Numerical analysis of rarefied gas flow induced around a flat plate with a single heated side

Abstract

A rarefied gas flow induced around a flat plate with a uniformly heated single side in a closed vessel, which is also known as the radiometric flow, is considered. Its steady behavior is investigated on the basis of the Bhatnagar‐Gross‐Krook (BGK) model of the Boltzmann equation and the diffuse reflection boundary condition for a wide range of the Knudsen number, by means of an accurate finite‐difference method which gives a correct description of the discontinuity contained in the velocity distribution function. It is found that a thermal edge flow is induced along the plate on both heated and unheated sides near the edge, that drives the overall circulating flow in the vessel. The detailed flow structure near the edge as well as along the plate is clarified.