Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Publication Date

12-1979

Abstract

Lees' moment method is applied to the problem of compressible, binary flow of uranium hexafluoride gas through a parallel plate chan­nel. The time-dependent numerical problem is solved to yield the steady state solution. The results obtained are preliminary to the solution of the flow field for the curved nozzle and colliding jet devices used in the aerodynamic separation of uranium isotopes. Lees' concept of two-sidedness of the distribution function doubles the number of variables required to describe the system, and the resulting set of moment equations is not easily solved. The assumptions of isothermal, hydrodynamically fully developed flow are made to simplify the equations, leaving only the density and x-component of velocity to specify the flow. The numerical solutions, done for no-slip and slip wall boundary conditions, indicate that the flow is physically underspecified by the reduced set of equations.

It is concluded that a fu.11 set of moment equations will be required to solve the flow field and determine the separation of the components, and that the current computational methods of Fox and Eaton are more efficient for this problem than Lees' moment method.

Degree Name

Mechanical Engineering

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Mechanical Engineering

First Committee Member (Chair)

Richard S. Passamaneck

Second Committee Member

Ronald L. Fox

Third Committee Member

Illegible

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

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