Additional interfacial force in lattice Boltzmann models for incompressible multiphase flows

Color-gradient-based phase-field equation for multiphase flow

In this paper, the underlying problem with the color-gradient (CG) method in handling density-contrast fluids is explored. It is shown that the CG method is not fluid invariant. Based on nondimensionalizing the CG method, a phase-field interface-capturing model is proposed which tackles the difficulty of handling density-contrast fluids. The proposed formulation is developed for incompressible, immiscible two-fluid flows without phase-change phenomena, and a solver based on the lattice Boltzmann method is proposed. Coupled with an available robust hydrodynamic solver, a binary fluid flow package that handles fluid flows with high density and viscosity contrasts is presented. The macroscopic and lattice Boltzmann equivalents of the formulation, which make the physical interpretation of it easier, are presented. In contrast to existing color-gradient models where the interface-capturing equations are coupled with the hydrodynamic ones and include the surface tension forces, the proposed formulation is in the same spirit as the other phase-field models such as the Cahn-Hilliard and the Allen-Cahn equations and is solely employed to capture the interface advected due to a flow velocity. As such, similarly to other phase-field models, a so-called mobility parameter comes into play. In contrast, the mobility is not related to the density field but a constant coefficient. This leads to a formulation that avoids individual speed of sound for the different fluids. On the lattice Boltzmann solver side, two separate distribution functions are adopted to solve the formulation, and another one is employed to solve the Navier-Stokes equations, yielding a total of three equations. Two series of numerical tests are conducted to validate the accuracy and stability of the model, where we compare simulated results with available analytical and numerical solutions, and good agreement is observed. In the first set the interfacial evolution equations are assessed, while in the second set the hydrodynamic effects are taken into account.

Theoretical and numerical study on the well-balanced regularized lattice Boltzmann model for two-phase flow

In the multiphase flow simulations based on the lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE), the spurious velocity near the interface and the inconsistent density properties are frequently observed. In this paper, a well-balanced regularized lattice Boltzmann (WB-RLB) model with Hermite expansion up to third order is developed for two-phase flows. To this end, the equilibrium distribution function and the modified force term proposed by Guo [Phys. Fluids 33, 031709 (2021)1070-663110.1063/5.0041446] are directly introduced into the regularization of the transformed distribution functions when considering the LBE with trapezoidal integral. First, to give a detailed comparison of the well-balanced lattice Boltzmann equation (WB-LBE), WB-RLB, and second-order mixed difference scheme (SOMDS) proposed by Lee and Fischer [Phys. Rev. E 74, 046709 (2006)1539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.74.046709], the theoretical analyses on the force balance of LBE with two different gradient operators, isotropic central scheme (ICS) and SOMDS, as well as the numerical simulations of the stationary droplet are carried out. The force analysis shows that SOMDS can achieve a higher accuracy than ICS for the force balance, which has been validated in the simulations of stationary droplet cases. For the stationary droplet cases, all three models (WB-LBE, WB-RLB, and SOMDS) can capture the physical equilibrium state even at a large density ratio of 1000. Also, the numerical investigations of the WB-RLB model with third-order expansion (WB-RLB3) demonstrate that adjusting the relaxation parameters of the third-order moment can further improve the accuracy and stability of the WB-RLB model. Then, both the droplet coalescence and the phase separation cases are investigated with considering the effect of different interface thickness, which demonstrates that the performance of the WB-RLB for the two-phase dynamic problems is still quite well, and it exhibits better numerical stability when compared with the WB-LBE. In addition, the contact angle problem is investigated by the present WB-RLB model; the numerical results show that the predicted values of the contact angles agree well with the analytical solutions, but the well-balance property is not validated, especially near the three-phase junction. Overall, the present WB-RLB model exhibits excellent numerical accuracy and stability for both static and dynamic interface problems.

Improved partially saturated method for the lattice Boltzmann pseudopotential multicomponent flows

This paper extends the partially saturated method (PSM), used for curved or complex walls, to the lattice Boltzmann (LB) pseudopotential multicomponent model and adapts the wetting boundary condition to model the contact angle. The pseudopotential model is widely used for various complex flow simulations due to its simplicity. To simulate the wetting phenomenon within this model, the mesoscopic interaction force between the boundary fluid and solid nodes is used to mimic the microscopic adhesive force between the fluid and the solid wall, and the bounce-back (BB) method is normally adopted to achieve the no-slip boundary condition. In this paper, the pseudopotential interaction forces are computed with eighth-order isotropy since fourth-order isotropy leads to the condensation of the dissolved component on curved walls. Due to the staircase approximation of curved walls in the BB method, the contact angle is sensitive to the shape of corners on curved walls. Furthermore, the staircase approximation makes the movement of the wetting droplet on curved walls not smooth. To solve this problem, the curved boundary method may be used, but due to the interpolation or extrapolation process, most curved boundary conditions suffer from massive mass leakage when applied to the LB pseudopotential model. Through three test cases, it is found that the improved PSM scheme is mass conservative, that nearly identical static contact angles are observed on flat and curved walls under the same wetting condition, and that the movement of a wetting droplet on curved and inclined walls is smoother compared to the usual BB method. The present method is expected to be a promising tool for modeling flows in porous media and in microfluidic channels.

Diffuse interface model for a single-component liquid-vapor system

We elucidate the theoretical relationships among fundamental physical concepts that are involved in the diffuse interface modeling for an isothermal single-component liquid-vapor system, which cover both the equation of state (EOS) and the surface tension force. As an example, a flat surface at equilibrium is discussed both theoretically and numerically by using two different approaches. Particularly, the force structure in the transition region is clearly presented, which demonstrates that the capillary contributions due to the density gradients can suppress the mechanical instability of the thermodynamic pressure and lead to constant hydrodynamic pressure (and chemical potential). Then, by comparing with the van der Waals (vdW) EOS for a flat interface at equilibrium, it is shown that applying the double-well approximation can give qualitative predictions for relatively high density ratio (ρ_{l}/ρ_{g}=7.784) and satisfactory results for relatively low density ratio (ρ_{l}/ρ_{g}=1.774). The main cause for this observation is attributed to the nonlinear variation of the generalized coefficient function in the double-well formulation at different density ratios. In addition, for the latter case, we simulate a droplet impact on a hydrophilic wall by using a recently proposed well-balanced discrete unified gas kinetic scheme (WB-DUGKS), which justifies the applicability of the double-well approximation to complex interfacial dynamics in the low-density-ratio limit. Furthermore, the reason for the inconsistency between the coefficients of the mean-field force expressions in the existing literature is explained.

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.

Modified phase-field-based lattice Boltzmann model for incompressible multiphase flows

Based on the phase-field theory, a multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) lattice Boltzmann model is proposed for the immiscible multiphase fluids. In this model, the local Allen-Chan equation is chosen as the target equation to capture the phase interface. Unlike previous MRT schemes, an off-diagonal relaxation matrix is adopted in the present model so that the target phase-field equation can be recovered exactly without any artificial terms. To check the necessity of removing those artificial terms, comparative studies were carried out among different MRT schemes with or without correction. Results show that the artificial terms can be neglected at low March number but will cause unphysical diffusion or interface undulation instability for the relatively large March number cases. The present modified model shows superiority in reducing numerical errors by adjusting the free parameters. As the interface transport coupled to the fluid flow, a pressure-evolution lattice Boltzmann equation is adopted for hydrodynamic properties. Several benchmark cases for multiphase flow were conducted to test the validity of the present model, including the static drop test, Rayleigh-Taylor instability, and single rising bubble test. For the rising bubble simulation at high density ratios, bubble dynamics obtained by the present modified MRT lattice Boltzmann model agree well with those obtained by the FEM-based level set and FEM-based phase-field models.

Alternative wetting boundary condition for the chemical-potential-based free-energy lattice Boltzmann model

The free-energy lattice Boltzmann (LB) method is a multiphase LB approach based on the thermodynamic theory. Compared with traditional free-energy LB models, which employ a nonideal thermodynamic pressure tensor, the chemical-potential-based free-energy LB model has attracted much attention in recent years as it avoids computing the thermodynamic pressure tensor and its divergence. In this paper, we propose an improved wetting boundary condition for the chemical-potential-based free-energy LB model. Different from the original wetting boundary condition in the literature, the improved wetting boundary condition utilizes a surface chemical potential that is compatible with the chemical potential of the fluid domain. Accordingly, the thermodynamic consistency of the chemical-potential-based free-energy LB model can be retained by the improved wetting boundary condition. Numerical simulations are performed for droplets resting on flat and cylindrical surfaces with different contact angles. The numerical results show that the improved wetting boundary condition yields more reasonable results and the maximum spurious velocities are found to be smaller by 2 ∼ 3 orders of magnitude than those produced by the original wetting boundary condition.

Phase-field lattice Boltzmann model for interface tracking of a binary fluid system based on the Allen-Cahn equation

A lattice Boltzmann (LB) model is proposed to track the interface of binary fluid system based on the conservative-form Allen-Cahn (A-C) equation for phase field. Utilizing an equilibrium distribution function and a modified LB equation, this model is able to correctly recover the conservative A-C equation through the Chapman-Enskog analysis. A series of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) phase-capturing benchmark tests have been conducted for validation, which include the diagonal translation of a circular interface, the rigid-body rotation of a Zalesak disk, and the deformation of 2D circular interface and 3D spherical interface in shear flows, all illustrating better accuracy and stability of the proposed model than the previous models tested. By coupling the incompressible hydrodynamic equation, a stationary droplet, a spinodal decomposition, and the Rayleigh-Taylor instability are simulated as well, showing the satisfying performance of the model in dealing with complex interfaces of binary fluid systems.

Knudsen Number Effects on Two-Dimensional Rayleigh-Taylor Instability in Compressible Fluid: Based on a Discrete Boltzmann Method

Based on the framework of our previous work [H.L. Lai et al., Phys. Rev. E, 94, 023106 (2016)], we continue to study the effects of Knudsen number on two-dimensional Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instability in compressible fluid via the discrete Boltzmann method. It is found that the Knudsen number effects strongly inhibit the RT instability but always enormously strengthen both the global hydrodynamic non-equilibrium (HNE) and thermodynamic non-equilibrium (TNE) effects. Moreover, when Knudsen number increases, the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability induced by the development of the RT instability is difficult to sufficiently develop in the later stage. Different from the traditional computational fluid dynamics, the discrete Boltzmann method further presents a wealth of non-equilibrium information. Specifically, the two-dimensional TNE quantities demonstrate that, far from the disturbance interface, the value of TNE strength is basically zero; the TNE effects are mainly concentrated on both sides of the interface, which is closely related to the gradient of macroscopic quantities. The global TNE first decreases then increases with evolution. The relevant physical mechanisms are analyzed and discussed.

Improved three-dimensional color-gradient lattice Boltzmann model for immiscible two-phase flows

In this paper, an improved three-dimensional color-gradient lattice Boltzmann (LB) model is proposed for simulating immiscible two-phase flows. Compared with the previous three-dimensional color-gradient LB models, which suffer from the lack of Galilean invariance and considerable numerical errors in many cases owing to the error terms in the recovered macroscopic equations, the present model eliminates the error terms and therefore improves the numerical accuracy and enhances the Galilean invariance. To validate the proposed model, numerical simulations are performed. First, the test of a moving droplet in a uniform flow field is employed to verify the Galilean invariance of the improved model. Subsequently, numerical simulations are carried out for the layered two-phase flow and three-dimensional Rayleigh-Taylor instability. It is shown that, using the improved model, the numerical accuracy can be significantly improved in comparison with the color-gradient LB model without the improvements. Finally, the capability of the improved color-gradient LB model for simulating dynamic two-phase flows at a relatively large density ratio is demonstrated via the simulation of droplet impact on a solid surface.

Lattice Boltzmann methods and active fluids

We review the state of the art of active fluids with particular attention to hydrodynamic continuous models and to the use of Lattice Boltzmann Methods (LBM) in this field. We present the thermodynamics of active fluids, in terms of liquid crystals modelling adapted to describe large-scale organization of active systems, as well as other effective phenomenological models. We discuss how LBM can be implemented to solve the hydrodynamics of active matter, starting from the case of a simple fluid, for which we explicitly recover the continuous equations by means of Chapman-Enskog expansion. Going beyond this simple case, we summarize how LBM can be used to treat complex and active fluids. We then review recent developments concerning some relevant topics in active matter that have been studied by means of LBM: spontaneous flow, self-propelled droplets, active emulsions, rheology, active turbulence, and active colloids.

Phase-field method based on discrete unified gas-kinetic scheme for large-density-ratio two-phase flows

In this paper, a phase-field method under the framework of discrete unified gas-kinetic scheme (DUGKS) for incompressible multiphase fluid flows is proposed. Two kinetic models are constructed to solve the conservative Allen-Cahn equation that accounts for the interface behavior and the incompressible hydrodynamic equations that govern the flow field, respectively. With a truncated equilibrium distribution function as well as a temporal derivative added to the source term, the macroscopic governing equations can be exactly recovered from the kinetic models through the Chapman-Enskog analysis. Calculation of source terms involving high-order derivatives existed in the quasi-incompressible model is simplified. A series of benchmark cases including four interface-capturing tests and four binary flow tests are carried out. Results compared to that of the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) have been obtained. A convergence rate of second order can be guaranteed in the test of interface diagonal translation. The capability of the present method to track the interface that undergoes a severe deformation has been verified. Stationary bubble and spinodal decomposition problems, both with a density ratio as high as 1000, are conducted and reliable solutions have been provided. The layered Poiseuille flow with a large viscosity ratio is simulated and numerical results agree well with the analytical solutions. Variation of positions of the bubble front and spike tip during the evolution of Rayleigh-Taylor instability has been predicted precisely. However, the detailed depiction of complicated interface patterns appearing during the evolution process is failed, which is mainly caused by the relatively large numerical dissipation of DUGKS compared to that of LBM. A high-order DUGKS is needed to overcome this problem.

Mesoscopic Simulation of the (2 + 1)-Dimensional Wave Equation with Nonlinear Damping and Source Terms Using the Lattice Boltzmann BGK Model

In this work, we develop a mesoscopic lattice Boltzmann Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) model to solve (2 + 1)-dimensional wave equation with the nonlinear damping and source terms. Through the Chapman-Enskog multiscale expansion, the macroscopic governing evolution equation can be obtained accurately by choosing appropriate local equilibrium distribution functions. We validate the present mesoscopic model by some related issues where the exact solution is known. It turned out that the numerical solution is in very good agreement with exact one, which shows that the present mesoscopic model is pretty valid, and can be used to solve more similar nonlinear wave equations with nonlinear damping and source terms, and predict and enrich the internal mechanism of nonlinearity and complexity in nonlinear dynamic phenomenon.

High-order lattice-Boltzmann model for the Cahn-Hilliard equation

The Cahn-Hilliard equation (CHE) is widely used in modeling two-phase fluid flows, and it is critical to solve this equation accurately to track the interface between the two phases. In this paper, a high-order lattice Boltzmann equation model is developed for the CHE via the fourth-order Chapman-Enskog expansion. A truncation error analysis is performed, and the leading error term proportional to the Peclet number is identified. The results are further confirmed by the Maxwell iteration. With the inclusion of a correction term for eliminating the main error term, the proposed model is able to recover the CHE up to third order. The proposed model is tested by several benchmark problems. The results show that the present model is capable of tracking the interface with improved accuracy and stability in comparison with the second-order one.

Mass conservative lattice Boltzmann scheme for a three-dimensional diffuse interface model with Peng-Robinson equation of state

Peng-Robinson (P-R) equation of state (EOS) has been widely used in the petroleum industry for hydrocarbon fluids. In this work, a three-dimensional diffuse interface model with P-R EOS for two-phase fluid system is solved by the lattice Boltzmann (LB) method. In this diffuse interface model, an Allen-Cahn (A-C) type phase equation with strong nonlinear source term is derived. Using the multiscale Chapman-Enskog analysis, the A-C type phase equation can be recovered from the proposed LB method. Besides, a Lagrange multiplier is introduced based on the mesoscopic character of the LB scheme so that total mass of the hydrocarbon system is preserved. Three-dimensional numerical simulations of realistic hydrocarbon components, such as isobutane and propane, are implemented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed mass conservative LB scheme. Numerical results reach a better agreement with laboratory data compared to previous results of two-dimensional numerical simulations.

Discrete Boltzmann modeling of Rayleigh-Taylor instability in two-component compressible flows

A discrete Boltzmann model (DBM) is proposed to probe the Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) in two-component compressible flows. Each species has a flexible specific-heat ratio and is described by one discrete Boltzmann equation (DBE). Independent discrete velocities are adopted for the two DBEs. The collision and force terms in the DBE account for the molecular collision and external force, respectively. Two types of force terms are exploited. In addition to recovering the modified Navier-Stokes equations in the hydrodynamic limit, the DBM has the capability of capturing detailed nonequilibrium effects. Furthermore, we use the DBM to investigate the dynamic process of the RTI. The invariants of tensors for nonequilibrium effects are presented and studied. For low Reynolds numbers, both global nonequilibrium manifestations and the growth rate of the entropy of mixing show three stages (i.e., the reducing, increasing, and then decreasing trends) in the evolution of the RTI. On the other hand, the early reducing tendency is suppressed and even eliminated for high Reynolds numbers. Relevant physical mechanisms are analyzed and discussed.

Improved locality of the phase-field lattice-Boltzmann model for immiscible fluids at high density ratios

Based on phase-field theory, we introduce a robust lattice-Boltzmann equation for modeling immiscible multiphase flows at large density and viscosity contrasts. Our approach is built by modifying the method proposed by Zu and He [Phys. Rev. E 87, 043301 (2013)PLEEE81539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.87.043301] in such a way as to improve efficiency and numerical stability. In particular, we employ a different interface-tracking equation based on the so-called conservative phase-field model, a simplified equilibrium distribution that decouples pressure and velocity calculations, and a local scheme based on the hydrodynamic distribution functions for calculation of the stress tensor. In addition to two distribution functions for interface tracking and recovery of hydrodynamic properties, the only nonlocal variable in the proposed model is the phase field. Moreover, within our framework there is no need to use biased or mixed difference stencils for numerical stability and accuracy at high density ratios. This not only simplifies the implementation and efficiency of the model, but also leads to a model that is better suited to parallel implementation on distributed-memory machines. Several benchmark cases are considered to assess the efficacy of the proposed model, including the layered Poiseuille flow in a rectangular channel, Rayleigh-Taylor instability, and the rise of a Taylor bubble in a duct. The numerical results are in good agreement with available numerical and experimental data.

Nonequilibrium thermohydrodynamic effects on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in compressible flows

The effects of compressibility on Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) are investigated by inspecting the interplay between thermodynamic and hydrodynamic nonequilibrium phenomena (TNE, HNE, respectively) via a discrete Boltzmann model. Two effective approaches are presented, one tracking the evolution of the local TNE effects and the other focusing on the evolution of the mean temperature of the fluid, to track the complex interfaces separating the bubble and the spike regions of the flow. It is found that both the compressibility effects and the global TNE intensity show opposite trends in the initial and the later stages of the RTI. Compressibility delays the initial stage of RTI and accelerates the later stage. Meanwhile, the TNE characteristics are generally enhanced by the compressibility, especially in the later stage. The global or mean thermodynamic nonequilibrium indicators provide physical criteria to discriminate between the two stages of the RTI.

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.

Improved lattice Boltzmann modeling of binary flow based on the conservative Allen-Cahn equation

The primary and key task of binary fluid flow modeling is to track the interface with good accuracy, which is usually challenging due to the sharp-interface limit and numerical dispersion. This article concentrates on further development of the conservative Allen-Cahn equation (ACE) [Geier et al., Phys. Rev. E 91, 063309 (2015)10.1103/PhysRevE.91.063309] under the framework of the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), with incorporation of the incompressible hydrodynamic equations [Liang et al., Phys. Rev. E 89, 053320 (2014)10.1103/PhysRevE.89.053320]. Utilizing a modified equilibrium distribution function and an additional source term, this model is capable of correctly recovering the conservative ACE through the Chapman-Enskog analysis. We also simulate four phase-tracking benchmark cases, including one three-dimensional case; all show good accuracy as well as low numerical dispersion. By coupling the incompressible hydrodynamic equations, we also simulate layered Poiseuille flow and the Rayleigh-Taylor instability, illustrating satisfying performance in dealing with complex flow problems, e.g., high viscosity ratio, high density ratio, and high Reynolds number situations. The present work provides a reliable and efficient solution for binary flow modeling.

Lattice Boltzmann method for binary fluids based on mass-conserving quasi-incompressible phase-field theory

In this paper, a lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE) model is proposed for binary fluids based on a quasi-incompressible phase-field model [J. Shen et al., Commun. Comput. Phys. 13, 1045 (2013)10.4208/cicp.300711.160212a]. Compared with the other incompressible LBE models based on the incompressible phase-field theory, the quasi-incompressible model conserves mass locally. A series of numerical simulations are performed to validate the proposed model, and comparisons with an incompressible LBE model [H. Liang et al., Phys. Rev. E 89, 053320 (2014)PLEEE81539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.89.053320] are also carried out. It is shown that the proposed model can track the interface accurately. As the stationary droplet and rising bubble problems, the quasi-incompressible LBE gives nearly the same predictions as the incompressible model, but the compressible effect in the present model plays a significant role in the phase separation problem. Therefore, in general cases the present mass-conserving model should be adopted.

Lattice Boltzmann simulation of three-dimensional Rayleigh-Taylor instability

In this paper, the three-dimensional (3D) Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) with low Atwood number (A(t)=0.15) in a long square duct (12W × W × W) is studied by using a multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann (LB) multiphase model. The effect of the Reynolds number on the interfacial dynamics and bubble and spike amplitudes at late time is investigated in detail. The numerical results show that at sufficiently large Reynolds numbers, a sequence of stages in the 3D immiscible RTI can be observed, which includes the linear growth, terminal velocity growth, reacceleration, and chaotic development stages. At late stage, the RTI induces a very complicated topology structure of the interface, and an abundance of dissociative drops are also observed in the system. The bubble and spike velocities at late stage are unstable and their values have exceeded the predictions of the potential flow theory [V. N. Goncharov, Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 134502 (2002)]. The acceleration of the bubble front is also measured and it is found that the normalized acceleration at late time fluctuates around a constant value of 0.16. When the Reynolds number is reduced to small values, some later stages cannot be reached sequentially. The interface becomes relatively smoothed and the bubble velocity at late time is approximate to a constant value, which coincides with the results of the extended Layzer model [S.-I. Sohn, Phys. Rev. E 80, 055302(R) (2009)] and the modified potential theory [R. Banerjee, L. Mandal, S. Roy, M. Khan, and M. R. Guptae, Phys. Plasmas 18, 022109 (2011)]. In our simulations, the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) parallel computing is also used to relieve the massive computational cost.

Single Droplet on Micro Square-Post Patterned Surfaces - Theoretical Model and Numerical Simulation

In this study, the wetting behaviors of single droplet on a micro square-post patterned surface with different geometrical parameters are investigated theoretically and numerically. A theoretical model is proposed for the prediction of wetting transition from the Cassie to Wenzel regimes. In addition, due to the limitation of theoretical method, a numerical simulation is performed, which helps get a view of dynamic contact lines, detailed velocity fields, etc., even if the droplet size is comparable with the scale of the surface micro-structures. It is found that the numerical results of the liquid drop behaviours on the square-post patterned surface are in good agreement with the predicted values by the theoretical model.

Lattice Boltzmann modeling of three-phase incompressible flows

In this paper, based on multicomponent phase-field theory we intend to develop an efficient lattice Boltzmann (LB) model for simulating three-phase incompressible flows. In this model, two LB equations are used to capture the interfaces among three different fluids, and another LB equation is adopted to solve the flow field, where a new distribution function for the forcing term is delicately designed. Different from previous multiphase LB models, the interfacial force is not used in the computation of fluid velocity, which is more reasonable from the perspective of the multiscale analysis. As a result, the computation of fluid velocity can be much simpler. Through the Chapman-Enskog analysis, it is shown that the present model can recover exactly the physical formulations for the three-phase system. Numerical simulations of extensive examples including two circular interfaces, ternary spinodal decomposition, spreading of a liquid lens, and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability are conducted to test the model. It is found that the present model can capture accurate interfaces among three different fluids, which is attributed to its algebraical and dynamical consistency properties with the two-component model. Furthermore, the numerical results of three-phase flows agree well with the theoretical results or some available data, which demonstrates that the present LB model is a reliable and efficient method for simulating three-phase flow problems.

Phase-field-based lattice Boltzmann model for axisymmetric multiphase flows

In this paper, a phase-field-based lattice Boltzmann (LB) model is proposed for axisymmetric multiphase flows. Modified equilibrium distribution functions and some source terms are properly added into the evolution equations such that multiphase flows in the axisymmetric coordinate system can be described. Different from previous axisymmetric LB multiphase models, the added source terms that arise from the axisymmetric effect contain no additional gradients, and therefore the present model is much simpler. Furthermore, through the Chapmann-Enskog analysis, the axisymmetric Chan-Hilliard equation and Navier-Stokes equations can be exactly derived from the present model. The model is also able to deal with flows with density contrast. A variety of numerical experiments, including planar and curve interfaces, an elongation field, a static droplet, a droplet oscillation, breakup of a liquid thread, and dripping of a liquid droplet under gravity, have been conducted to test the proposed model. It is found that the present model can capture accurate interface and the numerical results of multiphase flows also agree well with the analytical solutions and/or available experimental data.

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.

Pattern formation in liquid-vapor systems under periodic potential and shear

In this paper the phase behavior and pattern formation in a sheared nonideal fluid under a periodic potential is studied. An isothermal two-dimensional formulation of a lattice Boltzmann scheme for a liquid-vapor system with the van der Waals equation of state is presented and validated. Shear is applied by moving walls and the periodic potential varies along the flow direction. A region of the parameter space, where in the absence of flow a striped phase with oscillating density is stable, will be considered. At low shear rates the periodic patterns are preserved and slightly distorted by the flow. At high shear rates the striped phase loses its stability and traveling waves on the interface between the liquid and vapor regions are observed. These waves spread over the whole system with wavelength only depending on the length of the system. Velocity field patterns, characterized by a single vortex, will also be shown.

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.

Extended lattice Boltzmann method for numerical simulation of thermal phase change in two-phase fluid flow

In this article, a method based on the multiphase lattice Boltzmann framework is presented which is applicable to liquid-vapor phase-change phenomena. Both liquid and vapor phases are assumed to be incompressible. For phase changes occurring at the phase interface, the divergence-free condition of the velocity field is no longer satisfied due to the gas volume generated by vaporization or fluid volume generated by condensation. Thus, we extend a previous model by a suitable equation to account for the finite divergence of the velocity field within the interface region. Furthermore, the convective Cahn-Hilliard equation is extended to take into account vaporization effects. In a first step, a D1Q3 LB model is constructed and validated against the analytical solution of a one-dimensional Stefan problem for different density ratios. Finally the model is extended to two dimensions (D2Q9) to simulate droplet evaporation. We demonstrate that the results obtained by this approach are in good agreement with theory.

Evaluation of outflow boundary conditions for two-phase lattice Boltzmann equation

Outflow boundary condition (OBC) is a critical issue in computational fluid dynamics. As a type of numerical method for fluid flows, the lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE) method has gained much success in a variety of complex flows, and certain OBCs have been suggested for the LBE in simulating simple single-phase flows. However, very few discussions on the OBCs have been made for the two-phase LBE method. In this work, three types of OBCs that are widely used in the LBE for single-phase flows, i.e., the Neumann boundary condition, the convective boundary condition, and the extrapolation boundary condition, are extended to a two-phase LBE method and their performances are investigated. The comprehensive results of several two-phase flows show that these boundary conditions behave quite differently in the simulations of two-phase flows. Specifically, it is found that the Neumann boundary condition and the extrapolation boundary condition give rather poor predictions, while the type of convective boundary conditions work well, although the choice of the convection velocity has some slight influences on the results. We also apply these OBC schemes to some other two-phase models, and similar observations are found.

Phase-field-based lattice Boltzmann model for incompressible binary fluid systems with density and viscosity contrasts

A lattice Boltzmann model (LBM) is proposed based on the phase-field theory to simulate incompressible binary fluids with density and viscosity contrasts. Unlike many existing diffuse interface models which are limited to density matched binary fluids, the proposed model is capable of dealing with binary fluids with moderate density ratios. A new strategy for projecting the phase field to the viscosity field is proposed on the basis of the continuity of viscosity flux. The new LBM utilizes two lattice Boltzmann equations (LBEs): one for the interface tracking and the other for solving the hydrodynamic properties. The LBE for interface tracking can recover the Chan-Hilliard equation without any additional terms; while the LBE for hydrodynamic properties can recover the exact form of the divergence-free incompressible Navier-Stokes equations avoiding spurious interfacial forces. A series of 2D and 3D benchmark tests have been conducted for validation, which include a rigid-body rotation, stationary and moving droplets, a spinodal decomposition, a buoyancy-driven bubbly flow, a layered Poiseuille flow, and the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. It is shown that the proposed method can track the interface with high accuracy and stability and can significantly and systematically reduce the parasitic current across the interface. Comparisons with momentum-based models indicate that the newly proposed velocity-based model can better satisfy the incompressible condition in the flow fields, and eliminate or reduce the velocity fluctuations in the higher-pressure-gradient region and, therefore, achieve a better numerical stability. In addition, the test of a layered Poiseuille flow demonstrates that the proposed scheme for mixture viscosity performs significantly better than the traditional mixture viscosity methods.

Phase-field-based lattice Boltzmann finite-difference model for simulating thermocapillary flows

A phase-field-based hybrid model that combines the lattice Boltzmann method with the finite difference method is proposed for simulating immiscible thermocapillary flows with variable fluid-property ratios. Using a phase field methodology, an interfacial force formula is analytically derived to model the interfacial tension force and the Marangoni stress. We present an improved lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE) method to capture the interface between different phases and solve the pressure and velocity fields, which can recover the correct Cahn-Hilliard equation (CHE) and Navier-Stokes equations. The LBE method allows not only use of variable mobility in the CHE, but also simulation of multiphase flows with high density ratio because a stable discretization scheme is used for calculating the derivative terms in forcing terms. An additional convection-diffusion equation is solved by the finite difference method for spatial discretization and the Runge-Kutta method for time marching to obtain the temperature field, which is coupled to the interfacial tension through an equation of state. The model is first validated against analytical solutions for the thermocapillary driven convection in two superimposed fluids at negligibly small Reynolds and Marangoni numbers. It is then used to simulate thermocapillary migration of a three-dimensional deformable droplet and bubble at various Marangoni numbers and density ratios, and satisfactory agreement is obtained between numerical results and theoretical predictions.

Forcing scheme in pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann model for multiphase flows

The pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann (LB) model is a widely used multiphase model in the LB community. In this model, an interaction force, which is usually implemented via a forcing scheme, is employed to mimic the molecular interactions that cause phase segregation. The forcing scheme is therefore expected to play an important role in the pseudoepotential LB model. In this paper, we aim to address some key issues about forcing schemes in the pseudopotential LB model. First, theoretical and numerical analyses will be made for Shan-Chen's forcing scheme [Shan and Chen, Phys. Rev. E 47, 1815 (1993)] and the exact-difference-method forcing scheme [Kupershtokh et al., Comput. Math. Appl. 58, 965 (2009)]. The nature of these two schemes and their recovered macroscopic equations will be shown. Second, through a theoretical analysis, we will reveal the physics behind the phenomenon that different forcing schemes exhibit different performances in the pseudopotential LB model. Moreover, based on the analysis, we will present an improved forcing scheme and numerically demonstrate that the improved scheme can be treated as an alternative approach to achieving thermodynamic consistency in the pseudopotential LB model.