Lattice Boltzmann methods for reactive and other flows

Abstract

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is receiving increasing attention in recent years as an alternative approach for computational fluid dynamics. Through its kinetic theory origin, the method inherits the physically appealing particle picture that can be adapted to simulate multiscale and multiphysics systems with sizes ranging from the microscale (where the continuum hypothesis may break down) to macroscale applications. The method is characterized by its straightforward implementation in complex geometries and the fact that it involves only nearest neighbor interactions without global operations, making LBM algorithms ideally suited for parallelization. However, the method in general employs a larger number of degrees of freedom per grid point than classical CFD approaches, and parallel implementation may be essential in order to meet the higher memory requirements. In this chapter, an overview of the method and its applications is presented focusing on recent model developments for the description of the averaged macroscopic behavior of isothermal and non-isothermal, single- and multi-component and reactive flows. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011.