Variable property, steady, axi-symmetric, laminar, continuum plasma flow over spheroidal particles

Steady, continuum, laminar plasma flow over spheroidal particles has been numerically investigated in this paper using a finite volume method. To body-fit the non-spherical particle surface, an adaptive orthogonal grid is generated. The flow field and the temperature distribution are calculated for oblate and prolate particle shapes. A number of particle surface temperatures and far field temperatures are considered and thermo-physical property variation is fully accounted for in our model. The particle shapes are represented in terms of axis ratio which is defined as the ratio of axis perpendicular to the flow direction to the axis along the flow direction. For oblate shape, axis ratios from 1.6 (disk-like) to 1 (sphere) are used whereas for prolate shape, axis ratios of 1(sphere) to 0.4 (cylinder-like) are used. Effects of flow Reynolds number, particle shape, surface and far field temperatures, and variable properties, on the flow field, temperature variations, drag coefficient, and Nusselt number are outlined. Results show that particle shape has significant effect on flow and heat transfer to particle surface. Compared to a constant property flow, accounting for thermo-physical property variation leads to prediction of higher temperature and velocity gradients in the vicinity of the particle surface. Based on the numerical results, a correlation for the Nusslet number is proposed that accounts for the effect of particle shape in continuum flow with large thermo-physical property variation.