Fluid Interfaces in Phase Transition Problems: Lattice-boltzmann Method

The Lattice-Boltzmann method has been seen as an alternative model for the computational simulation of fluid dynamics. It is based on the Boltzmann transport equation, which serves as the foundation of kinetic theory of gases. Considering its suitability for complex geometry problems, it has been widely applied for the description of fluid flow with one or more components inside porous media, especially for interfacial phenomena studies. In this work, an interaction potential among particles was used for the modelling of the liquid-vapor interface. This method makes possible the simulation of phase equilibrium through an equation of state similar to the van der Waals equation. The method allows the inclusion of interaction terms among different particles, so that liquid-solid and vapor-solid interfaces can be simulated. In this work, some simulation results are presented related to the following problems: liquid-vapor phase transition, coexistence of a liquid droplet with its vapor and liquid-vapor interactons with solid surfaces. Preliminary results show that a large diversity of physical phenomena with respect to fluid-fluid and fluid-solid interfaces can be simulated. The inclusion of thermal effects leading to the correct understanding of the role of temperature gradients in phase transition and wetting processes is still necessary.