Curvature estimation from a volume-of-fluid indicator function for the simulation of surface tension and wetting with a free-surface lattice Boltzmann method

Bogner S, Rüde U, Harting J (2016)


Publication Language: English

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2016

Journal

Book Volume: 93

Pages Range: 1-16

Article Number: 043302

Journal Issue: 4

URI: http://journals.aps.org/pre/pdf/10.1103/PhysRevE.93.043302

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.93.043302

Open Access Link: http://journals.aps.org/pre/pdf/10.1103/PhysRevE.93.043302

Abstract

The free surface lattice Boltzmann method (FSLBM) is a combination of the hydrodynamic lattice Boltzmann method with a volume-of-fluid (VOF) interface capturing technique for the simulation of incompressible free surface flows. Capillary effects are modeled by extracting the curvature of the interface from the VOF indicator function and imposing a pressure jump at the free boundary. However, obtaining accurate curvature estimates from a VOF description can introduce significant errors. This article reports numerical results for three different surface tension models in standard test cases and compares the according errors in the velocity field (spurious currents). Furthermore, the FSLBM is shown to be suited to simulate wetting effects at solid boundaries. To this end, a new method is developed to represent wetting boundary conditions in a least-squares curvature reconstruction technique. The main limitations of the current FSLBM are analyzed and are found to be caused by its simplified advection scheme. Possible improvements are suggested.

Authors with CRIS profile

Additional Organisation(s)

How to cite

APA:

Bogner, S., Rüde, U., & Harting, J. (2016). Curvature estimation from a volume-of-fluid indicator function for the simulation of surface tension and wetting with a free-surface lattice Boltzmann method. Physical Review E, 93(4), 1-16. https://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.93.043302

MLA:

Bogner, Simon, Ulrich Rüde, and Jens Harting. "Curvature estimation from a volume-of-fluid indicator function for the simulation of surface tension and wetting with a free-surface lattice Boltzmann method." Physical Review E 93.4 (2016): 1-16.

BibTeX: Download