Role of the Knudsen layer in determining surface reaction rates based on sticking coefficients

Peng Zhang, Chung K. Law

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A theory on weakly rarefied low-Mach-number flows with surface reactions based on small sticking coefficients was formulated for a binary gas mixture with an irreversible surface reaction, and then extended to a multicomponent mixture with multi-step surface reactions for the situation when all chemically active species are small in concentration compared to a major inert species. Particular interest was placed on the interaction between the Knudsen layer and the surface reactions. Results show that the Knudsen layer modifies not only the incident flux of the molecules striking the surface but also the temperature-sensitive sticking coefficients, and consequently the surface reaction rates. The surface reactions in turn modify the flow structure in the Knudsen layer through the non-zero net flux at the surface. The rate expressions for the surface reactions based on sticking coefficients were derived, and the slip boundary conditions for the temperature and the species concentration suitable for application were established. The widely used Motz-Wise correction formula for the surface reaction rate was revised and the underlying assumptions leading to its derivation were shown to be inappropriate.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)113-135
Number of pages23
JournalJournal of Fluid Mechanics
Volume634
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2009
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Mechanical Engineering

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