Differential quadrature lattice Boltzmann method for simulating fluid flows

Abstract

In this study, a novel method for simulating incompressible flows using the lattice Boltzmann method is presented, aiming to improve robustness. This method is enhanced by the Qadyan numerical method. In the Qadyan method, Partial differential equations are solved using semi-discrete schemes combined with the differential quadrature method. To discretize the spatial derivatives of the lattice Boltzmann equation, the upwind differential quadrature method is employed, while the first-order forward difference scheme and/or fourth-order Runge-Kutta method handle the temporal term. The decision to exclude more complex methods stems from their requirement for refined computational grids. This work focuses on achievable results with similar types of uniform grids. The proposed scheme introduces and evaluates a novel method for solving both steady and unsteady problems. The present numerical method is validated by solving five benchmark problems, including heat diffusion on a slab, Stokes’ first problem, Taylor-Green vortex flow, flow around a flat plate, and flow in a lid-driven cavity. Reasonable agreements are obtained between the solutions obtained using this method and those from analytical/other numerical approaches. The Qadyan formulation delivers more accurate results compared to the finite-difference lattice Boltzmann method, (FDLBM), without requiring an increase in the number of grids. Notably, the novel Qadyan method achieves this increased accuracy without introducing additional complexity to the standard lattice Boltzmann method or resorting to non-uniform grids. This is possible due to the nature of the differential quadrature method, which utilizes more combinations of candidate stencils. The Qadyan method has a higher computational cost in comparison with the FDLBM.