Improved lattice Boltzmann model for immiscible multicomponent systems with high viscosity gradients at the interface.

We propose alternative discretization schemes for improving the lattice Boltzmann pseudopotential model for incompressible multicomponent systems, with the purpose of modeling the flow of immiscible fluids with a large viscosity ratio. Compared to the original model of Shan-Chen [Phys. Rev. E 47, 1815 (1993)1063-651X10.1103/PhysRevE.47.1815], the present discretization schemes consider: (i) an explicit force term, (ii) a second-order discretization of the stream term, (iii) a moments-based model for the kinetic nonequilibrium distributions, and (iv) a high-order discretization of the spatial derivative terms. To verify the accuracy of the proposed model, the effects of varying the viscosity ratio as well as both fluid's viscosities on spurious currents and capillary number are investigated for the problems dealing with a static bubble, two-component Poiseuille flow, and immiscible fluid-fluid displacement. The resulting algorithm maintains the simplicity of the pseudopotential model while allowing an easy implementation for multicomponent systems. The results of the model herein proposed show improved control of the interface region and interfacial tension, relatively smaller magnitudes of spurious current values with increasing viscosity ratio, and also a significantly wider stability range with respect to the previously best results in the literature.