Lattice Boltzmann model for simulating flows with multiple phases and components

Singular forces and pointlike colloids in lattice Boltzmann hydrodynamics

We present an accurate method to include arbitrary singular distributions of forces in the lattice Boltzmann formulation of hydrodynamics. We validate our method with several examples involving Stokeslet, stresslet, and rotlet singularities, finding excellent agreement with analytical results. A minimal model for sedimenting particles is presented using the method. In the dilute limit, this model has accuracy comparable to, but computational efficiency much greater than, algorithms that explicitly resolve the size of the particles.

Modeling heat transfer in supercritical fluid using the lattice Boltzmann method

A lattice Boltzmann model has been developed to simulate heat transfer in supercritical fluids. A supercritical viscous fluid layer between two plates heated from the bottom has been studied. It is demonstrated that the model can be used to study heat transfer near the critical point where the so-called piston effect speeds up the transfer of heat and results in homogeneous heating in the bulk of the layer. We have also studied the onset of convection in a Rayleigh-Bénard configuration. It is shown that our model can well predict qualitatively the onset of convection near the critical point, where there is a crossover between the Rayleigh and Schwarzschild criteria.

Distribution of multiphase fluids in porous media: comparison between lattice Boltzmann modeling and micro-x-ray tomography

A parallel implementation of the three-dimensional Shan-and-Chen multicomponent, multiphase lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) was used to simulate the equilibrium distributions of two immiscible fluids in porous media. The simulations were successfully validated against cone-beam x-ray microtomographic data on the distribution of oil (decane), water, and air phases in a 5-mm cube of porous medium composed of packed quartz sand grains. The results confirm that LBM models allow for the straightforward incorporation of complex pore space geometry determined from x-ray microtomography measurements and that simulated wetting and nonwetting phase distributions are consistent with x-ray observations on both macroscopic and microscopic scales.

Proposed approximation for contact angles in Shan-and-Chen-type multicomponent multiphase lattice Boltzmann models

We propose a method for approximating the adhesion parameters in the Shan and Chen multicomponent, multiphase lattice Boltzmann model that leads to the desired fluid-solid contact angle. The method is a straightforward application of Young's equation with substitution of the Shan and Chen cohesion parameter and a density factor for the fluid-fluid interfacial tension, and the adhesion parameters for the corresponding fluid-solid interfacial tensions.

Lattice Boltzmann model for the simulation of multicomponent mixtures

A lattice Boltzmann (LB) model for the simulation of realistic multicomponent mixtures is constructed. In the hydrodynamic limit, the LB model recovers the equations of continuum mechanics within the mixture-averaged diffusion approximation. The present implementation can be used to simulate realistic mixtures with arbitrary Schmidt numbers and molecular masses of the species. The model is applied to the mixing of two opposed jets of different concentrations and the results are in excellent agreement with a continuum model. An application to the simulation of mixtures in microflows is also presented. Results compare well with existing kinetic theory predictions of the slip coefficient for mixtures in a Couette flow.

Interface width and bulk stability: requirements for the simulation of deeply quenched liquid-gas systems

Simulations of liquid-gas systems with interface terms evaluated by central difference discretizations are observed to fail to give accurate results for two reasons: the interface can get "stuck" on the lattice or a density overshoot develops around the interface. In the first case, the bulk densities can take a range of values, dependent on the initial conditions. In the second case, inaccurate bulk densities are found. We derived the minimum interface width required for the accurate simulation of liquid-gas systems with a diffuse interface. This criterion is demonstrated for lattice Boltzmann simulations of a van der Waals gas. Combining this criterion with predictions for the bulk stability defines the parameter range for stable and accurate simulation results even for high density ratios of over 1000.

Non-uniform plasma leakage affects local hematocrit and blood flow: implications for inflammation and tumor perfusion

Vessel leakiness is a hallmark of inflammation and cancer. In inflammation, plasma extravasation and leukocyte adhesion occur in a coordinated manner to enable the immune response, but also to maintain tissue perfusion. In tumors, similar mechanisms operate, but they are not well regulated. Therefore, blood perfusion in tumors is non-uniform, and delivery of blood-borne therapeutics is difficult. In order to analyze the interplay among plasma leakage, blood viscosity, and vessel geometry, we developed a mathematical model that explicitly includes blood cells, vessel branching, and focal leakage. The results show that local hemoconcentration due to plasma leakage can greatly increase the flow resistance in individual vascular segments, diverting flow to other regions. Similarly, leukocyte rolling can increase flow resistance by partially blocking flow. Vessel dilation can counter these effects, and likely occurs in inflammation to maintain blood flow. These results suggest that potential strategies for improving perfusion through tumor networks include (i) eliminating non-uniform plasma leakage, (ii) inhibiting leukocyte interactions, and (iii) preventing RBC aggregation in sluggish vessels. Normalization of tumor vessels by anti-angiogenic therapy may improve tumor perfusion via the first two mechanisms.

Kinetic lattice Boltzmann method for microscale gas flows: issues on boundary condition, relaxation time, and regularization

It is well known that the Navier-Stokes equations cannot adequately describe gas flows in the transition and free-molecular regimes. In these regimes, the Boltzmann equation (BE) of kinetic theory is invoked to govern the flows. However, this equation cannot be solved easily, either by analytical techniques or by numerical methods. Hence, in order to efficiently maneuver around this equation for modeling microscale gas flows, a kinetic lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) has been introduced in recent years. This method is regarded as a numerical approach for solving the BE in discrete velocity space with Gauss-Hermite quadrature. In this paper, a systematic description of the kinetic LBM, including the lattice Boltzmann equation, the diffuse-scattering boundary condition for gas-surface interactions, and definition of the relaxation time, is provided. To capture the nonlinear effects due to the high-order moments and wall boundaries, an effective relaxation time and a modified regularization procedure of the nonequilibrium part of the distribution function are further presented based on previous work [Guo et al., J. Appl. Phys. 99, 074903 (2006); Shan et al., J. Fluid Mech. 550, 413 (2006)]. The capability of the kinetic LBM of simulating microscale gas flows is illustrated based on the numerical investigations of micro Couette and force-driven Poiseuille flows.

Symmetric free-energy-based multicomponent lattice Boltzmann method

We present a lattice Boltzmann algorithm based on an underlying free energy that allows the simulation of the dynamics of a multicomponent system with an arbitrary number of components. The thermodynamic properties, such as the chemical potential of each component and the pressure of the overall system, are incorporated in the model. We derived a symmetrical convection diffusion equation for each component as well as the Navier Stokes equation and continuity equation for the overall system. The algorithm was verified through simulations of binary and ternary systems. The equilibrium concentrations of components of binary and ternary systems simulated with our algorithm agree well with theoretical expectations.

Order parameter modeling of fluid dynamics in narrow confinements subjected to hydrophobic interactions

A novel phase-field approach is developed for quantitative modeling of the complex thermophysics over reduced length scales in narrow fluidic confinements, as induced by the surface roughness-hydrophobicity coupling and the consequent hydrodynamic interactions. The method is tested for flows on micro- and nano- corrugated surfaces in narrow confinements, and the agreement with molecular dynamics and lattice Boltzmann simulations is found to be quantitative.

Investigations of drop impact on dry walls with a lattice-Boltzmann model

In this work, axisymmetric computations of drop impingement on dry walls are presented. The two-phase model employed is an axisymmetric lattice-Boltzmann model. Computations are performed in the parametric range of Weber number We of 7 to 8770, Ohnesorge number Oh of 0.02 to 0.137, and drop-wall equilibrium contact angle theta(eq) of 35 degrees to 150 degrees . Deposition and rebound outcomes are reported. In deposition, the different stages of drop evolution including spread, recoil and equilibration are reproduced and studied. Comparisons made with experimentally reported data of temporal evolution of the spread factor and the dynamic evolution of the contact angle show good agreement. Rebound is observed on non-wetting surfaces. The transition between deposition and rebound is shown to be influenced by the impact We, Oh, and advancing and receding static contact angles. Apart from impingement outcomes, the influence of We and Oh on the dynamic contact angle is investigated.

Droplets on inclined rough surfaces

The behaviour of liquid droplets on inclined heterogeneous surfaces was simulated by the lattice-Boltzmann method using the Shan-Chen multiphase model. The effect of topography of the surface on the contact angle hysteresis was investigated. It is shown in particular, by using anisotropic rough surfaces, how surface topography and thereby the continuity of the three-phase contact line, affect this hysteresis. Our results clearly indicate that the superhydrophobicity of a surface cannot be judged by the contact angle alone.

Simulation of droplet formation and coalescence using lattice Boltzmann-based single-phase model

A lattice Boltzmann method-based single-phase free surface model is developed to study the interfacial dynamics of coalescence, droplet formation and detachment phenomena related to surface tension and wetting effects. Compared with the conventional multiphase models, the lattice Boltzmann-based single-phase model has a higher computational efficiency since it is not necessary to simulate the motion of the gas phase. A perturbation, which is given in the same fashion as the perturbation step in Gunstensen's color model, is added to the distribution functions of the interface cells for incorporating the surface tension into the single-phase model. The assignment of different mass gradients along the fluid-wall interface is used to model the wetting properties of the solid surface. Implementations of the model are demonstrated for simulating the processes of the droplet coalescence, the droplet formation and detachment from ceiling and from nozzles with different shapes and different wall wetting properties.

Recent advances in computational simulation of macro-, meso-, and micro-scale biomimetics related fluid flow problems

Over the last decade, computational methods have been intensively applied to a variety of scientific researches and engineering designs. Although the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method has played a dominant role in studying and simulating transport phenomena involving fluid flow and heat and mass transfers, in recent years, other numerical methods for the simulations at meso- and micro-scales have also been actively applied to solve the physics of complex flow and fluid-interface interactions. This paper presents a review of recent advances in multi-scale computational simulation of biomimetics related fluid flow problems. The state-of-the-art numerical techniques, such as lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), molecular dynamics (MD), and conventional CFD, applied to different problems such as fish flow, electro-osmosis effect of earthworm motion, and self-cleaning hydrophobic surface, and the numerical approaches are introduced. The new challenging of modelling biomimetics problems in developing the physical conditions of self-clean hydrophobic surfaces is discussed.

Modified lattice Boltzmann model for axisymmetric flows

A modified lattice Boltzmann model based on the two-dimensional, nine-velocity lattice-Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook fluid is presented for axisymmetric flows. A spatially and temporally varying source term is incorporated into the evolution equation for the momentum distribution function on a two-dimensional Cartesian lattice. The precise form of the source term is derived through a Chapman-Enskog analysis, so that the additional axisymmetric contributions in the Navier-Stokes equations are furnished when written in the cylindrical polar coordinate system.

Structural transitions and arrest of domain growth in sheared binary immiscible fluids and microemulsions

We investigate spinodal decomposition and structuring effects in binary immiscible and ternary amphiphilic fluid mixtures under shear by means of three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann simulations. We show that the growth of individual fluid domains can be arrested by adding surfactant to the system, thus forming a bicontinuous microemulsion. We demonstrate that the maximum domain size and the time of arrest depend linearly on the concentration of amphiphile molecules. In addition, we find that for a well-defined threshold value of amphiphile concentration, the maximum domain size and time of complete arrest do not change. For systems under constant and oscillatory shear we analyze domain growth rates in directions parallel and perpendicular to the applied shear. We find a structural transition from a sponge to a lamellar phase by applying a constant shear and the occurrence of tubular structures under oscillatory shear. The size of the resulting lamellae and tubes depends strongly on the amphiphile concentration, shear rate, and shear frequency.

Lattice Boltzmann method for double-diffusive natural convection

A lattice Boltzmann method for double-diffusive natural convection is presented. The model combines a multicomponent lattice Boltzmann scheme with a finite-difference solution of the energy equation to simulate natural convection caused by gradients in temperature and concentration. The model is validated both in two and three dimensions, and the agreement with literature data is satisfactory. A case study of thermosolutal convection of air in a cubical enclosure with horizontal thermal and solutal gradients is presented, exhibiting a rich variety of flow structures.

Bubble formation in lattice Boltzmann immiscible shear flow

Bubble formation and the effect of shear on bubble formation in a van der Waals fluid is investigated by means of lattice Boltzmann mesoscale simulations. In the absence of shear, the maximum number of formed bubbles increases with undercooling but the incubation time before bubble formation decreases dramatically. The results are in agreement with classical phase transition theory. In shear flow, the maximum number of bubbles is not affected by shear but the bubble growth rate is accelerated. The effect of shear on bubble growth rate weakens at large undercoolings. The reasons are twofold. On the one hand the highly undercooled system takes less time to complete phase transition due to the large driving force so that there is less time to accumulate the flow effect. On the other hand the mechanism for bubble growth changes from coarsening to coalescence at large undercoolings.

Intrusion of nonwetting liquid in paper

The saturation curve of a sample of paper board was measured with mercury-intrusion porosimetry, and the three-dimensional structure of its pore space was determined by x-ray tomographic imaging. Ab initio numerical simulation of intrusion on the tomographic reconstruction, based on the lattice-Boltzmann method, was in excellent agreement with the measured saturation curve. A numerical invasion-percolation simulation in the same tomographic reconstruction showed good agreement with the lattice-Boltzmann simulation. The access function of the sample, determined from the saturation curve and the pore-throat distribution determined from the tomographic reconstruction, indicated that the ink-bottle effect is significant in paperlike materials.

Generalized lattice Boltzmann method with multirange pseudopotential

The physical behavior of a class of mesoscopic models for multiphase flows is analyzed in details near interfaces. In particular, an extended pseudopotential method is developed, which permits to tune the equation of state and surface tension independently of each other. The spurious velocity contributions of this extended model are shown to vanish in the limit of high grid refinement and/or high order isotropy. Higher order schemes to implement self-consistent forcings are rigorously computed for 2d and 3d models. The extended scenario developed in this work clarifies the theoretical foundations of the Shan-Chen methodology for the lattice Boltzmann method and enhances its applicability and flexibility to the simulation of multiphase flows to density ratios up to O(100).

Lattice Boltzmann simulations of two-phase flow with high density ratio in axially symmetric geometry

In this paper, a two-phase lattice Boltzmann (LB) model, developed for simulating fluid flows on a Cartesian grid at high liquid-to-gas density ratios, is adapted to an axisymmetric coordinate system. This is achieved by incorporating additional source terms in the planar evolution equations for the density and pressure distribution functions such that the axisymmetric mass and momentum conservation equations are recovered in the macroscopic limit. Appropriate numerical treatment of the terms is performed to obtain stable computations at high density ratio for this axisymmetric model. The particle collision is modeled by employing multiple relaxation times to attain stability at low viscosity. The model is evaluated by verifying the Laplace-Young relation for a liquid drop, comparing computed frequency of oscillations of an initially ellipsoidal drop with analytical values and comparing the behavior of a spherical drop impinging on a wet wall with prior results. The time evolution of the radial distance of the tip of the corona, formed when the drop impinges, agrees well with prior data.

Surface roughness-hydrophobicity coupling in microchannel and nanochannel flows

An approach based on a lattice version of the Boltzmann kinetic equation for describing multiphase flows in nano- and microcorrugated devices is proposed. We specialize it to describe the wetting-dewetting transition of fluids in the presence of nanoscopic grooves etched on the boundaries. This approach permits us to retain the essential supramolecular details of fluid-solid interactions without surrendering--actually boosting--the computational efficiency of continuum methods. The method is used to analyze the importance of conspiring effects between hydrophobicity and roughness on the global mass flow rate of the microchannel. In particular we show that smart surfaces can be tailored to yield very different mass throughput by changing the bulk pressure. The mesoscopic method is also validated quantitatively against the molecular dynamics results of [Cottin-Bizonne, Nat. Mater. 2, 237 (2003)].

Efficient kinetic method for fluid simulation beyond the Navier-Stokes equation

We present a further theoretical extension to the kinetic-theory-based formulation of the lattice Boltzmann method of Shan [J. Fluid Mech. 550, 413 (2006)]. In addition to the higher-order projection of the equilibrium distribution function and a sufficiently accurate Gauss-Hermite quadrature in the original formulation, a regularization procedure is introduced in this paper. This procedure ensures a consistent order of accuracy control over the nonequilibrium contributions in the Galerkin sense. Using this formulation, we construct a specific lattice Boltzmann model that accurately incorporates up to third-order hydrodynamic moments. Numerical evidence demonstrates that the extended model overcomes some major defects existing in conventionally known lattice Boltzmann models, so that fluid flows at finite Knudsen number Kn can be more quantitatively simulated. Results from force-driven Poiseuille flow simulations predict the Knudsen's minimum and the asymptotic behavior of flow flux at large Kn.

Eliminating parasitic currents in the lattice Boltzmann equation method for nonideal gases

A formulation of the intermolecular force in the nonideal-gas lattice Boltzmann equation method is examined. Discretization errors in the computation of the intermolecular force cause parasitic currents. These currents can be eliminated to roundoff if the potential form of the intermolecular force is used with compact isotropic discretization. Numerical tests confirm the elimination of the parasitic currents.

Mesoscopic modeling of a two-phase flow in the presence of boundaries: The contact angle

We present a mesoscopic model, based on the Boltzmann equation, for the interaction between a solid wall and a nonideal fluid. We present an analytic derivation of the contact angle in terms of the surface tension between the liquid-gas, the liquid-solid, and the gas-solid phases. We study the dependency of the contact angle on the two free parameters of the model, which determine the interaction between the fluid and the boundaries, i.e. the equivalent of the wall density and of the wall-fluid potential in molecular dynamics studies. We compare the analytical results obtained in the hydrodynamical limit for the density profile and for the surface tension expression with the numerical simulations. We compare also our two-phase approach with some exact results obtained by E. Lauga and H. Stone [J. Fluid. Mech. 489, 55 (2003)] and J. Philip [Z. Angew. Math. Phys. 23, 960 (1972)] for a pure hydrodynamical incompressible fluid based on Navier-Stokes equations with boundary conditions made up of alternating slip and no-slip strips. Finally, we show how to overcome some theoretical limitations connected with the discretized Boltzmann scheme proposed by X. Shan and H. Chen [Phys. Rev. E 49, 2941 (1994)] and we discuss the equivalence between the surface tension defined in terms of the mechanical equilibrium and in terms of the Maxwell construction.

Morphologies and flow patterns in quenching of lamellar systems with shear

We study the behavior of a fluid quenched from the disordered into the lamellar phase under the action of a shear flow. The dynamics of the system is described by Navier-Stokes and convection-diffusion equations with the pressure tensor and the chemical potential derived by the Brazovskii free energy. Our simulations are based on a mixed numerical method with the lattice Boltzmann equation and a finite difference scheme for Navier-Stokes and order parameter equations, respectively. We focus on cases where banded flows are observed with two different slopes for the component of velocity in the direction of the applied flow. Close to the walls the system reaches a lamellar order with very few defects, and the slope of the horizontal velocity is higher than the imposed shear rate. In the middle of the system the local shear rate is lower than the imposed one, and the system looks like a mixture of tilted lamellae, droplets, and small elongated domains. We refer to this as a region with a shear-induced structures (SIS) configuration. The local behavior of the stress shows that the system with the coexisting lamellar and SIS regions is in mechanical equilibrium. This phenomenon occurs, at fixed viscosity, for shear rates under a certain threshold; when the imposed shear rate is sufficiently large, lamellar order develops in the whole system. Effects of different viscosities have been also considered. The SIS region is observed only at low enough viscosity. We compare the above scenario with the usual one of shear banding. In particular, we do not find evidence for a plateau of the stress at varying imposed shear rates in the region with banded flow. We interpret our results as due to a tendency of the lamellar system to oppose the presence of the applied flow.

Lattice Boltzmann simulations of phase separation in chemically reactive binary fluids

We use a lattice Boltzmann method to study pattern formation in chemically reactive binary fluids in the regime where hydrodynamic effects are important. The coupled equations solved by the method are a Cahn-Hilliard equation, modified by the inclusion of a reactive source term, and the Navier-Stokes equations for conservation of mass and momentum. The coupling is twofold, resulting from the advection of the order parameter by the velocity field and the effect of fluid composition on pressure. We study the evolution of the system following a critical quench for a linear and for a quadratic reaction source term. Comparison is made between the high and low viscosity regimes to identify the influence of hydrodynamic flows. In both cases hydrodynamics is found to influence the pathways available for domain growth and the eventual steady states.

Lattice Boltzmann scheme for fluids with dynamic heterogeneities

We introduce and discuss a three-dimensional mesoscopic lattice Boltzmann model for the numerical simulation of strongly-interacting fluids with dynamic inhomogeneities. The model is based on an extension of the standard lattice Boltzmann dynamics in which streaming between neighboring lattice sites is constrained by the value of the nonlocal density of the surrounding fluid. The resulting dynamics exhibits typical features of dynamically heterogeneous fluids, such as long-time relaxation, non-Gaussian density distributions and dynamic heterogeneities. Due to its intrinsically parallel dynamics and absence of statistical noise, the method is expected to compute significantly faster than molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo, and lattice glass models.

Mesoscopic interparticle potentials in the lattice Boltzmann equation for multiphase fluids

I introduce a method to derive mesoscopic particle interactions by macroscopic thermodynamics, which is suitable for simulation of multiphase fluids by means of the lattice Boltzmann equation. For van der Waals fluids, the interaction possesses a high-density strong repulsive core and a low-density weak attractive tail, which looks like the Lennard-Jones potential with replacement of the distance between particles with mass density. Numerical results on phase separation show a droplet growth scheme rather than spinodal decomposition, and exhibit accurately the equilibrium phase diagram, a convincing interfacial energy property, and irreversible thermodynamics.

Semi-implicit-linearized multiple-relaxation-time formulation of lattice Boltzmann schemes for mixture modeling

A lattice Boltzmann model for mixture modeling is developed by applying the multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) approach to the Hamel model, which allows one to derive from a general framework different model equations independently proposed, like the Gross-Krook model and the Sirovich model. By imposing some physical constraints, the MRT lattice-Boltzmann Hamel model reduces to the generalized MRT lattice-Boltzmann Gross-Krook model (involving the local Maxwellian centered on the barycentric velocity), which allows one to tune independently the species diffusivity, the mixture kinematic viscosity, and the mixture bulk viscosity. Reducing the number of moving particles over the total is possible to deal effectively with mass particle ratios far from unity and, for this reason, to model the pressure-driven diffusion. A convenient numerical approach is proposed for solving the developed model, which essentially widens the stability range of conventional schemes in terms of dimensionless relaxation frequencies, by solving explicitly the advection operator together with the nonlinear terms of the collisional operator and solving implicitly the residual linear terms. In this way, the calculations are drastically reduced and the operative matrices can be computed once for all, at the beginning of the calculation (implying moderate additional computational demand). Following this approach, a semi-implicit-linearized backward Euler scheme, ideal for parallel implementations, is proposed. In order to achieve the previous results, the asymptotic analysis, recently suggested for analyzing the macroscopic equations corresponding to lattice-Boltzmann schemes in the low-Mach-number limit, proves to be an effective tool. Some numerical tests are reported for proving the consistency of the proposed method with both the Fick model and Maxwell-Stefan model in the macroscopic limit.

Lattice Boltzmann simulations of droplet formation in a T-shaped microchannel

We investigated the formation of a droplet from a single pore in a glass chip, which is a model system for droplet formation in membrane emulsification. Droplet formation was simulated with the lattice Boltzmann method, a method suitable for modeling on the mesoscale. We validated the lattice Boltzmann code with several benchmarks such as the flow profile in a rectangular channel, droplet deformation between two shearing plates, and a sessile drop on a plate with different wetting conditions. In all cases, the modeling results were in good agreement with the benchmark. A comparison of experimental droplet formation in a microchannel glass chip showed good quantitative agreement with the modeling results. With this code, droplet formation simulations with various interfacial tensions and various flow rates were performed. All resulting droplet sizes could be correlated quantitatively with the capillary number and the fluxes in the system.

Analysis and reduction of the spurious current in a class of multiphase lattice Boltzmann models

We show that the spurious current present near a curved interface in a class of multiphase lattice Boltzmann (LB) models is due to the insufficient isotropy of the discrete gradient operator. A method of obtaining highly isotropic gradient operators on a lattice is given. Numerical simulations show that both the magnitude and the spatial extent of the spurious current are significantly reduced as gradient operators of increasingly higher order of isotropy is adopted in multiphase LB models.

Lattice-Boltzmann modeling of dissolution phenomena

In this work, we present a lattice-Boltzmann model for the simulation of complex dissolution phenomena. We design boundary conditions to impose a fixed concentration or a surface flux for use in multicomponent lattice-Boltzmann models. These conditions can be applied to simulate complex reactive flow phenomena, e.g., in porous media. By combining the boundary conditions with a volume-of-fluid description of solid structures, the application area of the presented model is extended toward complex dissolution phenomena. The boundary conditions and the dissolution model are validated using benchmark problems with analytical solutions. The agreement is good in all tested cases.

Simulation of liquid penetration in paper

Capillary penetration of a wetting liquid in a microtomographic image of paper board, whose linear dimension was close to the average length of wood fibers, was simulated by the lattice-Boltzmann method. In spite of the size of the system not being large with respect to the size of structural inhomogeneities in the sample, for unidirectional penetration the simulated behavior was described well by that of the Lucas-Washburn equation, while for radial penetration a radial capillary equation described the behavior. In both cases the average penetration depth of the liquid front as a function of time followed a power law over many orders of magnitude. Capillary penetration of small droplets of liquid was also simulated in the same three-dimensional image of paper. In this case the simulation results could be described by a generalized form of the radial-penetration equation.

Lateral capillary forces between solid bodies on liquid surface: a lattice Boltzmann study

When two solid bodies are placed on the surface of a dense liquid under gravitation, they deform the liquid surface to experience a lateral capillary force between themselves that can be attractive and repulsive, depending on the wettabilities and weights of the bodies. In the present study, the lateral capillary force between two square bodies at a liquid-vapor interface has been examined using numerical simulations based on a two-dimensional two-phase lattice Boltzmann (LB) method. The particular situations were simulated, where every body was vertically constrained and had the fixed triple points at its upper or lower corners. Here, the triple point indicates the place at which vapor, liquid, and solid phases meet. The interaction force between these two bodies was calculated as a function of the separation distance, the interfacial tension, and the gravitational acceleration. The simulation results agree well with the analytical expression of the lateral capillary interaction, indicating that our LB method can reproduce the interaction force between two bodies of various wettabilities at a liquid-vapor interface in mechanical equilibrium.