Phase-field lattice Boltzmann method for two-phase electrohydrodynamic flows induced by Onsager-Wien effect

The leaky dielectric model is widely used in simulating two-phase electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flows. One critical issue with this classical model is the assumption of Ohmic conduction, which makes it inadequate for describing the newly discovered EHD flows caused by the Onsager-Wien effect [Ryu et al., “New electrohydrodynamic flow caused by the Onsager effect,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 104(10), 104502 (2010)]. In this paper, we proposed a phase-field lattice Boltzmann (LB) method for two-phase EHD flows induced by the Onsager-Wien effect. In this scheme, two LB equations are employed to resolve the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations and the conservative Allen-Cahn equation, while another three LB equations are used for solving the ionic concentration equations and the electric potential equation. After we validate the developed LB method, we perform a series of numerical simulations of droplet deformation under EHD conduction phenomena. Our numerical results indicate that the presence of the Onsager-Wien effect has a significant impact on droplet deformation and charge distribution. Also, it is interesting to note that, apart from the heterocharge layers near the electrodes, a charge cloud may form between the droplet interface and the electrode in some cases. To thoroughly understand the droplet dynamics, the effects of the reference length d, the applied voltage Δ ψ , the permittivity ratio ϵ r , and the ionic mobility ratio μ r on droplet deformation and charge distribution are all investigated in detail.