Lattice Boltzmann method for 2D flows in curvilinear coordinates

Abstract

In order to improve efficiency and accuracy, while maintaining an ease of modeling flows with the lattice Boltzmann approach in domains having complex geometry, a method for modeling equations of 2D flow in curvilinear coordinates has been developed. Both the transformed shallow water equations and the transformed 2D Navier-Stokes equations in the horizontal plane were synchronized with the equilibrium distribution function and the force term in the rectangular lattice. Since the solution of these equations takes place in the classical rectangular lattice environment, boundary conditions are modeled in the standard form of already existing simple methods (bounceback), not requiring any additional functions. Owing to this and to the fact that the proposed method ensures a more accurate fitting of equations, even to domains of interest having complex geometry, the accuracy of solution is significantly increased, while the simplicity of the standard lattice Boltzmann approach is maintained. For the shallow water equations transformed in curvilinear coordinates, the proposed procedure is verified in three different hydraulic problems, all characterized by complex geometry. © IWA Publishing 2012.