From gas flow to colloidal diffusion: theoretical and experimental investigations of transport in nano- and microchannels, on the ground and in space

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dc.contributor.advisorNordlander, Peter
dc.contributor.committeeMemberGrattoni, Alessandro
dc.contributor.committeeMemberPimpinelli, Alberto
dc.creatorScorrano, Giovanni
dc.date.accessioned2019-05-17T15:27:09Z
dc.date.available2020-05-01T05:01:08Z
dc.date.created2018-05
dc.date.issued2018-04-19
dc.date.submittedMay 2018
dc.date.updated2019-05-17T15:27:09Z
dc.description.abstractDeveloping predictive models for gas flow through micro- and nanochannels is of great interest in several scientific and technological fields. Existing theories reproduce specific scenarios failing to give solutions that can be applied on a broader spectrum. In this study, we propose a statistical method to predict the flow rate of rarefied gas through rectangular channels based on the distribution of free paths between inter-particle and gas-wall collisions. Our approach can be applied to virtually all geometries, for which the probability distribution of path lengths for gas-wall collisions can be computed, either analytically or by numerical simulations. Additionally, we present a study of nitrogen transport through a wide range of identical slit nanochannels where only the cross section height varies from 250 nm down to 2.5 nm achieving various degrees of gas confinement. The present theoretical model shows excellent agreement with the experimental results demonstrating the validity of our approach.
dc.embargo.terms2020-05-01
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationScorrano, Giovanni. "From gas flow to colloidal diffusion: theoretical and experimental investigations of transport in nano- and microchannels, on the ground and in space." (2018) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/105778">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/105778</a>.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/105778
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
dc.subjectRectangular nanochannels
dc.subjectgas diffusion
dc.subjectmean free path
dc.subjectgas flow
dc.subjectsilicon slit channels
dc.titleFrom gas flow to colloidal diffusion: theoretical and experimental investigations of transport in nano- and microchannels, on the ground and in space
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialText
thesis.degree.departmentApplied Physics
thesis.degree.disciplineNatural Sciences
thesis.degree.grantorRice University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.majorApplied Physics/Mechanical Eng
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science
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