Effect of the forcing term in the multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann equation on the shear stress or the strain rate tensor

Macroscopic finite-difference scheme based on the mesoscopic regularized lattice-Boltzmann method

In this paper, we develop a macroscopic finite-difference scheme from the mesoscopic regularized lattice Boltzmann (RLB) method to solve the Navier-Stokes equations (NSEs) and convection-diffusion equation (CDE). Unlike the commonly used RLB method based on the evolution of a set of distribution functions, this macroscopic finite-difference scheme is constructed based on the hydrodynamic variables of NSEs (density, momentum, and strain rate tensor) or macroscopic variables of CDE (concentration and flux), and thus shares low memory requirement and high computational efficiency. Based on an accuracy analysis, it is shown that, the same as the mesoscopic RLB method, the macroscopic finite-difference scheme also has a second-order accuracy in space. In addition, we would like to point out that compared with the RLB method and its equivalent macroscopic numerical scheme, the present macroscopic finite-difference scheme is much simpler and more efficient since it is only a two-level system with macroscopic variables. Finally, we perform some simulations of several benchmark problems, and find that the numerical results are not only in agreement with analytical solutions, but also consistent with the theoretical analysis.

Rectangular multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method for the Navier-Stokes and nonlinear convection-diffusion equations: General equilibrium and some important issues

In this paper, we develop a general rectangular multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann (RMRT-LB) method for the Navier-Stokes equations (NSEs) and nonlinear convection-diffusion equation (NCDE) by extending our recent unified framework of the multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann (MRT-LB) method [Chai and Shi, Phys. Rev. E 102, 023306 (2020)10.1103/PhysRevE.102.023306], where an equilibrium distribution function (EDF) [Lu et al., Philos. Trans. R. Soc. A 369, 2311 (2011)10.1098/rsta.2011.0022] on a rectangular lattice is utilized. The anisotropy of the lattice tensor on a rectangular lattice leads to anisotropy of the third-order moment of the EDF, which is inconsistent with the isotropy of the viscous stress tensor of the NSEs. To eliminate this inconsistency, we extend the relaxation matrix related to the dynamic and bulk viscosities. As a result, the macroscopic NSEs can be recovered from the RMRT-LB method through the direct Taylor expansion method. Whereas the rectangular lattice does not lead to the change of the zero-, first- and second-order moments of the EDF, the unified framework of the MRT-LB method can be directly applied to the NCDE. It should be noted that the RMRT-LB model for NSEs can be derived on the rDdQq (q discrete velocities in d-dimensional space, d≥1) lattice, including rD2Q9, rD3Q19, and rD3Q27 lattices, while there are no rectangular D3Q13 and D3Q15 lattices within this framework of the RMRT-LB method. Thanks to the block-lower triangular relaxation matrix introduced in the unified framework, the RMRT-LB versions (if existing) of the previous MRT-LB models can be obtained, including those based on raw (natural) moment, central moment, Hermite moment, and central Hermite moment. It is also found that when the parameter c_{s} is an adjustable parameter in the standard or rectangular lattice, the present RMRT-LB method becomes a kind of MRT-LB method for the NSEs and NCDE, and the commonly used MRT-LB models on the DdQq lattice are only its special cases. We also perform some numerical simulations, and the results show that the present RMRT-LB method can give accurate results and also have a good numerical stability.

Multiple-distribution-function lattice Boltzmann method for convection-diffusion-system-based incompressible Navier-Stokes equations

In this paper, a multiple-distribution-function lattice Boltzmann method (MDF-LBM) with a multiple-relaxation-time model is proposed for incompressible Navier-Stokes equations which are considered as coupled convection-diffusion equations. Through direct Taylor expansion analysis, we show that the Navier-Stokes equations can be recovered correctly from the present MDF-LBM, and additionally, it is also found that the velocity and pressure can be directly computed through the zero and first-order moments of the distribution function. Then in the framework of the present MDF-LBM, we develop a locally computational scheme for the velocity gradient in which the first-order moment of the nonequilibrium distribution is used; this scheme is also extended to calculate the velocity divergence, strain rate tensor, shear stress, and vorticity. Finally, we also conduct some simulations to test the MDF-LBM and find that the numerical results not only agree with some available analytical and numerical solutions but also have a second-order convergence rate in space.

Consistent and conservative phase-field-based lattice Boltzmann method for incompressible two-phase flows

In this work, we consider a general consistent and conservative phase-field model for the incompressible two-phase flows. In this model, not only the Cahn-Hilliard or Allen-Cahn equation can be adopted, but also the mass and the momentum fluxes in the Navier-Stokes equations are reformulated such that the consistency of reduction, consistency of mass and momentum transport, and the consistency of mass conservation are satisfied. We further develop a lattice Boltzmann (LB) method, and show that through the direct Taylor expansion, the present LB method can correctly recover the consistent and conservative phase-field model. Additionally, if the divergence of the extra momentum flux is seen as a force term, the extra force in the present LB method would include another term which has not been considered in the previous LB methods. To quantitatively evaluate the incompressibility and the consistency of the mass conservation, two statistical variables are introduced in the study of the deformation of a square droplet, and the results show that the present LB method is more accurate. The layered Poiseuille flow and a droplet spreading on an ideal wall are further investigated, and the numerical results are in good agreement with the analytical solutions. Finally, the problems of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability, a single rising bubble, and the dam break with the high Reynolds numbers and/or large density ratios are studied, and it is found that the present consistent and conservative LB method is robust for such complex two-phase flows.

Multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method for the Navier-Stokes and nonlinear convection-diffusion equations: Modeling, analysis, and elements

In this paper, we first present a unified framework of multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann (MRT-LB) method for the Navier-Stokes and nonlinear convection-diffusion equations where a block-lower-triangular-relaxation matrix and an auxiliary source distribution function are introduced. We then conduct a comparison of the four popular analysis methods (Chapman-Enskog analysis, Maxwell iteration, direct Taylor expansion, and recurrence equations approaches) that have been used to obtain the macroscopic Navier-Stokes and nonlinear convection-diffusion equations from the MRT-LB method and show that from mathematical point of view, these four analysis methods can give the same equations at the second-order of expansion parameters. Finally, we give some elements that are needed in the implementation of the MRT-LB method and also find that some available LB models can be obtained from this MRT-LB method.

Numerical Investigation of the Effect of Viscoelasticity on Drop Retraction and the Evaluation of Interfacial Tension between Polymer Melts

The purpose of this paper is twofold. The first is to numerically investigate and reveal the effect of polymer viscoelasticity on the retraction of a deformed drop using the lattice Boltzmann (LB) method and polymer kinetic theory. More importantly, the second is to propose a novel method to evaluate the interfacial tension between polymer melts based on the numerical study. Compared with the conventional deformed drop retraction method (DDRM), the present method is designed to greatly reduce the impact of polymer viscoelasticity on measuring interfacial tension. To verify, the interfacial tension between molten PP and POE is evaluated using the proposed method and obviously closer result to the true value is shown.

An Improved Multi-Relaxation Time Lattice Boltzmann Method for the Non-Newtonian Influence of the Yielding Fluid Flow in Cement-3D Printing

The multi-relaxation time lattice Boltzmann method (MRT-LBM) has an excellent performance in dealing with the complex flow in many different areas. According to the specific behavior of the fluids, it also has some shortcomings when applied to some special flow like as the non-Newtonian flow. In Cement-3D printing, the fluids always exhibit according to the yielding behavior. When using the standard MRT-LBM, the simulation maybe divergent. In order to solve the problem, this work presents an improved MRT-LBM considering the non-Newtonian effect as a special forcing term to ensure the stable and accurate simulation. Finally, the Poiseuille flow was used to validate the feasibility of the proposed method.

Phase-field-based lattice Boltzmann modeling of large-density-ratio two-phase flows

In this paper, we present a simple and accurate lattice Boltzmann (LB) model for immiscible two-phase flows, which is able to deal with large density contrasts. This model utilizes two LB equations, one of which is used to solve the conservative Allen-Cahn equation, and the other is adopted to solve the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. A forcing distribution function is elaborately designed in the LB equation for the Navier-Stokes equations, which make it much simpler than the existing LB models. In addition, the proposed model can achieve superior numerical accuracy compared with previous Allen-Cahn type of LB models. Several benchmark two-phase problems, including static droplet, layered Poiseuille flow, and spinodal decomposition are simulated to validate the present LB model. It is found that the present model can achieve relatively small spurious velocity in the LB community, and the obtained numerical results also show good agreement with the analytical solutions or some available results. Lastly, we use the present model to investigate the droplet impact on a thin liquid film with a large density ratio of 1000 and the Reynolds number ranging from 20 to 500. The fascinating phenomena of droplet splashing is successfully reproduced by the present model and the numerically predicted spreading radius exhibits to obey the power law reported in the literature.

Multiple-relaxation-time color-gradient lattice Boltzmann model for simulating two-phase flows with high density ratio

In this paper we propose a color-gradient lattice Boltzmann (LB) model for simulating two-phase flows with high density ratio and high Reynolds number. The model applies a multirelaxation-time (MRT) collision operator to enhance the stability of the simulation. A source term, which is derived by the Chapman-Enskog analysis, is added into the MRT LB equation so that the Navier-Stokes equations can be exactly recovered. Also, a form of the equilibrium density distribution function is used to simplify the source term. To validate the proposed model, steady flows of a static droplet and the layered channel flow are first simulated with density ratios up to 1000. Small values of spurious velocities and interfacial tension errors are found in the static droplet test, and improved profiles of velocity are obtained by the present model in simulating channel flows. Then, two cases of unsteady flows, Rayleigh-Taylor instability and droplet splashing on a thin film, are simulated. In the former case, the density ratio of 3 and Reynolds numbers of 256 and 2048 are considered. The interface shapes and spike and bubble positions are in good agreement with the results of previous studies. In the latter case, the droplet spreading radius is found to obey the power law proposed in previous studies for the density ratio of 100 and Reynolds number up to 500.

Discrete effect on the halfway bounce-back boundary condition of multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann model for convection-diffusion equations

In this paper, we will focus on the multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) lattice Boltzmann model for two-dimensional convection-diffusion equations (CDEs), and analyze the discrete effect on the halfway bounce-back (HBB) boundary condition (or sometimes called bounce-back boundary condition) of the MRT model where three different discrete velocity models are considered. We first present a theoretical analysis on the discrete effect of the HBB boundary condition for the simple problems with a parabolic distribution in the x or y direction, and a numerical slip proportional to the second-order of lattice spacing is observed at the boundary, which means that the MRT model has a second-order convergence rate in space. The theoretical analysis also shows that the numerical slip can be eliminated in the MRT model through tuning the free relaxation parameter corresponding to the second-order moment, while it cannot be removed in the single-relaxation-time model or the Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook model unless the relaxation parameter related to the diffusion coefficient is set to be a special value. We then perform some simulations to confirm our theoretical results, and find that the numerical results are consistent with our theoretical analysis. Finally, we would also like to point out the present analysis can be extended to other boundary conditions of lattice Boltzmann models for CDEs.

Lattice Boltzmann modeling of contact angle and its hysteresis in two-phase flow with large viscosity difference

Contact angle hysteresis is an important physical phenomenon omnipresent in nature and various industrial processes, but its effects are not considered in many existing multiphase flow simulations due to modeling complexity. In this work, a multiphase lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is developed to simulate the contact-line dynamics with consideration of the contact angle hysteresis for a broad range of kinematic viscosity ratios. In this method, the immiscible two-phase flow is described by a color-fluid model, in which the multiple-relaxation-time collision operator is adopted to increase numerical stability and suppress unphysical spurious currents at the contact line. The contact angle hysteresis is introduced using the strategy proposed by Ding and Spelt [Ding and Spelt, J. Fluid Mech. 599, 341 (2008)JFLSA70022-112010.1017/S0022112008000190], and the geometrical wetting boundary condition is enforced to obtain the desired contact angle. This method is first validated by simulations of static contact angle and dynamic capillary intrusion process on ideal (smooth) surfaces. It is then used to simulate the dynamic behavior of a droplet on a nonideal (inhomogeneous) surface subject to a simple shear flow. When the droplet remains pinned on the surface due to hysteresis, the steady interface shapes of the droplet quantitatively agree well with the previous numerical results. Four typical motion modes of contact points, as observed in a recent study, are qualitatively reproduced with varying advancing and receding contact angles. The viscosity ratio is found to have a notable impact on the droplet deformation, breakup, and hysteresis behavior. Finally, this method is extended to simulate the droplet breakup in a microfluidic T junction, with one half of the wall surface ideal and the other half nonideal. Due to the contact angle hysteresis, the droplet asymmetrically breaks up into two daughter droplets with the smaller one in the nonideal branch channel, and the behavior of daughter droplets is significantly different in both branch channels. Also, it is found that the contact angle hysteresis is strengthened with decreasing the viscosity ratio, leading to an earlier droplet breakup and a decrease in the maximum length that the droplet can reach before the breakup. These simulation results manifest that the present multiphase LBM can be a useful substitute to Ba et al. [Phys. Rev. E 88, 043306 (2013)PLEEE81539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.88.043306] for modeling the contact angle hysteresis, and it can be easily implemented with higher computational efficiency.

Deformation and breakup of a liquid droplet past a solid circular cylinder: a lattice Boltzmann study

In this paper, we present a numerical study on the deformation and breakup behavior of liquid droplet past a solid circular cylinder by using an improved interparticle-potential lattice Boltzmann method. The effects of the eccentric ratio β, viscosity ratio λ between the droplet and the surrounding fluid, surface wettability, and Bond number (Bo) on the dynamic behavior of the liquid droplet are considered. The parameter β represents the degree that the solid cylinder deviates from the center line, and Bo is the ratio between the inertial force and capillary force. Numerical results show that there are two typical patterns, i.e., breakup and no breakup, which are greatly influenced by the aforementioned parameters. When β increases to a critical value βc, the droplet can pass the circular cylinder without a breakup, otherwise, the breakup phenomenon occurs. The critical eccentric ratio βc increases significantly with increasing Bo for case with λ>1, while for the case with λ<1, the viscosity effects on the βc is not obvious when Bo is large. For the breakup case, the amount of deposited liquid on the tip of the circular cylinder is almost unaffected by β. In addition, the results also show that the viscosity ratio and wettability affect the deformation and breakup process of the droplet. For case with λ<1, the viscosity ratio plays a minor role in the thickness variations of the deposited liquid, which decreases to a nonzero constant eventually; while for λ>1, the increase of the viscosity ratio significantly accelerates the decrease of the deposited liquid, and finally no fluid deposits on the cylinder. In term of the wettability, there occurs continuous gas phase trapped by the wetting droplet, but this does not happen for nonwetting droplet. Besides, for λ<1, the time required to pass the cylinder (tp) decreases monotonically with decreasing contact angle, while a nonmonotonic decrease appears for λ>1. It is also found that tp decreases monotonically with increasing Bo and is less sensitive to λ at a large Bo.

Generalized modification in the lattice Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook model for incompressible Navier-Stokes equations and convection-diffusion equations

In this paper, two modified lattice Boltzmann Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (LBGK) models for incompressible Navier-Stokes equations and convection-diffusion equations are proposed via the addition of correction terms in the evolution equations. Utilizing this modification, the value of the dimensionless relaxation time in the LBGK model can be kept in a proper range, and thus the stability of the LBGK model can be improved. Although some gradient operators are included in the correction terms, they can be computed efficiently using local computational schemes such that the present LBGK models still retain the intrinsic parallelism characteristic of the lattice Boltzmann method. Numerical studies of the steady Poiseuille flow and unsteady Womersley flow show that the modified LBGK model has a second-order convergence rate in space, and the compressibility effect in the common LBGK model can be eliminated. In addition, to test the stability of the present models, we also performed some simulations of the natural convection in a square cavity, and we found that the results agree well with those reported in the previous work, even at a very high Rayleigh number (Ra = 10(12)).

Nonequilibrium scheme for computing the flux of the convection-diffusion equation in the framework of the lattice Boltzmann method

In this paper, we propose a local nonequilibrium scheme for computing the flux of the convection-diffusion equation with a source term in the framework of the multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Both the Chapman-Enskog analysis and the numerical results show that, at the diffusive scaling, the present nonequilibrium scheme has a second-order convergence rate in space. A comparison between the nonequilibrium scheme and the conventional second-order central-difference scheme indicates that, although both schemes have a second-order convergence rate in space, the present nonequilibrium scheme is more accurate than the central-difference scheme. In addition, the flux computation rendered by the present scheme also preserves the parallel computation feature of the LBM, making the scheme more efficient than conventional finite-difference schemes in the study of large-scale problems. Finally, a comparison between the single-relaxation-time model and the MRT model is also conducted, and the results show that the MRT model is more accurate than the single-relaxation-time model, both in solving the convection-diffusion equation and in computing the flux.

Phase-field-based multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann model for incompressible multiphase flows

In this paper, a phase-field-based multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann (LB) model is proposed for incompressible multiphase flow systems. In this model, one distribution function is used to solve the Chan-Hilliard equation and the other is adopted to solve the Navier-Stokes equations. Unlike previous phase-field-based LB models, a proper source term is incorporated in the interfacial evolution equation such that the Chan-Hilliard equation can be derived exactly and also a pressure distribution is designed to recover the correct hydrodynamic equations. Furthermore, the pressure and velocity fields can be calculated explicitly. A series of numerical tests, including Zalesak's disk rotation, a single vortex, a deformation field, and a static droplet, have been performed to test the accuracy and stability of the present model. The results show that, compared with the previous models, the present model is more stable and achieves an overall improvement in the accuracy of the capturing interface. In addition, compared to the single-relaxation-time LB model, the present model can effectively reduce the spurious velocity and fluctuation of the kinetic energy. Finally, as an application, the Rayleigh-Taylor instability at high Reynolds numbers is investigated.

Lattice Boltzmann model for the convection-diffusion equation

We propose a lattice Boltzmann (LB) model for the convection-diffusion equation (CDE) and show that the CDE can be recovered correctly from the model by the Chapman-Enskog analysis. The most striking feature of the present LB model is that it enables the collision process to be implemented locally, making it possible to retain the advantage of the lattice Boltzmann method in the study of the heat and mass transfer in complex geometries. A local scheme for computing the heat and mass fluxes is then proposed to replace conventional nonlocal finite-difference schemes. We further validate the present model and the local scheme for computing the flux against analytical solutions to several classical problems, and we show that both the model for the CDE and the computational scheme for the flux have a second-order convergence rate in space. It is also demonstrated the present model is more accurate than existing LB models for the CDE.