Santosh Ansumali

Minimal entropic kinetic models for hydrodynamics

We derive minimal discrete models of the Boltzmann equation consistent with equilibrium thermodynamics, and which recover correct hydrodynamics in arbitrary dimensions. A new discrete velocity model is proposed for the simulation of the Navier-Stokes-Fourier equation and is tested in the setup of Taylor vortex flow. A simple analytical procedure for constructing the equilibrium for thermal hydrodynamics is established. For the lattice Boltzmann method of isothermal hydrodynamics, the explicit analytical form of the equilibrium distribution is presented. This results in an entropic version of the isothermal lattice Boltzmann method with the simplicity and computational efficiency of the standard lattice Boltzmann model.

Hydrodynamics beyond Navier-Stokes: Exact solution to the lattice Boltzmann hierarchy

The exact solution to the hierarchy of nonlinear lattice Boltzmann (LB) kinetic equations in the stationary planar Couette flow is found at nonvanishing Knudsen numbers. A new method of solving LB kinetic equations which combines the method of moments with boundary conditions for populations enables us to derive closed-form solutions for all higher-order moments. A convergence of results suggests that the LB hierarchy with larger velocity sets is the novel way to approximate kinetic theory.

Entropy function approach to the Lattice Boltzmann method

In this paper, we present the construction of the Lattice Boltzmann method equipped with the H-theorem. Based on entropy functions whose local equilibria are suitable to recover the Navier–Stokes equations in the framework of the Lattice Boltzmann method, we derive a collision integral which enables simple identification of transport coefficients, and which circumvents construction of the equilibrium. We discuss performance of this approach as compared to the standard realizations.

Entropic lattice Boltzmann method for microflows

A new method for the computation of flows at the micrometer scale is presented. It is based on the recently introduced minimal entropic kinetic models. Both the thermal and isothermal families of minimal models are presented, and the simplest isothermal entropic lattice Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook (ELBGK) is studied in detail in order to quantify its relevance for microflow simulations. ELBGK is equipped with boundary conditions which are derived from molecular models (diffusive wall). A map of three-dimensional kinetic equations onto two-dimensional models is established which enables two-dimensional simulations of quasi-two-dimensional flows. The ELBGK model is studied extensively in the simulation of the two-dimensional Poiseuille channel flow. Results are compared to known analytical and numerical studies of this flow in the setting of the Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook model. The ELBGK is in quantitative agreement with analytical results in the domain of weak rarefaction (characterized by Knudsen number Kn, the ratio of mean free path to the hydrodynamic scale), up to Kn∼0.01, which is the domain of many practical microflows. Moreover, the results qualitatively agree throughout the entire Knudsen number range, demonstrating Knudsens minimum for the mass flow rate at moderate values of Kn, as well as the logarithmic scaling at large Kn. The present results indicate that ELBM can complement or even replace computationally expensive microscopic simulation techniques such as kinetic Monte Carlo and/or molecular dynamics for low Mach and low Knudsen number hydrodynamics pertinent to microflows.

Consistent Lattice Boltzmann Method

Lack of energy conservation in lattice Boltzmann models leads to unrealistically high values of the bulk viscosity. For this reason, the lattice Boltzmann method remains a computational tool rather than a model of a fluid. A novel lattice Boltzmann model with energy conservation is derived from Boltzmanns kinetic theory. Simulations demonstrate that the new lattice Boltzmann model is the valid approximation of the Boltzmann equation for weakly compressible flows and microflows.

Kinetic theory of turbulence modeling: smallness parameter, scaling and microscopic derivation of Smagorinsky model

A mean-field approach (filtering out subgrid scales) is applied to the Boltzmann equation in order to derive a subgrid turbulence model based on kinetic theory. It is demonstrated that the only Smagorinsky type model which survives in the hydrodynamic limit on the viscosity time scale is the so-called tensor-diffusivity model. Scaling of the filter-width with Reynolds number and Knudsen number is established. This sets the first rigorous step in deriving turbulence models from kinetic theory.

Short note: Isotropic discrete Laplacian operators from lattice hydrodynamics

We show that discrete schemes developed for lattice hydrodynamics provide an elegant and physically transparent way of deriving Laplacians with isotropic discretisation error. Isotropy is guaranteed whenever the Laplacian weights follow from the discrete Maxwell-Boltzmann equilibrium since these are, by construction, isotropic on the lattice. We also point out that stencils using as few as 15 points in three dimensions, generate isotropic Laplacians. These computationally efficient Laplacians can be used in cell-dynamical and hybrid lattice Boltzmann simulations, in favor of popular anisotropic Laplacians, which make use of larger stencils. The method can be extended to provide discretisations of higher order and for other differential operators, such the gradient, divergence and curl.

ENTROPIC LATTICE BOLTZMANN SIMULATION OF THE FLOW PAST SQUARE CYLINDER

Minimal Boltzmann kinetic models, such as lattice Boltzmann, are often used as an alternative to the discretization of the Navier–Stokes equations for hydrodynamic simulations. Recently, it was argued that modeling sub-grid scale phenomena at the kinetic level might provide an efficient tool for large scale simulations. Indeed, a particular variant of this approach, known as the entropic lattice Boltzmann method (ELBM), has shown that an efficient coarse-grained simulation of decaying turbulence is possible using these approaches. The present work investigates the efficiency of the entropic lattice Boltzmann in describing flows of engineering interest. In order to do so, we have chosen the flow past a square cylinder, which is a simple model of such flows. We will show that ELBM can quantitatively capture the variation of vortex shedding frequency as a function of Reynolds number in the low as well as the high Reynolds number regime, without any need for explicit sub-grid scale modeling. This extends the previous studies for this set-up, where experimental behavior ranging from Re~O(10) to Re≤1000 was predicted by a single simulation algorithm.1–5

Entropic lattice Boltzmann method for simulation of thermal flows

A new thermal entropic lattice Boltzmann model on the standard two-dimensional nine-velocity lattice is introduced for simulation of weakly compressible flows. The new model covers a wider range of flows than the standard isothermal model on the same lattice, and is computationally efficient and stable.

Lattice differential operators for computational physics

We present a general scheme to derive lattice differential operators from the discrete velocities and associated Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions used in lattice hydrodynamics. Such discretizations offer built-in isotropy and lend themselves to recursive techniques to enhance the convergence order. The result is a simple and elegant procedure to derive isotropic and accurate discretizations of differential operators of general applicability across a broad range of problems in computational physics. We show the usefulness of this approach by providing examples from hydrodynamics and electrodynamics.