with respect to the flow field structures that must be resolved.

跨大气层飞行器姿态控制相关三维稀薄气体流动的Monte Carlo模拟

本文利用直接模拟Monte Carlo位置元(DSMC-PE)方案模拟了跨大气层飞行器姿态控制相关的两个典型的稀薄气体流动,真空轴对称射流冲击平板和楔形垂直相交平板稀薄气体绕流。真空轴对称射流在附近平板表面的压力、剪应力和热流分布的计算结果,与Legge(1991)和D(?)ring(1990)的测量数据一致;楔形垂直相交平板表面压力分布计算结果,与Allegre和Raffin(1992)实验数据的比较,也令人满意。上述计算表明,DSMC-PE是处理航天领域稀薄气流的有力工具。