Consistent and conservative lattice Boltzmann method for axisymmetric multiphase electrohydrodynamic flows

Abstract

In this work, we first develop a consistent and conservative mathematical model to study multiphase electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flows, including the reduction-consistent and conservative Allen-Cahn equation for the multiphase field, the Laplace equation for the electric potential, and the consistent and conservative Navier–Stokes equations for the flow field. Owing to the reduction-consistent property, the present model can be used to handle a set of M (1≤M≤N) EHD fluids in N-phase system. Then a two-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann (LB) method is proposed for axisymmetric multiphase EHD flows, which can correctly recover the axisymmetric governing equations through the direct Taylor expansion analysis. To test the capacity of the LB method, the deformations of a single two-phase droplet and a ternary-phase compound droplet under a uniform electric field are considered. It is found that different from a single droplet with two deformation modes, the compound droplet has four deformation modes, and additionally, the effects of the electric strength, the conductivity ratio and the permittivity ratio on the compound droplet are also investigated. Finally, the compound droplet in the quaternary-phase system is also explored, and there are eight deformation modes that have not been reported in the available literature.