Lattice Boltzmann spray-like fluids

¹  Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of “Roma Tre” - Via della Vasca Navale 79, Rome, Italy, EU
²  Istituto Applicazioni Calcolo “Mauro Picone”, CNR - V.le del Policlinico 137, Rome, Italy, EU
³  Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of “Tor Vergata” - Viale Politecnico, Rome, Italy, EU
⁴  EXA Corporation - 450 Bedford Street, Lexington, MA 02173, USA

Corresponding author: sergio.chibbaro@gmail.com

Received: 27 December 2007
Accepted: 4 March 2008

Abstract

The effect of the competition between short-range attraction and mid-range repulsion in lattice Boltzmann models of single-component non-ideal fluids is investigated. It is shown that the presence of repulsive interactions gives rise to long-lived metastable states in the form of multi-droplet spray-like density configurations, whose size can be adjusted by fine-tuning the strength of the repulsive vs. attractive coupling. This opens up the possibility of using single-component lattice kinetic models to study a new class of complex flow applications, involving atomization, spray formation, micro-emulsions and possibly, glassy-like phenomena as well.