fix buoyancy command — LIGGGHTS v3.X documentation

# fix buoyancy command

## Syntax

    fix ID group-ID buoyancy keyword value ...

- ID, group-ID are documented in fix command
- buoyancy = style name of this fix command
- zero or more keyword/value pairs may be appended to args; the dim keyword must be used
- keyword = density or dim or level or region

    density value = density-value
      density-value = fluid density in mass/length^3 units
    dim value = x or y or z
      x, y, z = define the water level as x=const, y=const, z=const plane
    level value = lev
      lev = water level in length units, along the axis defined by dim
    region value = region-ID
      region-ID = ID of region atoms must be in to have added buoyancy force

## Examples

    fix bu all buoyancy level 0.06 dim z density 1000

## Description

Add a buoyancy force for each atom in the group. The water level is assumed to be a x=const, y=const or z=const plane, where the axis is defined via the dim keyword and const is defined via the level keyword. E.g. dim = x and level = 0.1 would define the water level as x = 0.1.

The buoyancy force is equivalent to the weight of the displaced fluid. Thus, if the particle is fully submerged, the buoyancy force is equal to particle volume * fluid density. If the particle is not submerged, the buoyancy force is 0. If the particle is partially submerged, the fix will calculate the force based on the submerged particle volume. The fluid density is defined by keyword density.

As buoyancy is triggered by static pressure difference in a fluid usually caused by gravity, this fix requires to use a fix gravity. The gravity vector has to be specified in the same axis as in this fix (via the dim keyword).

If the region keyword is used, the atom must also be in the specified geometric region in order to have buoyancy force added to it.

## Restart, fix_modify, output, run start/stop, minimize info

No information about this fix is written to binary restart files. No fix_modify option applies to this fix. This fix computes a a global 3-vector of the total buoyancy force, which can be accessed by various output commands. No parameter of this fix can be used with the start/stop keywords of the run command.

The forces due to this fix are imposed during an energy minimization, invoked by the `minimize` command.

## Restrictions

This fix requires to use a fix gravity. The gravity vector has to be specified in the same axis as in this fix (via the dim keyword).

## Related commands

fix setforce, fix aveforce, fix addforce

## Default

level = 0, density = 0