Gas-kinetic description of shock wave structures by solving Boltzmann model equation

On the basis of the mesoscopic theory of Boltzmann-type velocity distribution function, the modified Boltzmann model equation describing the one-dimensional gas flows from various flow regimes is presented by incorporating the molecular interaction models relating to the viscosity and diffusion cross-sections, density, temperature and the dependent exponent of viscosity into the molecular collision frequency. The gas-kinetic numerical method for directly solving the molecular velocity distribution function is studied by introducing the reduced distribution functions and the discrete velocity ordinate method, in which the unsteady time-splitting method and the NND finite difference scheme are applied. To study the inner flows of non-equilibrium shock wave structures, the one-dimensional unsteady shock-tube problems with various Knudsen numbers and the steady shock wave problems at different Mach numbers are numerically simulated. The computed results are found to give good agreement with the theoretical, DSMC and experimental results. The computing practice has confirmed the good precision and reliability of the gas-kinetic numerical algorithm in solving the highly nonequilibrium shock wave disturbances from various flow regimes.