Investigation of Wall Effect on Flow Characteristics in Supersonic Rarefied Gas Flow Past a Confined Square Cylinder Using the DSMC Method

In the present study, the effect of wall in supersonic rarefied gas flow past a square cylinder is numerically studied. Therefore, a supersonic rarefied gas flow over a square cylinder is simulated first. Then, the simulations are repeated for a square cylinder confined between two parallel plates. In both cases, the Mach number distribution in the flow field of supersonic rarefied gas over the square cylinder is obtained using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method. Close inspection of contour lines of Mach number over the square cylinder shows that a discontinuity in the flow field occurs across the shock wave at the slip regime while there is no discontinuity at the transition flow regime. In the present paper, the effect of blockage ratio (defined as the distance between two parallel plates divided by the cylinder length) on the Mach number distribution in the flow field of supersonic rarefied gas over the square cylinder is also studied. Meanwhile, the obtained results from both mentioned cases are compared to each other. It is found that the deviation of two sets of data diminishes gradually as the blockage ratio increases.