Experimental study of rarefied gas flow near sudden contraction junction of a tube

Abstract

An experimental study of nearly isothermal rarefied gas flow near the sudden contraction junction of a tube is presented in this paper. The measurements are performed with nitrogen gas flowing at low pressures in conventional tubes with sudden contraction area ratios of 1.48, 3.74, 12.43, and 64. The flow is dynamically similar to gas flow in a microchannel as the Knudsen number (0.0001 < Kn < 0.032) falls in the slip flow regime. The Reynolds number in the smaller section (Res) ranges between 0.2 and 837. The static pressure measurements are analyzed to understand the flow behavior. The static pressure variation along the wall and uniform radial pressure profile near the junction indicates absence of flow separation and vena contracta. The static pressure variation in both the tubes approaches the pressure variation as that of an isolated straight tube at a certain critical Knudsen number for a given area ratio. The velocity field is obtained through a momentum balance and using the flow measurements. The effect of larger momentum diffusivity and slip at the wall, restricts any deviation in velocity profile from its parabolic nature at the junction and suppresses flow separation and vena contracta. The larger inertia force at the sudden contraction junction causes larger acceleration of the flow near the junction in the smaller tube as compared to that of the straight tube. The larger pressure drop in the sudden contraction is a result of the extent of flow compression and additional acceleration near the junction in the smaller tube as compared to the straight tube. This paper reports a set of new results that are expected to help in improving understanding of gaseous slip flows.