Experimental investigation of rarefied gas flow through rectangular slits and nozzles

The flow of a rarefied gas through rectangular configuratons of different geometries has been experimentally studied to determine their discharge coefficient characteristics. The configurations used are a set of sharp-edged slit orifices, a smooth converging nozzle and a tube. The range of the Reynolds number based on the throat conditions varied from 0.01 to 100. The equivalent Knudsen number range based on the upstream conditions and inlet diameter varied from 0.0521 to 2.521. The results for the smooth nozzle are compared with calculations using a numerical method with one-dimensional stream tube approximation based on integrated boundary layer equations. The slit and the tube results are compared with the experimental results of Sreekanth and Davis [1988]. © 1994 Springer-Verlag.