LAUSR

Adaptive lattice Boltzmann methods (LBMs) are based on velocity discretizations that self-adjust to local macroscopic conditions such as velocity and temperature. While this feature improves the accuracy and the stability of LBMs for large velocity and temperature variations, it also strongly impacts the efficiency of the algorithm due to space interpolations that are required to get populations at grid nodes. To avoid this defect, the present work proposes new formulations of adaptive LBMs that do not rely anymore on space interpolations, hence drastically improving their parallel efficiency for the simulation of high-speed compressible flows. To reach this goal, the adaptive phase discretization is restricted to particular states that are compliant with the efficient “collide-and-stream” algorithm, and as a consequence, it does not require additional interpolation steps. The development of proper state-adaptive solvers with on-grid propagation imposes new restrictions and challenges on the discrete stencils, namely, the need for an extended operability range allowing for the transition between two phase discretizations. Achieving the minimum operability range for discrete polynomial equilibria requires rather large stencils (e.g., D2Q81, D2Q121) and is therefore not competitive for compressible flow simulations. However, as shown in this article, the use of numerical equilibria can provide for overlaps in the operability ranges of neighboring discrete shifts at acceptable cost using the D2Q21 lattice. Through several numerical validations, the present approach is shown to allow for an efficient realization of discrete state-adaptive LBMs for high Mach number flows even in the low-viscosity regime.