Time-Accurate Flow Simulations Using a Finite-Volume Based Lattice Boltzmann Flow Solver with Dual Time Stepping Scheme

Abstract

In this study, the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) is implemented through a finite-volume approach to perform 2D, incompressible, and time-accurate fluid flow analyses on structured grids. Compared to the standard LBM (the so-called stream and collide scheme), the finite-volume approach followed in this study necessitates more computational effort, but the major limitations of the former on grid uniformity and Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy (CFL) number that is to be one are removed. Even though these improvements pave the way for the possibility of solving more practical fluid flow problems with the LBM, time-accurate simulations are still restricted due to the stability criteria dictated by high-aspect ratio grid cells that are usually required for adequate resolution of boundary layers and the stiffness due to the nature of the equation that are being solved. To overcome this limitation, a Dual Time Stepping (DTS) scheme, which iterates the solution in pseudo time using an Implicit-Explicit (IMEX) Runge–Kutta method while advancing the solution in physical time with an explicit scheme (backward difference formula), is developed and implemented. The accuracy of the resulting flow solver is evaluated using benchmark flow problems and overall second-order accuracy is demonstrated.