Hybrid Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Three-Dimensional Natural Convection

Abstract The capability of hybrid lattice Boltzmann–finite difference model in simulation of laminar and turbulent three-dimensional (3D) natural convection was examined. Fluid dynamics was computed by means of the lattice Boltzmann method and the finite difference solver was used for advection-diffusion equation. It was found that both two-dimensional and 3D models reproduced the same thermal fields. The Nusselt numbers were in a good agreement with benchmark data with the Rayleigh number up to Computation speed of developed hybrid model was more than two times higher in comparison with conventional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) vorticity–vector potential formulation.