The Use of the Finite Element Method for Calculating Thermophoresis Velocity of Two Interacting Large Aerosol Particles

Abstract

We have considered the use of the finite element method for calculating the thermophoresis velocity of two solid aerosol particles with allowance for their mutual influence on each other. It has been assumed that the sizes of the particles are much larger than the mean free path of molecules in a gas. The proposed approach has been employed to numerically calculate the thermophoresis velocities of axially symmetric particles moving along their rotation axes. The motion of the following particles has been considered: two spherical particles, a spherical particle and a flattened spheroid, and a spherical particle and a prolate spheroid. The results of the calculations for two spherical particles have been compared with the known data obtained analytically.