DSMC Simulation of the Effect of Needle Valve Opening Ratio on the Rarefied Gas Flows inside a Micronozzle with a Large Length-to-Diameter Ratio

Autor: Xudong Wang, Yong Li, Yong Gao, Chenguang Gao, Weichun Fu
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Aerospace, Vol 10, Iss 2, p 126 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2226-4310
DOI: 10.3390/aerospace10020126
Popis: The cold gas micro-propulsion system can provide low noise and ultra-high accuracy thrust for satellite platforms for space gravitational wave detection, high-precision earth gravity field measurement. In this study, the effect of different needle valve opening ratios on the rarefied flow characteristics of a micro-nozzle in a cold gas micro-propulsion system was investigated based on DSMC method. The special feature of the currently studied micro-nozzle is that it has a section of micro-channel with a large length–diameter ratio up to 4.5. Due to the extremely small needle valve displacement of the nozzle (minimum needle valve displacement up to 1.7 μm), a finely structured mesh was used. The molecular particle and macro flow characteristics inside the micro-nozzle were calculated for the conditions of a needle valve opening ratio from 5% to 98%. The throttling effect of the throat has a significant effect on the rarefied flow in the micro-nozzle; especially under the tiny opening, this effect is more significant. The spatial distribution of continuous flow, transition flow, and free molecular flow in the micro-nozzle varies at different needle valve opening ratios. As the needle valve opening ratio increases, the continuous flow will gradually fill the microfluidic region.
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