Local volume-conserving lattice Boltzmann model for incompressible multiphase flows

TL;DR

This paper introduces a modified Cahn-Hilliard equation combined with a lattice Boltzmann model to improve local volume conservation and interface accuracy in simulating incompressible multiphase flows.

Contribution

It presents a novel volume-conserving lattice Boltzmann model based on a modified Cahn-Hilliard equation, enhancing interface capturing and phase volume preservation.

Findings

Superior volume conservation in simulations

Accurate interface morphology representation

Effective handling of small droplets

Abstract

The Cahn-Hilliard (C-H) equation, as a classical diffusion-interface method of phase-field, has been extensively employed for simulating two-phase fluid dynamics. However, it suffers from a key challenge in the simulation process, specifically the volume conservation of each phase cannot be guaranteed. To address this issue, in this paper, a modified C-H equation for two-phase flow modeling is first introduced, and the basic idea of this model lies in that it combines the profile correction method with the level-set approach, and thus, it effectively improves the deficiency of the classical C-H equation in terms of volume non-conservation of each phase. Based on this modified C-H equation, we further propose an accurate interface-capturing lattice Boltzmann (LB) model. After that, we perform a range of numerical simulations, including two stationary droplets immersed in the gas phase, single vortex, Rayleigh-Plateau fluid instability, and droplet deformation under a shear flow. These simulations illustrate that the proposed LB model has superior performance in maintaining local volume conservation and accurately capturing interfaces. More importantly, compared to the LB model derived from the classical C-H equation, it not only achieves more precise volume conservation for each phase but also provides a more consistent representation of the droplet's interface morphology more consistently, especially in dealing with small droplet problems.