DSMC numerical simulation of Taylor-Couette flows

Taylor vortices in Taylor-Couette flow between two coaxial cylinders were simulated numerically using 3D direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) model with grids in cylindrical coordinates. The axial vortices structure in stable flow was investigated for different computation domains under different boundary conditions. Axisymmetric DSMC model was also used to simulate the Taylor vortices with the same grid and the same flow field parameters. The results accord well with the 3D results, validating that it's feasible to simulate micro-scale and low-speed rarefied gas flows by 3D DSMC method. The 3D results show that Taylor vortices rotate around the axis in a great circumferential speed, which could not be acquired in axisymmetric results. The critical value of rotational speed of inner cylinder at which Taylor vortices could be generated was figured out by several simulations.