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Pham-Van-diep, Gerald C.

Publications and source records attributed to Pham-Van-diep, Gerald C..

7 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Testing continuum descriptions of low-Mach-number shock structures

Numerical experiments have been performed on normal shock waves with Monte Carlo Direct Simulations (MCDS's) to investigate the validity of continuum theories at very low Mach numbers. Results from the Navier-Stokes and the Burnett equations are compared to MCDS's for both hard-sphere and Maxwell gases. It is found that the maximum-slope shock thicknesses are described equally well (within the MCDS computational scatter) by either of the continuum formulations for Mach numbers smaller than about 1.2. For Mach numbers greater that 1.2, the Burnett predictions are more accurate than the Navier-Stokes results. Temperature-density profile separations are best described by the Burnett equations for Mach numbers greater than about 1.3. At lower Mach numbers the MCDS scatter is too great to differentiate between the two continuum theories. For all Mach numbers above one, the shock shapes are more accurately described by the Burnett equations.

Pham-Van-diep, Gerald C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Nonequilibrium gas flows. I - A detailed validation of Monte Carlo direct simulation for monatomic gases

One-dimensional shock wave properties in helium and argon are predicted using Monte Carlo direct simulation. The collision model is based directly on the interatomic potential taking angular scattering into account. The potential is assumed to be of the Maitland-Smith n(r)-6 form. The detailed validity of the simulation is studied by comparing the predicted macroscopic and miroscopic flow properties in shock waves to a wide range of available data.

Erwin, Daniel A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A review of the kinetic detail required for accurate predictions of normal shock waves

Several aspects of the kinetic models used in the collision phase of Monte Carlo direct simulations have been studied. Accurate molecular velocity distribution function predictions require a significantly increased number of computational cells in one maximum slope shock thickness, compared to predictions of macroscopic properties. The shape of the highly repulsive portion of the interatomic potential for argon is not well modeled by conventional interatomic potentials; this portion of the potential controls high Mach number shock thickness predictions, indicating that the specification of the energetic repulsive portion of interatomic or intermolecular potentials must be chosen with care for correct modeling of nonequilibrium flows at high temperatures. It has been shown for inverse power potentials that the assumption of variable hard sphere scattering provides accurate predictions of the macroscopic properties in shock waves, by comparison with simulations in which differential scattering is employed in the collision phase. On the other hand, velocity distribution functions are not well predicted by the variable hard sphere scattering model for softer potentials at higher Mach numbers.

Muntz, E. P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A study of microkinetic adjustments required to match shock wave experiments and Monte Carlo Direct Simulation for a wide Mach number range

Shock wave thickness predictions from Monte Carlo Direct Simulations, using differential scattering and the Maitland-Smith-Aziz interatomic potential, underpredict experiments as shock Mach numbers increase above about 4. Examination of several sources of data has indicated that at relatively high energies the repulsive portion of accepted potentials such as the Maitland-Smith-Aziz may be too steep. An Exponential-6 potential due to Ross, based on high energy molecular beam scattering data and shock velocity measurements in liquid argon, has been combined with the lower energy portion of the Maitland-Smith-Aziz potential. When this hybrid potential is used in Monte Carlo Direct Simulations, agreement with experiments is improved over the previous predictions using the pure Maitland-Smith-Aziz form.

Pham-Van-diep, Gerald C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Velocity mapping in the plume of a 30-kW ammonia arcjet

The flow velocity of atomic hydrogen in the plume of an ammonia-propelled arcjet was measured using LIF. The velocity was obtained by the Doppler shift of the absorption peak of the Balmer alpha spectral line. Measurements were made at the nozzle exit, varying the distance from the plume centerline. Results are presented for arcjet operating conditions 13, 20 and 27 kW with a mass flow of 0.31 g/s. The on-axis H flow velocity varies from 14 km/s to 28 km/s over this range of input power. The axial velocity as a function of the distance from the axis is sharply peaked, dropping to almost zero at a radius of less than 5 mm.

Pham-Van-diep, Gerald C.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Validation of MCDS by comparison of predicted with experimental velocity distribution functions in rarefied normal shocks

Velocity distribution functions in normal shock waves in argon and helium are calculated using Monte Carlo direct simulation. These are compared with experimental results for argon at M = 7.18 and for helium at M = 1.59 and 20. For both argon and helium, the variable-hard-sphere (VHS) model is used for the elastic scattering cross section, with the velocity dependence derived from a viscosity-temperature power-law relationship in the way normally used by Bird (1976).

Pham-Van-diep, Gerald C.↗