Numerical simulation of air leakage in a space station based on computational fluid dynamics

Abstract This study conducted a numerical simulation of the gas leakage process in the space station based on thermodynamic and fluid dynamic models, aiming to explore the variations in pressure and temperature under different leak aperture conditions. The research first established a mathematical model describing the gas leakage process inside the space station, based on the assumptions of ideal gas behavior and uniform temperature distribution. It introduced the effects of adiabatic expansion and radiative cooling, constructing a system of differential equations for pressure and temperature changes. Through numerical solutions and ANSYS simulations, the study analyzed the characteristics of pressure and temperature changes during the initial and later stages of leakage in detail. The results indicated that the pressure and temperature rapidly decreased in the early stages of leakage and subsequently stabilized. The study employed sonic and subsonic flow models to accurately describe the leakage process under different apertures, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the numerical solutions through adaptive time steps and temperature anomaly corrections. Ultimately, a comparison of the model’s predicted results with the simulation results showed a good agreement, providing theoretical support and effective methods for the airtight design of spacecraft and safety assessments of gas leaks under extreme conditions.