Thermal pseudo-potential lattice Boltzmann method for simulating cavitation bubbles collapse near a rigid boundary

Abstract

The thermodynamic problem of the cavitation bubble near a rigid boundary is always the key and difficult to capture in the cavitation phenomenon. In this paper, the double distribution function (DDF) thermal lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is used to study the collapse process of a single and a dual cavitation bubble near a rigid boundary with a large density and viscosity ratio. The simulation results are in good agreement with theoretical analysis and experimental results. The influences of the distance between the cavitation bubble and the rigid boundary on the cavitation bubble lifetime, maximum collapse pressure, maximum collapse velocity, and maximum collapse temperature are analyzed. The difference between the maximum collapse pressure and the maximum collapse velocity of the thermal model and the isothermal model at different dimensionless distances are studied. Furthermore, the effects of fluid viscosity and initial pressure difference on the maximum collapse temperature are studied. The LBM simulation results successfully reproduce the retarding effect of a rigid boundary on the cavitation bubble. It is proved that the DDF thermal LBM is a reliable method to study the thermal cavitation bubble dynamics.