Lid-Driven Cavity Flow Using a Discrete Velocity Method for Solving the Boltzmann Equation

We extend the discrete velocity method for solving the Boltzmann equation previously used for one-dimensional problems to two spatial dimensions. The collision integral is computed using collisions between velocity classes selected randomly using a Monte Carlo method. Arbitrary post-collision velocities are mapped back onto the grid using a projection scheme which conserves mass, momentum, and energy. In addition, a variance reduction scheme is implemented to decrease noise and further reduce computational effort. The convection part of the equation is computed using first order upwind finite differences. We apply this discrete velocity scheme to the 2D lid-driven square cavity flow problem with Ar as the fluid medium and explore the effect of the additional flexibility available in this quasi-particle based stochastic method on the accuracy and noise level in the solutions obtained.