Development of micro gas actuator for analyzing gas mixture

In this study, a computational technique is used to investigate the ability of a new MEMS gas actuator (MIKRA) for detection and sensation of the gas mixture. In this actuator, the temperature difference of two arms inside a rectangular domain at rarefied condition induces a Knudsen force which is relative to physical properties of the gas. Both 2d and 3D approaches are applied for the simulation of the flow inside the model. In order to define the flow feature of a low-pressure gas inside the micro gas actuator, a high order equation of Boltzmann should be solved to attain reliable results. Since the domain of this micro gas is non-equilibrium, Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is applied for the simulation of the model. According to obtained results, a three-dimensional model presents more reliable results and the effect of a gap for three-dimensional model clearly demonstrates the impact of this parameter on the effective Knudsen force