gLBM: A GPU enabled Lattice Boltzmann Method Library

Lattice Boltzmann Methods (LBM) are a class of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) algorithms for simulation. Unlike traditional formulations that simulate fluid dynamics on a macroscopic level with a mesh, the LBM characterizes the problem on a mesoscopic level applied to a grid discretization. LBM solves the fluid density problem with collide and stream (relaxation) processes. This approach has several advantages, including its adaptability to numerous fluid domains (i.e., vapours, liquid droplets), complex boundaries, irregular interior geometries, and parallelization. Traditional CFD methods are limited in the ability to parallelize the algorithm; however, the LBM algorithm discretization can be easily parallelized both for CPUs and GPUs. This enables fast fluid solutions for complex fluid domains. There are limitations associated with the LBM, including high Mach number applications. However, active research is addressing these limitations.This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health Grant Number R44EB023121