A kinetic theory solution method for the Navier–Stokes equations

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Abstract
The kinetic‐theory‐based solution methods for the Euler equations proposed by Pullin and Reitz are here extended to provide new finite volume numerical methods for the solution of the unsteady Navier–Stokes equations. Two approaches have been taken. In the first, the equilibrium interface method (EIM), the forward‐ and backward‐flowing molecular fluxes between two cells are assumed to come into kinetic equilibrium at the interface between the cells. Once the resulting equilibrium states at all cell interfaces are known, the evaluation of the Navier–Stokes fluxes is straightforward. In the second method, standard kinetic theory is used to evaluate the artificial dissipation terms which appear in Pullin's Euler solver. These terms are subtracted from the fluxes and the Navier–Stokes dissipative fluxes are added in. The new methods have been tested in a 1D steady flow to yield a solution for the interior structure of a shock wave and in a 2D unsteady boundary layer flow. The 1D solutions are shown to be remarkably accurate for cell sizes large compared to the length scale of the gradients in the flow and to converge to the exact solutions as the cell size is decreased. The steady‐state solutions obtained with EIM agree with those of other methods, yet require a considerably reduced computational effort.