Simulation of phase transition process using lattice Boltzmann method

Abstract

A new lattice Boltzmann model based on SC model, is proposed to describe the liquid-vapor phase transitions. The new model is validated through the simulation of the one-component phase transition process. Compared with the simulation results of van der Waals gas and the Maxwell equal-area construction, the results of the new model have a better agreement with the analytical solutions than those of SC and Zhang models. Since the obtained temperature range and the maximum density ratio in this model are expanded, and the magnitude of maximum spurious current is only between those of SC and Zhang models, it is believed that this new model has better stability than SC and Zhang models. Consequently, the application scope of this new model is expanded compared with the existing phase transition models. According to the principle of the corresponding states in engineering thermodynamics, the simulations of ammonia and water phase transition process were implemented using this new model with different equations of state. Compared with the experimental data of ammonia and water, the results show that the Peng-Robinson is the best equation of state to describe the phase transition process of ammonia and water. Especially, the simulation results of ammonia with Peng-Robinson equation of state have an excellent agreement with its experimental data. Therefore these simulation results have a significant influence on the real engineering applications.