An Enthalpy-Based Unified Lattice Boltzmann Flux Solver for Liquid Solidification

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel enthalpy-based lattice Boltzmann flux solver that unifies the simulation of liquid solidification processes, effectively handling phase change, volume effects, and interface dynamics with improved simplicity and accuracy.

Contribution

It develops a unified lattice Boltzmann flux solver using finite volume discretization and enthalpy coupling, enhancing simulation of phase change with reduced complexity.

Findings

Successfully simulated various solidification scenarios

Demonstrated improved accuracy over traditional methods

Validated robustness through benchmark tests

Abstract

An enthalpy-based uniform lattice Boltzmann flux solver (EULBFS) is proposed in this paper for simulating liquid solidification, incorporating the effects of volume expansion and shrinkage caused by density differences between liquid and solid phases. The proposed solver first establishes the relationships between the macroscopic governing equations and mesoscopic formal equations that describe the temperature, flow, and phase fields. The macroscopic governing equations are then discretized by the finite volume method (FVM), with the corresponding fluxes calculated based on the established relationships. In this way, it enables a unified and coherent solution framework for all fields. In contrast to the conventional lattice Boltzmann methods, the present approach handles additional terms directly via finite volume discretization, offering a more straightforward and flexible formulation. Furthermore, the use of the total enthalpy equation to couple the temperature field with the phase fraction allows for efficient modeling of phase change processes, significantly reducing the computational complexity associated with interface tracking. The accuracy and robustness of the proposed solver are demonstrated by a series of benchmark tests, including the conductive freezing problem, the three-phase Stefan problem, the freezing of a liquid film in a two-dimensional container, the solidification of a static droplet on a cold surface, and the freezing of a droplet upon impact with a cold surface.