Improved forcing scheme in pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann methods for multiphase flow at arbitrarily high density...

Area of Science:

• Computational fluid dynamics
• Multiphase flow simulation
• Statistical mechanics

Background:

• The pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann method is a common tool for multiphase flow simulations.
• Existing methods struggle to accurately reproduce high density ratios and surface tension.
• These limitations hinder the simulation of realistic multiphase systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel forcing scheme for the pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann method.
• To enable accurate simulation of multiphase flows across a wide range of density ratios and surface tension values.
• To allow for independent control over density ratio, surface tension, and interface width.

Main Methods:

• Derivation of a higher-order analysis for a general forcing term.
• Construction of a new forcing scheme tailored for the pseudopotential method.
• Numerical simulations to validate the proposed scheme's performance.

Main Results:

• The proposed scheme accurately reproduces the full range of coexistence curves.
• Simulations of multiphase flow with arbitrarily high density ratios, independent of surface tension, are now possible.
• The interface width can be tuned for grid refinement and error reduction.

Conclusions:

• The developed forcing scheme overcomes limitations of existing pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann methods.
• It provides independent control over density ratio, surface tension, and interface width.
• This advancement facilitates more accurate and versatile multiphase flow simulations.