Accuracy and efficiency of the sophisticated direct simulation Monte Carlo algorithm for simulating noncontinuum gas flows

Abstract

The accuracy of a recently proposed direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) algorithm, termed “sophisticated DSMC,” is investigated by comparing simulation results to analytical solutions of the Boltzmann equation for one-dimensional Fourier–Couette flow. An argon-like hard-sphere gas at 273.15 K and 266.644 Pa is confined between two parallel, fully accommodating walls 1 mm apart that have unequal temperatures and unequal tangential velocities. The simulations are performed using a one-dimensional implementation. In harmony with previous work, the accuracy metrics studied are the ratios of the DSMC-calculated transport properties and Sonine polynomial coefficients to their corresponding infinite-approximation Chapman–Enskog theoretical values. The sophisticated DSMC algorithm is shown to reproduce the theoretical results to high precision. The efficiency of the sophisticated DSMC algorithm relative to the original algorithm is demonstrated for a two-dimensional “real-world” application.