Table of Contents
4.1 Motivation and Background
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Forces play a central role in many hydrodynamic problems.
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Gravitational acceleration can be cast into force density: .
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In hydrodynamics, we encounter force densities rather than forces since momentum equation is a PDE for momentum density.
β Forces are momentum density source terms in the Cauchy equation.
Key Applications of Forces in LBM
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Gravity effects:
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Rayleigh-BΓ©nard instability - convection patterns when warmed fluid rises from hot surface.
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Rayleigh-Taylor instability - denser fluid descends as lower-density fluid rises.
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Gravity waves at free water surface.
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Other physical problems:
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Rotating reference frames subject to radial and Coriolis forces.
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Charged or magnetic particles in fluids with electromagnetic fields.
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Electrical Double Layer (EDL) effects in electrolytes near charged surfaces.
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Computational advantages:
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In incompressible flows, pressure gradients can be replaced by divergence-free body forces.
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Useful in periodic flow configurations (e.g., porous media flows).
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Helps avoid accuracy loss from compressibility errors in pressure fields.
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Additional applications:
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Modeling multiphase or multi-component flows.
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Fluid-structure interactions via immersed boundary method.
4.2 LBM with Forces in a Nutshell
Order of Operations in a Single Time Step (with BGK collision operator)
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Step 1: Determine force density .
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Example: gravity force
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Step 2: Compute fluid density and velocity:
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Step 3: Compute equilibrium populations to construct the collision operator:
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Step 4: Output macroscopic quantities (optional).
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Deviatoric stress:
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Step 5: Compute source term:
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Where the source and forcing terms are related as .
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Step 6: Apply collision and source to find the post-collision populations:
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Step 7: Propagate populations.
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Step 8: Increment the time step and go back to Step 1.
Important Remarks
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The form of the force depends on the underlying physics - not given by LB algorithm.
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Velocity contains the so-called half-force correction.
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Ensures second-order space-time accuracy.
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The velocity can be interpreted as the average velocity during the time step, i.e. the average of pre- and post-collision values.
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Forcing scheme presented here is based on a Hermite expansion (same as Guo et al.). β Alternative forcing schemes exist.
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Any cyclic permutation of steps permitted with proper initialization.
4.3 Discretisation
4.3.1 Discretisation in Velocity Space
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Main Question: what is the equivalent polynomial representation in velocity space of the forcing term in the Boltzmann equation?
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The continuous Boltzmann equation with a forcing term:
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Goal: Find discrete velocity structure of forcing term aligned with velocity space discretization of .
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Challenge: doesn't appear as isolated term but as:
Mathematical Approach
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The Hermite series expansion of the distribution function is:
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The derivative property of Hermite polynomials reads:
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We can rewrite the Hermite expansion of as follows:
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The forcing contribution can be simplified as follows:
Discrete Form
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Replace continuous with discrete .
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Rescale velocities: .
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Renormalize by lattice weights .
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The discrete form of the forcing term:
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The discrete velocity Boltzmann equation with a forcing term:
Second-Order Truncation
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The truncation of the forcing term up to second velocity order (), corresponding to the expansion of :
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Velocity moments:
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Zeroth: (no mass source).
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First: (momentum source). β It appears as a body force in the NSE.
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Second: (energy source). β a purposefully designed correction to precisely cancel out a spurious error term that arises in the momentum equation of weakly compressible Lattice Boltzmann Methods.
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For a incompressible flow:
4.3.2 Discretisation in Space and Time
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Task consists of two parts:
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Advection: Exact via method of characteristics ( ):
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Collision with forces: Requires approximation:
First-Order Integration
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Rectangular discretization:
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The integral of collision and forcing terms is approximated by just one point.
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LBE with force (BGK):
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Issues:
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Only first-order accurate in time.
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Cannot absorb errors into viscosity when forces present.
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Leads to discrete lattice artifacts.
Second-Order Integration
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Trapezoidal discretization:
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More accurate but time-implicit.
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Change of variables to recover explicit form:
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Second-order accurate LBGK with forcing:
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Where .
Redefined Macroscopic Moments
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Density:
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Velocity:
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Momentum flux:
4.4 Alternative Forcing Schemes
4.4.1 General Observations
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Based on the second-order velocity and space-time discretizations, the LBE with a force can be expressed as:
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Where is the BGK collision operator and denotes a source, with the forcing given by:
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The fluid velocity in the presence of a force is redefined to guarantee the second-order space-time accuracy:
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The complexity in the LB literature is caused by the fact that:
β There exist different force algorithms that decompose and differently but lead to essentially the same results on the Navier-Stokes level.
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To generalize the forcing method, the equilibrium velocity can be written as :
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: A model-dependent parameter ( for Guo forcing).
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Equivalence condition:
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Schemes equivalent if same up to or .
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Valid only for sufficiently small and .
4.4.2 Forcing Schemes
Guo et al. (2002)
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Based on the Chapman-Enskog analysis.
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.
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Removes undesired derivatives in continuity and momentum equations.
Shan and Chen (1993, 1994)
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Originally for multi-phase fluids but applicable to single-phase fluids.
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He et al. (1998)
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Based on near-equilibrium approximation:
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Kupershtokh (2004)
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Exact difference method β To include the force density in such a way that it merely shifts in velocity space.
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.
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Where and .
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The equilibrium for a velocity is directly replaced by the equilibrium for a velocity .
4.5 Chapman-Enskog and Error Analysis in the Presence of Forces
4.5.1 Chapman-Enskog Analysis with Forces
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In order to be consistent with the remaining terms in the LBE, the forcing term must scale as .
β We should at least have .
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A hierarchy of -perturbed equations:
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In the presence of an external force, the hydrodynamic moments are no longer conserved.
β This leads to a redefinition of the solvability conditions for mass and momentum:
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The extension to βstrengthenedβ order-by-order solvability conditions reads:
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With , which results from .
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By taking the zeroth and first moments of the equation:
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Here, .
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By taking the zeroth and first moments of the equations :
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By combining the mass and momentum equations in the and equations:
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is the contribution responsible for the viscous stress at macroscopic level.
β Therefore, the role of is to remove spurious forcing terms possibly appearing in so that its form is the same as for the force-free case:
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The viscous stress is still given by .
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Finally, we can re-assemble and use and to obtain the correct form of the unsteady NSE with forcing term (up to error terms):
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As usual, the dynamic shear and bulk viscosities are and , respectively.
4.5.2 Errors Caused by an Incorrect Force Model
Discretization of Velocity Space: The Issue of Unsteady and Steady Cases
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Unsteady state:
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Term contains the contribution .
β This contribution can be exactly cancelled by , providing the force term is expanded up to the second velocity order.
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Steady state with standard equilibrium:
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Same spurious term is still required as a correction due to the gradient of the velocity .
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Still needs second-order expansion.
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Steady state with incompressible equilibrium:
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The steady incompressible NSE is recovered with no spurious terms.
β We must set .
Discretization of Space and Time: The Issue of Discrete Lattice Effects
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Let us assume a time-dependent process and a forcing term with second-order velocity discretization.
β The macroscopic equations reproduced in this case have the following incorrect form:
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First-order time integration errors:
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Continuity:
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Momentum:
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Discrete lattice artifacts:
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Act on same scale as viscous term ().
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Corrupt both mass and momentum equations.
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More problematic than velocity discretization errors.
4.6 Boundary and Initial Conditions with Forces
4.6.1 Initial Conditions
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Equilibrium initialization with forces:
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For low-order forcing schemes, where the macroscopic velocity is computed from , the equilibrium initialization is the same as in the force-free case, i.e. .
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Non-equilibrium initialization with forces (adding the modified non-equilibrium term):
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Where
4.6.2 Boundary Conditions
Bounce-Back
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The principle of the bounce-back rule is not changed by the inclusion of forces.
β Its accuracy does depend on the force implementation.
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Simple example: a hydrostatic equilibrium where a constant force is balanced by a pressure gradient.
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The hydrostatic solution established by the bounce-back rule at boundary node .
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Second-order space-time discretization for the bulk dynamics ():
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The first factor is positive due to the stability requirement and can be cancelled. β .
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First-order space-time discretization for the bulk dynamics ():
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The first-orderdiscretization retains discrete lattice artifacts even for constant forces.
Non-Equilibrium Bounce-Back (NEBB)
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Modified density calculation at wall:
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The unknown boundary populations still have to be determined by the bounce-back of their non-equilibrium components.
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Momentum corrections:
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Tangential:
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Normal:
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Unknown populations with forces (top wall example):
4.7 Benchmark Problems
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Velocity Order:
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Space-Time Order:
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Comparing four possible forcing strategies:
Scheme | Velocity Order | Space-Time Order |
I | 1st | 1st |
II | 2nd | 1st |
III | 1st | 2nd |
IV | 2nd | 2nd |
4.7.1 Problem Description
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A 2D Poiseuille channel flow driven by a combined pressure gradient and body force :
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Analytical velocity solution:
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Where the no-slip condition () holds at the bottom and top walls ().
4.7.2 Numerical Procedure
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The BGK collision operator with incompressible equilibrium.
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The bounce-back and the non-equilibrium bounce-back (NEBB) boundary conditions are tested.
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Initialization: .
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Steady-state criterion: between 100 consecutive time steps.
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Grid: .
MATLAB Code of Poiseuille flow with bounce-back
MATLAB Code of Poiseuille flow with NEBB
4.7.3 Constant Force
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A purely force-driven Poiseuille flow: .
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Using periodic boundary conditions at the inlet and outlet.
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The force magnitude is (in simulation units).
Results:
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Bounce-back: Exact solution at specific values.
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Schemes I & II: .
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Schemes III & IV: .
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NEBB: Exact for all schemes (no bulk errors for constant force).
4.7.4 Constant Force and Pressure Gradient
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Combined driving: (in simulation units) β Considering a 50/50 contribution from each term.
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Using pressure periodic boundary conditions at the inlet and outlet.
Results:
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Bounce-back: Exact solution at specific values.
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Schemes I & II: .
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Schemes III & IV: .
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Only second-order space-time discretization (Schemes III & IV) maintains physical equivalence.
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NEBB: Exact for all schemes (no bulk errors for constant force).
4.7.5 Linear Force and Pressure Gradient
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The force increases linearly along the streamwise direction.
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The total contribution remains constant so that the overall magnitude remains locally (in simulation units) β Considering a 50/50 contribution from each term.
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The force bulk errors do not vanish any more. β Both bulk and boundary errors can now interfere with the LB solution.
Results:
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Bounce-back: Only Scheme III achieves exact solution at specific values.
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Schemes III: .
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First-order velocity discretization required for a steady incompressible flow.
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NEBB: Only Scheme III achieves exact solution for all values.
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Schemes III: the bulk solution free from errors.
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-independent boundary treatment.
4.7.6 Role of Compressibility
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The standard equilibrium recovers the compressible NSE, which approximates incompressible hydrodynamics in the limit of slow flows and small density (pressure) variations.
β Compressibility Errors.
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The compressibility errors typically have a secondary impact. β They always contaminate the solutions.
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For spatially varying forces:
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Incompressible equilibrium: First-order velocity discretization optimal.
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Standard equilibrium: Second-order slightly better (but differences small).
Key Takeaways
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Most accurate forcing scheme for general flows: Second-order in both velocity and space-time (Scheme IV).
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For steady incompressible flows: First-order velocity with second-order space-time (Scheme III).
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Critical implementation details:
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Half-force correction in velocity calculation essential.
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Boundary conditions must account for forces.
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Initial conditions need force corrections.
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Error hierarchy: Space-time discretization errors > velocity discretization errors > compressibility errors.







