LBfoam: An open-source software package for the simulation of foaming using the Lattice Boltzmann Method

Abstract

This paper presents a 2D/3D Free Surface Lattice Boltzmann Method simulation package called LBfoam for the simulation of foaming processes. The model incorporates the essential physics of foaming phenomena: gas diffusion into nucleated bubbles, bubble dynamics and coalescence, surface tension, the stabilizing disjoining pressure between bubbles, and Newtonian and non-Newtonian rheological models. The software can simulate the growth and interaction of bubbles, and predict final foam structures. The implementation is based on the Palabos library (in C++), which enables large-scale parallel simulations. The software is freely available under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3. Program summaryProgram title:LBfoamCPC Library link to program files:https://doi.org/10.17632/zgxfx6xk4t.1Developer’s repository link:https://github.com/mehdiataei/LBfoamCode Ocean capsule:https://codeocean.com/capsule/8471850Licensing provisions: Affero General Public License (AGPL) v3Programming language: C++Nature of problem: Foaming is a process by which nucleated gas bubbles expand in liquid media such as a molten polymer or a liquid metal to create a cellular structure, which has many applications in industries such as automotive, aerospace, furniture and packaging. This comprehensive simulation model for foaming allows industry to determine optimum foaming conditions more quickly and more accurately, while providing a platform for researchers to study phenomena observed in foaming.Solution method: LBfoam implements a 2D/3D Free Surface Lattice Boltzmann Method (FSLBM) solver that can simulate various foaming phenomena. The model couples the Navier–Stokes and the advection–diffusion equations, and incorporates all essential aspects of foaming such as the growth and interaction of bubbles. All routines are written in C++ and are parallelized using the Message Passing Interface (MPI) library.