Lattice Gas Fluid Simulation Case Study: The Lattice Boltzmann Method

In two previous Your Homework Assignment articles, November 2020 and April 2023, we introduced the reader to lattice gas automata (LGA) models for fluid simulation. In these models, particles move along a discrete lattice and interact at lattice sites. This allows for complex simulations with relatively few cellular automata rules that govern the interactions between particles. In this article, we introduce the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Originating from the LGA methods explored previously, LBM replaces individual particles with ensemble averages, thus reducing noise and allowing for more versatile calculations.