Abstract

A Direct Simulation Monte Carlo fluid dynamics code named FENIX has been employed to study gas flow-through properties of the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Simulation data have been tested against the Navier-Stokes and heat equations in order to see if FENIX functions properly. The Navier-Stokes and heat equations have been constructed from simulation data and are compared term by term. This comparison shows that FENIX is able to correctly reproduce fluid dynamics throughout the ICP-MS simulation, with an exception immediately behind the ICP-MS sampler cone, where the continuum criterion for the Navier-Stokes equation is not met. Testing the data produced by Fenix also shows that this DSMC method correctly produces momentum and thermal boundary layer phenomenon as well. FENIX output data produce statistical fluctuations of about 2%. Limitations occur from fitting data near surfaces, incurring a relative error of about 5%, and fitting data to take second derivatives where fluid velocity gradients are steep, introducing a relative error of about 10%.

Degree

MS

College and Department

Physical and Mathematical Sciences; Physics and Astronomy

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2008-08-21

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd2621

Keywords

DSMC, computational methods, Navier-Stokes, heat equation, boundary layers, ICP-MS, inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometer, fluid equations, FENIX

Language

English

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