Lattice Gas Simulations of One and Two-Phase Fluid Flows Using the Connection Machine-2

Abstract

In this paper, we report recent lattice gas simulations for single-phase and two-phase flows for two dimensional problems using the Connection Machine-2. For the single-phase fluid problem, we use the standard 7-bit lattice gas model with the maximum collision rules. The velocity and vorticity field of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is studied. It is shown that the lattice gas method preserves the main properties of the flow patterns observed in other numerical simulations. Using colored particles and holes, the lattice gas method is extended to simulate immiscible fluids with adjustable surface tension, using a purely local collision scheme. The locality of this model allows us to implement a very fast and parallel algorithm on the Connection Machine-2. Because this new model correctly describes short-range particle-particle interactions between liquids and also particle-solid interactions between the fluid and the wall, cohesion and wettability can be simulated. Applications of the current model to several physical systems including spinodal decomposition, Rayleigh-Taylor flows and wettability in two-phase flows through porous media are discussed. 15 refs., 10 figs.