EFFECTS OF BOUNDARY CONDITIONS ON THE FLOW AND HEAT TRANSFER IN A ROTATING DISK CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION REACTOR

Abstract

Numerical solutions of the Navier-Stokes and energy equations have been obtained to predict the fluid flow, temperature profiles, and heat transfer in a rotating disk reactor. The effects of buoyancy, variable properties, and finite geometry have been included for helium. It is shown that recirculation of the gas can be reduced or eliminated by increasing the uniform velocity at the inlet of the reactor above the asymptotic value for a one-dimensional, variable-properties, infinite rotating disk. This is true for both adiabatic and isothermal reactor walls. Furthermore, a cooled reactor wall as opposed to an adiabatic reactor wall is shown to result in dramatically altered velocity and temperature fields and reduced recirculation of the gas. When recirculation of the gas is reduced or eliminated the disk heat transfer that results is highly uniform and in good agreement with the one-dimensional, variable-properties, infinite rotating disk result. These results are useful for the design and operation of rotating disk reactors for chemical vapor deposition since in many cases the uniformity of the deposit is highly dependent on the uniformity of the heat transfer.