Simulation of Rarefied Gas Flow in Micro/Nano Cavity Using DSMC

Direct simulation Mont Carlo (DSMC) is a molecular approach which is widely used to model rarefied gas flow in a wide range of Knudsen numbers. Lid-driven cavity is a common geometry used in Micro/Nanoelectro- mechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS). In this paper, DSMC approach is utilized to compare hydrodynamic and thermal characteristic of monatomic and diatomic gasses, namely argon and nitrogen flow in micro/nano lid-driven cavity at transition and free molecular regimes. It is seen that compressibility effect for the monatomic gas is more pronounced. It is also seen that center of vortex is shifted downward to the right of the cavity as the non-equilibrium effects increase. Moreover, the heat transfer to the wall is higher for argon flow in comparison with nitrogen flow.