Heat transfer between parallel plates: An approach based on the linearized Boltzmann equation for a binary mixture of rigid-sphere gases

An analytical version of the discrete-ordinates method is used to develop a concise and particularly accurate solution of the heat-transfer problem for a binary gas mixture confined between two parallel plates. The formulation of the problem allows general (specular-diffuse) Maxwell boundary conditions for each of the two types of particles and is based on a form of the linearized Boltzmann equation that incorporates recently established analytical expressions for the relevant rigid-sphere kernels. Numerical results are reported for the density, the temperature, and the heat-flow profiles relative to each species in Ne-Ar and He-Xe mixtures. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.