A LBM–DEM solver for fast discrete particle simulation of particle–fluid flows

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for simulating fluid phases was coupled with the discrete element method (DEM) for studying solid phases to formulate a novel solver for fast discrete particle simulation (DPS) of particle–fluid flows. The fluid hydrodynamics was obtained by solving LBM equations instead of solving the Navier–Stokes equation by the finite volume method (FVM). Interparticle and particle–wall collisions were determined by DEM. The new DPS solver was validated by simulating a three-dimensional gas–solid bubbling fluidized bed. The new solver was found to yield results faster than its FVM–DEM counterpart, with the increase in the domain-averaged gas volume fraction. Additionally, the scalability of the LBM–DEM DPS solver was superior to that of the FVM–DEM DPS solver in parallel computing. Thus, the LBM–DEM DPS solver is highly suitable for use in simulating dilute and large-scale particle–fluid flows.     

不同壁面绕流特性的格子Boltzmann模拟研究

为了探讨不同壁面的绕流特性,针对粘性流场中,不同壁面诱导的涡脱落现象以及升阻力系数等流场特性进行了格子Boltzmann数值研究。利用基于分子动理论的格子Boltzmann方法(LBM)求解Navier-Stokes方程,实现对流体运动的描述,针对不同的壁面条件,分别采用不同的格子Boltzmann流-固壁面处理方法。采用Half-way反弹边界条件来处理平直壁面,而曲壁面则采用LBM与有限差分法相结合的形式进行处理,计入了壁面与标准网格不重合对结果造成的影响。开发相应的计算程序,计算结果与已发表文献结果吻合良好,验证了数值模型的正确性。同时,探讨了进出口边界与钝体中心的距离对结果的影响。对比分析了不同壁面的绕流模型中升阻力系数、斯托罗哈数和涡量云图等,并进一步研究了雷诺数条件的影响。结果表明,不同壁面的绕流特性具有明显差异,且同时受雷诺数的显著影响;一般地,平直壁面对于来流作出的响应更迅速。     

Lattice Boltzmann method for simulating particle–fluid interactions

The lattice Boltzmann method （LBM） has gained increasing popularity in the last two decades as an alternative numerical approach for solving fluid flow problems. One of the most active research areas in the LBM is its application in particle-fluid systems, where the advantage of the LBM in efficiency and parallel scalability has made it superior to many other direct numerical simulation （DNS） techniques. This article intends to provide a brief review of the application of the LBM in particle-fluid systems. The numerical techniques in the LBM pertaining to simulations of particles are discussed, with emphasis on the advanced treatment for boundary conditions on the particle-fluid interface. Other numerical issues, such as the effect of the internal fluid, are also briefly described. Additionally, recent efforts in using the LBM to obtain closures for particle-fluid drag force are also reviewed.     

Graph-Theoretical Method to the Existence of Stationary Distribution of Stochastic Coupled Systems

In this paper, by linking Fokker–Planck equations with stochastic coupled systems, a new method is provided to investigate the existence of a stationary distribution of stochastic coupled systems. Based on the graph theory and the Lyapunov method, an appropriate Lyapunov function associated with stationary Fokker–Planck equations is constructed. Moreover, a Lyapunov-type theorem and a coefficients-type criterion are obtained to guarantee the existence of a stationary distribution. Furthermore, theoretical results are applied to explore the existence of a stationary distribution of stochastic predator–prey models with dispersal and a sufficient criterion is presented correspondingly. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of our results.     

Unstructured lattice Boltzmann method in three dimensions

Over the last decade, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) has evolved into a valuable alternative to continuum computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods for the numerical simulation of several complex fluid‐dynamic problems. Recent advances in lattice Boltzmann research have considerably extended the capability of LBM to handle complex geometries. Among these, a particularly remarkable option is represented by cell‐vertex finite‐volume formulations which permit LBM to operate on fully unstructured grids. The two‐dimensional implementation of unstructured LBM, based on the use of triangular elements, has shown capability of tolerating significant grid distortions without suffering any appreciable numerical viscosity effects, to second‐order in the mesh size. In this work, we present the first three‐dimensional generalization of the unstructured lattice Boltzmann technique (ULBE as unstructured lattice Boltzmann equation), in which geometrical flexibility is achieved by coarse‐graining the lattice Boltzmann equation in differential form, using tetrahedrical grids. This 3D extension is demonstrated for the case of 3D pipe flow and moderate Reynolds numbers flow past a sphere. The results provide evidence that the ULBE has significant potential for the accurate calculation of flows in complex 3D geometries. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Implicit–explicit finite‐difference lattice Boltzmann method with viscid compressible model for gas oscillating patterns in a resonator

Difficulties for the conventional computational fluid dynamics and the standard lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to study the gas oscillating patterns in a resonator have been discussed. In light of the recent progresses in the LBM world, we are now able to deal with the compressibility and non‐linear shock wave effects in the resonator. A lattice Boltzmann model for viscid compressible flows is introduced firstly. Then, the Boltzmann equation with the Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook approximation is solved by the finite‐difference method with a third‐order implicit–explicit (IMEX) Runge–Kutta scheme for time discretization, and a fifth‐order weighted essentially non‐oscillatory (WENO) scheme for space discretization. Numerical results obtained in this study agree quantitatively with both experimental data available and those using conventional numerical methods. Moreover, with the IMEX finite‐difference LBM (FDLBM), the computational convergence rate can be significantly improved compared with the previous FDLBM and standard LBM. This study can also be applied for simulating some more complex phenomena in a thermoacoustics engine. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A hybrid phase field multiple relaxation time lattice Boltzmann method for the incompressible multiphase flow with large density contrast

A hybrid phase field multiple relaxation time lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is presented in this paper for simulation of multiphase flows with large density contrast. In the present method, the flow field is solved by a lattice Boltzmann equation. Concurrently, the interface of two fluids is captured by solving the macroscopic Cahn‐Hilliard equation using the upwind scheme. To be specific, for simulation of the flow field, an lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE) model developed in Shao et al. (Physical Review E, 89 (2014), 033309) for consideration of density contrast in the momentum equation is used. Moreover, in the present work, the multiple relaxation time collision operator is applied to this LBE to enable simulation of problems with large viscosity contrast or high Reynolds number. For the interface capturing, instead of solving another set of LBE as in many phase field LBMs, the macroscopic Cahn‐Hilliard equation is directly solved by using a weighted essentially non‐oscillatory scheme. In this way, the present hybrid phase field LBM shares full advantages of the phase field LBM while enhancing numerical stability. The ability of the present method to simulate multiphase flow problems with large density contrast is demonstrated by several numerical examples. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of the lattice‐Boltzmann method to study flow and dispersion in channels with and without expansion and contraction geometry

The lattice‐Boltzmann (LB) method, derived from lattice gas automata, is a relatively new technique for studying transport problems. The LB method is investigated for its accuracy to study fluid dynamics and dispersion problems. Two problems of relevance to flow and dispersion in porous media are addressed: (i) Poiseuille flow between parallel plates (which is analogous to flow in pore throats in two‐dimensional porous networks), and (ii) flow through an expansion–contraction geometry (which is analogous to flow in pore bodies in two‐dimensional porous networks). The results obtained from the LB simulations are compared with analytical solutions when available, and with solutions obtained from a finite element code (FIDAP) when analytical results are not available. Excellent agreement is found between the LB results and the analytical/FIDAP solutions in most cases, indicating the utility of the lattice‐Boltzmann method for solving fluid dynamics and dispersion problems. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new family of solvers for some classes of multidimensional partial differential equations encountered in kinetic theory modeling of complex fluids

Kinetic theory models involving the Fokker–Planck equation can be accurately discretized using a mesh support (finite elements, finite differences, finite volumes, spectral techniques, etc.). However, these techniques involve a high number of approximation functions. In the finite element framework, widely used in complex flow simulations, each approximation function is related to a node that defines the associated degree of freedom. When the model involves high dimensional spaces (including physical and conformation spaces and time), standard discretization techniques fail due to an excessive computation time required to perform accurate numerical simulations. One appealing strategy that allows circumventing this limitation is based on the use of reduced approximation basis within an adaptive procedure making use of an efficient separation of variables.     

Simulation of three‐dimensional flows over moving objects by an improved immersed boundary–lattice Boltzmann method

An improved immersed boundary–lattice Boltzmann method (IB–LBM) developed recently [28] was applied in this work to simulate three‐dimensional (3D) flows over moving objects. By enforcing the non‐slip boundary condition, the method could avoid any flow penetration to the wall. In the developed IB–LBM solver, the flow field is obtained on the non‐uniform mesh by the efficient LBM that is based on the second‐order one‐dimensional interpolation. As a consequence, its coefficients could be computed simply. By simulating flows over a stationary sphere and torus [28] accurately and efficiently, the proposed IB–LBM showed its ability to handle 3D flow problems with curved boundaries. In this paper, we further applied this method to simulate 3D flows around moving boundaries. As a first example, the flow over a rotating sphere was simulated. The obtained results agreed very well with the previous data in the literature. Then, simulation of flow over a rotating torus was conducted. The capability of the improved IB–LBM for solving 3D flows over moving objects with complex geometries was demonstrated via the simulations of fish swimming and dragonfly flight. The numerical results displayed quantitative and qualitative agreement with the date in the literature. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling the growth rate of a tracer gradient using stochastic differential equations

We develop a model in two dimensions to characterise the growth rate of a tracer gradient mixed by a statistically homogeneous flow that varies on arbitrary timescales. The model is based on the orientation dynamics of the passive-tracer gradient with respect to the straining (compressive) direction of the flow, and involves reducing the dynamics to a set of stochastic differential equations. The statistical properties of the system emerge from solving the associated Fokker–Planck equation. Within the model framework, the tracer gradient aligns with the compressive direction when the mean effective rotation in the flow is zero. At finite values of rotation, the tracer gradient aligns with a different direction, but the mean growth rate of the gradient is positive in all cases. In a certain limiting case, namely temporally decorrelated (rapidly varying) flows, exact, analytical expressions exist for the mean growth rate. Using numerical simulations, we assess the extent to which our model applies to real mixing protocols, and map the stochastic parameters on to flow parameters.     

A new cross-scaling method to deal with the porous flow problem

The finite volume method (FVM) and the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) are coupled with each other to construct a new cross-scaling method to deal with the porous flow problem. To check the effectiveness of our developed cross-scaling LBM—FVM, the above mentioned problem is also solved by the well known LBM—LBM. Based on the data checking of the published data and the results of LBM—FVM and LBM—LBM, good agreement is observed.     

基于格子-波尔兹曼法的流体能耗求解

格子-波尔兹曼法是近年来新兴的一种计算流体力学数值方法。随着这种方法的不断发展,人们将它用于流体的仿真、优化等不同场合。与此同时,一些与流场流速和压强相关的物理量(如能耗)的求解也成为关注的焦点。本文介绍了能耗这一流体宏观量的格子-波尔兹曼法求解及其实现。与传统的有限差分法不同,本文在求解有关的速度梯度时使用了格子-波尔兹曼-矩法,这种方法不但能够避免有限差分法在边界处失效的缺点,而且计算简单,算法局部性好,适合大规模并行计算。本文在分析其数值解精度的基础上,使用这种方法进行了以能耗极小为目标的直通道内椭圆挡块的参数优化。这些分析和算例分别定量和定性地说明了本文算法的准确性。     

Kinetic theory of stellar systems, two-dimensional vortices and HMF model

We discuss the kinetic theories of stellar systems, two-dimensional vortices and Hamiltonian mean field model, stressing their analogies and differences. We describe the evolution of the system as a whole and discuss the timescale of relaxation towards the Boltzmann distribution predicted by statistical mechanics. We also consider the relaxation of a “test” particle in a bath of “field” particles and analyze it with the aid of a Fokker–Planck equation involving a term of diffusion counterbalanced by a friction or a drift.     

Lattice Boltzmann modeling of shallow water flows over discontinuous beds

Numerical modeling of shallow water flows over discontinuous beds is presented. The flows are described with the shallow water equations and the equations are solved using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) with single relaxation time (Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook‐LBM (BGK‐LBM)) and the multiple relaxation time (MRT‐LBM). The weighted centered scheme for force term together with the bed height for a bed slope is described to improve simulation of flows over discontinuous bed. Furthermore, the resistance stress is added to include the local head loss caused by flow over a step. Four test cases, one‐dimensional tidal over regular bed and steps, dam‐break flows, and two‐dimensional shallow water flow over a square block, are considered to verify the present method. Agreements between predictions and analytical solutions are satisfactory. Furthermore, the performance and CPU cost time of BGK‐LBM and MRT‐LBM are compared and studied. The results have shown that the lattice Boltzmann method is simple and accurate for simulating shallow water flows over discontinuous beds. This demonstrates the capability and applicability of the lattice Boltzmann method in modeling shallow water flows on bed topography with a discontinuity in practical hydraulic engineering. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical study of the properties of the central moment lattice Boltzmann method

Central moment lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is one of the more recent developments among the lattice kinetic schemes for computational fluid dynamics. A key element in this approach is the use of central moments to specify the collision process and forcing, and thereby naturally maintaining Galilean invariance, an important characteristic of fluid flows. When the different central moments are relaxed at different rates like in a standard multiple relaxation time (MRT) formulation based on raw moments, it is endowed with a number of desirable physical and numerical features. Because the collision operator exhibits a cascaded structure, this approach is also known as the cascaded LBM. While the cascaded LBM has been developed sometime ago, a systematic study of its numerical properties, such as the accuracy, grid convergence, and stability for well‐defined canonical problems is lacking, and the present work is intended to fulfill this need. We perform a quantitative study of the performance of the cascaded LBM for a set of benchmark problems of differing complexity, viz., Poiseuille flow, decaying Taylor–Green vortex flow, and lid‐driven cavity flow. We first establish its grid convergence and demonstrate second‐order accuracy under diffusive scaling for both the velocity field and its derivatives, that is, the components of the strain rate tensor, as well. The method is shown to quantitatively reproduce steady/unsteady analytical solutions or other numerical results with excellent accuracy. The cascaded MRT LBM based on the central moments is found to be of similar accuracy when compared with the standard MRT LBM based on the raw moments, when a detailed comparison of the flow fields are made, with both reproducing even the small scale vortical features well. Numerical experiments further demonstrate that the central moment MRT LBM results in significant stability improvements when compared with certain existing collision models at moderate additional computational cost. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

悬浮颗粒运动的格子Boltzmann数值模拟

将固体颗粒的牛顿力学和格子Boltzmann方法相结合,研究不规则形状悬浮颗粒在流场中的运动。通过受力分析,精确求得其所受合力、合力矩、合力作用中心等。提出了跟随颗粒运动的动网格计算域技术和模拟悬浮颗粒转动运动的局部数组方法及Euler-Lagrange两套坐标技术。通过对椭圆颗粒运动的数值模拟和对照他人对矩形颗粒的研究,分析了其复杂运动规律,并提供了合理的物理解释。结果表明:运用格子Boltzmann方法和上述特殊技术可以得到与有限元方法相同的模拟精度,且具有计算速度快、对复杂形状边界处理方便灵活、程序简单及特别适合大规模并行计算等优点。     

Karhunen–Loève Galerkin method with decimated sampling technique for the simulation of complex fluids defined in the phase space

In complex fluids, solute molecules with structural length scales much larger than atomic are dispersed in solvents of simple fluids such as water. The rheological properties of complex fluids are determined by dynamics of solute molecules which can be modeled by the Fokker–Planck equation defined in a six-dimensional phase space. In the present investigation, we devise a method of efficient simulation of complex fluid flows employing the Karhunen–Loève Galerkin (KLG) method. Adopting the decimated sampling of solvent flow fields, a reduced-order model for the Fokker–Planck equation is obtained, which can be employed for the the simulation of complex fluids with a decent computer time. As a specific example, we consider a flow of dilute polymeric liquids over a cylinder, whose constitutive equation is the FENE (finitely extensible nonlinear elastic) model. It is found that the KLG method with the decimated sampling technique yields accurate results at a computational cost less than a hundredth of that for the numerical simulation using the Fokker–Planck equation. The KLG method supplemented by the decimated sampling technique is an efficient method of coarse-graining for equations of complex fluids defined in the phase space.     

An implicit Lagrangian lattice Boltzmann method for the compressible flows

In this paper, we propose a new Lagrangian lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for simulating the compressible flows. The new scheme simulates fluid flows based on the displacement distribution functions. The compressible flows, such as shock waves and contact discontinuities are modelled by using Lagrangian LBM. In this model, we select the element in the Lagrangian coordinate to satisfy the basic fluid laws. This model is a simpler version than the corresponding Eulerian coordinates, because the convection term of the Euler equations disappears. The numerical simulations conform to classical results. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.