Heat transfer in a dense gas between two parallel plates

Abstract

Time-dependent heat transfer in a dense gas between two parallel plates, which is initiated by an abrupt change in temperature of one plate, is numerically investigated on the basis of the Enskog equation under the diffuse reflection boundary condition. Numerical computation is carried out by a finite-difference scheme combined with the Fourier spectral method for the efficient computation of the collision term of the Enskog equation. As a result, macroscopic quantities of the gas, such as heat flux and temperature, are obtained for various Knudsen numbers and ratios of the molecular diameter to the distance between plates. Compared to the case of an ideal gas, the heat flux in the stationary state is enhanced due to an effect of the finite size of molecules for not only small but also intermediate Knudsen numbers. The results imply that the finite-size effect also affects the propagation of disturbances in the initial stage, particularly for small Knudsen numbers.