A numerical investigation of slip flow through circular micro-channel

Fluid flow in micro-channel is a major area of research, due to its wide area of applications in various forms in industries. Although substantial works have been carried out experimentally, numerically as well as analytically in this area, still the reported results show a wide variation from one another. In the present work, an attempt has been made to consider the problem of gas flow in circular micro-channel under conditions of varying Knudsen number (Kn = 0.001-0.1), which corresponds to continuum model. The observation is confined to the laminar zone only and fluid properties have been assumed to be constant. The momentum equation has been converted into stream function-vorticity form and a finite difference technique has been used. Both slip and no-slip boundary conditions have been applied. The numerical scheme has been validated and the results have shown the importance of the Knudsen number on friction factor Reynolds product, pressure distribution in the gaseous flow during its hydro-dynamically developing stage. Also, a non-dimensional analysis has been presented.