Lattice Boltzmann method for mixtures at variable Schmidt number

When simulating multicomponent mixtures via the Lattice Boltzmann Method, it is desirable to control the mutual diffusivity between species while maintaining the viscosity of the solution fixed. This goal is herein achieved by a modification of the multicomponent Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook evolution equations by introducing two different timescales for mass and momentum diffusion. Diffusivity is thus controlled by an effective drag force acting between species. Numerical simulations confirm the accuracy of the method for neutral binary and charged ternary mixtures in bulk conditions. The simulation of a charged mixture in a charged slit channel show that the conductivity and electro-osmotic mobility exhibit a departure from the Helmholtz-Smoluchowski prediction at high diffusivity. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.