Multi-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann front tracking method for two-phase flow with surface tension

<正>In this paper,an improved incompressible multi-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann-front tracking approach is proposed to simulate two-phase flow with a sharp interface,where the surface tension is implemented.The lattice Boltzmann method is used to simulate the incompressible flow with a stationary Eulerian grid,an additional moving Lagrangian grid is adopted to track explicitly the motion of the interface,and an indicator function is introduced to update the fluid properties accurately.The interface is represented by using a four-order Lagrange polynomial through fitting a set of discrete marker points,and then the surface tension is directly computed by using the normal vector and curvature of the interface.Two benchmark problems,including Laplace’s law for a stationary bubble and the dispersion relation of the capillary wave between two fluids are conducted for validation.Excellent agreement is obtained between the numerical simulations and the theoretical results in the two cases.     

A conservative phase field method for solving incompressible two-phase flows

In this paper a conservative phase-field method based on the work of Sun and Beckermann [Y. Sun, C. Beckermann, Sharp interface tracking using the phase-field equation, J. Comput. Phys. 220 (2007) 626–653] for solving the two- and three-dimensional two-phase incompressible Navier–Stokes equations is proposed. The present method can preserve the total mass as the Cahn–Hilliard equation, but the calculation and implementation are much simpler than that. The dispersion-relation-preserving schemes are utilized for the advection terms while the Helmholtz smoother is applied to compute the surface-tension force term. To verify the proposed method, several benchmarks are examined and shown to have good agreements with previous results. It also shows that the satisfactions of mass conservations are guaranteed.     

A grid based particle method for solving partial differential equations on evolving surfaces and modeling high order geometrical motion

We develop numerical methods for solving partial differential equations (PDE) defined on an evolving interface represented by the grid based particle method (GBPM) recently proposed in [S. Leung, H.K. Zhao, A grid based particle method for moving interface problems, J. Comput. Phys. 228 (2009) 7706–7728]. In particular, we develop implicit time discretization methods for the advection–diffusion equation where the time step is restricted solely by the advection part of the equation. We also generalize the GBPM to solve high order geometrical flows including surface diffusion and Willmore-type flows. The resulting algorithm can be easily implemented since the method is based on meshless particles quasi-uniformly sampled on the interface. Furthermore, without any computational mesh or triangulation defined on the interface, we do not require remeshing or reparametrization in the case of highly distorted motion or when there are topological changes. As an interesting application, we study locally inextensible flows governed by energy minimization. We introduce tension force via a Lagrange multiplier determined by the solution to a Helmholtz equation defined on the evolving interface. Extensive numerical examples are also given to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach.     

3D phase-field simulations of interfacial dynamics in Newtonian and viscoelastic fluids

This work presents a three-dimensional finite-element algorithm, based on the phase-field model, for computing interfacial flows of Newtonian and complex fluids. A 3D adaptive meshing scheme produces fine grid covering the interface and coarse mesh in the bulk. It is key to accurate resolution of the interface at manageable computational costs. The coupled Navier–Stokes and Cahn–Hilliard equations, plus the constitutive equation for non-Newtonian fluids, are solved using second-order implicit time stepping. Within each time step, Newton iteration is used to handle the nonlinearity, and the linear algebraic system is solved by preconditioned Krylov methods. The phase-field model, with a physically diffuse interface, affords the method several advantages in computing interfacial dynamics. One is the ease in simulating topological changes such as interfacial rupture and coalescence. Another is the capability of computing contact line motion without invoking ad hoc slip conditions. As validation of the 3D numerical scheme, we have computed drop deformation in an elongational flow, relaxation of a deformed drop to the spherical shape, and drop spreading on a partially wetting substrate. The results are compared with numerical and experimental results in the literature as well as our own axisymmetric computations where appropriate. Excellent agreement is achieved provided that the 3D interface is adequately resolved by using a sufficiently thin diffuse interface and refined grid. Since our model involves several coupled partial differential equations and we use a fully implicit scheme, the matrix inversion requires a large memory. This puts a limit on the scale of problems that can be simulated in 3D, especially for viscoelastic fluids.     

基于自适应非结构化网格的VOF方法

本文提出了一种基于自适应非结构化网格的VOF算法,根据相界面网格的相函数值对相界面网格进行自适应细化与合并,通过基于非结构化网格的界面构造方法构造相界面,在适量增加网格单元数量的情况下提高了计算的精度。该方法随着时间及相界面的变化无需重新整体生成网格,算法效率较高。经典算例的验证结果表明,本文自适应网格方法计算得到的结...     

Eulerian–Lagrangian multiscale methods for solving scalar equations – Application to incompressible two-phase flows

The present article proposes a new hybrid Eulerian–Lagrangian numerical method, based on a volume particle meshing of the Eulerian grid, for solving transport equations. The approach, called Volume Of Fluid Sub-Mesh method (VOF-SM), has the advantage of being able to deal with interface tracking as well as advection–diffusion transport equations of scalar quantities. The Eulerian evolutions of a scalar field could be obtained on any orthogonal curvilinear grid thanks to the Lagrangian advection and a redistribution of particles on the Eulerian grid. The Eulerian concentrations result from the projection of the volume and scalar informations handled by the particles. The particle velocities are interpolated from the Eulerian velocity field. The VOF-SM method is validated on several scalar interface tracking and transport problems and is compared to existing schemes within the literature. It is finally coupled to a Navier–Stokes solver and applied to the simulation of two free-surface flows, i.e. the two-dimensional buckling of a viscous jet during the filling of a square mold and the three-dimensional dam-break flow in a tank.     

A balanced force refined level set grid method for two-phase flows on unstructured flow solver grids

A balanced force refined level set grid method for two-phase flows on structured and unstructured flow solver grids is presented. To accurately track the phase interface location, an auxiliary, high-resolution equidistant Cartesian grid is introduced. In conjunction with a dual-layer narrow band approach, this refined level set grid method allows for parallel, efficient grid convergence and error estimation studies of the interface tracking method. The Navier–Stokes equations are solved on an unstructured flow solver grid with a novel balanced force algorithm for level set methods based on the recently proposed method by Francois et al. [M.M. Francois, S.J. Cummins, E.D. Dendy, D.B. Kothe, J.M. Sicilian, M.W. Williams, A balanced-force algorithm for continuous and sharp interfacial surface tension models within a volume tracking framework, J. Comput. Phys. 213 (2006) 141–173] for volume of fluid methods on structured grids. To minimize spurious currents, a second order converging curvature evaluation technique for level set methods is presented. The results of several different test cases demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, showing good mass conservation properties and second order converging spurious current magnitudes.     

Computations of multi-fluid flows

Full numerical simulations of three-dimensional flows of two or more immiscible fluids of different densities and viscosities separated by a sharp interface with finite surface tension are discussed. The method used is based on a finite difference approximation of the full Navier-Stokes equations and explicit tracking of the interface between the fluids. Preliminary simulations of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability and the motion of bubbles are shown.     

Anti-diffusion method for interface steepening in two-phase incompressible flow

In this paper, we present a method for obtaining sharp interfaces in two-phase incompressible flows by an anti-diffusion correction, that is applicable in a straight-forward fashion for the improvement of two-phase flow solution schemes typically employed in practical applications. The underlying discretization is based on the volume-of-fluid (VOF) interface-capturing method on unstructured meshes. The key idea is to steepen the interface, independently of the underlying volume-fraction transport equation, by solving a diffusion equation with reverse time, i.e. an anti-diffusion equation, after each advection time step of the volume fraction. As the solution of the anti-diffusion equation requires regularization, a limiter based on the directional derivative is developed for calculating the gradient of the volume fraction. This limiter ensures the boundedness of the volume fraction. In order to control the amount of anti-diffusion introduced by the correction algorithm we propose a suitable stopping criterion for interface steepening. The formulation of the limiter and the algorithm for solving the anti-diffusion equation are applicable to 3-dimensional unstructured meshes. Validation computations are performed for passive advection of an interface, for 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional rising-bubbles, and for a rising drop in a periodically constricted channel. The results demonstrate that sharp interfaces can be recovered reliably. They show that the accuracy is similar to or even better than that of level-set methods using comparable discretizations for the flow and the level-set evolution. Also, we observe a good agreement with experimental results for the rising drop where proper interface evolution requires accurate mass conservation.     

A new volume-of-fluid method with a constructed distance function on general structured grids

A second-order volume-of-fluid method (VOF) is presented for interface tracking and sharp interface treatment on general structured grids. Central to the new method is a second-order distance function construction scheme on a general structured grid based on the reconstructed interface. A novel technique is developed for evaluating the interface normal vector using the distance function. With the normal vector, the interface is reconstructed from the volume fraction function via a piecewise linear interface calculation (PLIC) scheme on the computational domain. Several numerical tests are conducted to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the present method. In general, the new VOF method is more efficient than both the high-order level set and the coupled level set and volume-of-fluid (CLSVOF) methods. The results from the new method are better than those from the benchmark VOF method, particularly in the under-resolved regions, and are comparable to those from the CLSVOF method. Breaking waves over a submerged bump and around a wedge-shaped bow are simulated to demonstrate the application of the new method and sharp interface treatment in a two-phase flow solver on curvilinear grids. The computational results are in good agreement with the available experimental measurements.     

A hybrid level set-volume constraint method for incompressible two-phase flow

A second-order hybrid level set-volume constraint method (HLSVC) for numerically simulating deforming boundaries is presented. We combine the HLSVC interface advection algorithm with a two phase flow solver in order to numerically capture deforming bubbles and drops whose actual volume (s) fluctuate about fixed “target” volume (s). Three novel developments are described: (1) a new method for enforcing a volume constraint in which the number of bubbles and drops can change due to merging or splitting, (2) a new, second order, semi-lagrangian narrow band level set reinitialization algorithm, and (3) validation of a two-phase flow numerical method by comparison with linear stability analysis results for a co-flowing liquid jet in gas. The new interface capturing method is tested on benchmark problems in which the velocity is prescribed (passive advection of interfaces) and in which the velocity is determined by the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations for two-phase flow. The error in interface position when using the hybrid level set-volume constraint method is reported for many benchmark problems in polar coordinates, cylindrical coordinates, and on an adaptive grid in which one criteria of adaptivity is the magnitude of the interface curvature.     

On the properties and limitations of the height function method in two-dimensional Cartesian geometry

In this study we define the continuous height function to investigate the approximation of an interface line and its geometrical properties with the height function method. We show that in each mixed cell the piecewise linear interface reconstruction and the approximation of the derivatives and curvature based on three consecutive height function values are second-order accurate. We also discuss the quadratic reconstruction and fourth-order accurate expressions of the normal and curvature. We present a hierarchical algorithm to compute the normal vector and curvature of an interface line with the height function method that switches automatically between second- and fourth-order approximations and that can be applied also when the local radius of curvature is of the order of the grid spacing.     

A novel coupled level set and volume of fluid method for sharp interface capturing on 3D tetrahedral grids

We present a new three-dimensional hybrid level set (LS) and volume of fluid (VOF) method for free surface flow simulations on tetrahedral grids. At each time step, we evolve both the level set function and the volume fraction. The level set function is evolved by solving the level set advection equation using a second-order characteristic based finite volume method. The volume fraction advection is performed using a bounded compressive normalized variable diagram (NVD) based scheme. The interface is reconstructed based on both the level set and the volume fraction information. The novelty of the method lies in that we use an analytic method for finding the intercepts on tetrahedral grids, which makes interface reconstruction efficient and conserves volume of fluid exactly. Furthermore, the advection of volume fraction makes use of the NVD concept and switches between different high resolution differencing schemes to yield a bounded scalar field, and to preserve both smoothness and sharp definition of the interface. The method is coupled to a well validated finite volume based Navier–Stokes incompressible flow solver. The code validation shows that our method can be employed to resolve complex interface changes efficiently and accurately. In addition, the centroid and intercept data available as a by-product of the proposed interface reconstruction scheme can be used directly in near-interface sub-grid models in large eddy simulation.     

A volume of fluid approach for crystal growth simulation

A new approach to simulating the dendritic growth of pure metals, based on a recent volume of fluid (VOF) method with PLIC (piecewise linear interface calculation) reconstruction of the interface, is presented. The energy equation is solved using a diffuse-interface method, which avoids the need to apply the thermal boundary conditions directly at the solid front. The thermal gradients at both sides of the interface, which are needed to obtain the front velocity, are calculated with the aid of a distance function to the reconstructed interface. The advection equation of a discretized solid fraction function is solved using the unsplit VOF advection method proposed by López et al. [J. Comput. Phys. 195 (2004) 718–742] (extended to three dimensions by Hernández et al. [Int. J. Numer. Methods Fluids 58 (2008) 897–921]), and the interface curvature is computed using an improved height function technique, which provides second-order accuracy. The proposed methodology is assessed by comparing the numerical results with analytical solutions and with results obtained by different authors for the formation of complex dendritic structures in two and three dimensions.     

An analysis of 1D finite-volume methods for geophysical problems on refined grids

This paper examines high-order unstaggered symmetric and upwind finite-volume discretizations of the advection equation in the presence of an abrupt discontinuity in grid resolution. An approach for characterizing the initial amplitude of a parasitic mode as well as its decay rate away from a grid resolution discontinuity is presented. Using a combination of numerical analysis and empirical studies it is shown that spurious parasitic modes, which are artificially generated by the resolution discontinuity, are mostly undamped by symmetric finite-volume schemes but are quickly removed by upwind and semi-Lagrangian integrated mass (SLIM) schemes. Slope/curvature limiting is insufficient to completely remove these modes, especially at low forcing frequencies where the incident wave can act as a carrier of the parasitic mode. Increasing the order of accuracy of the reconstruction at the grid interface is effective at removing noise from the lowest-frequency incident modes, but insufficient at high frequencies. It is shown that this analysis can be extended to the 1D linear shallow-water equations via Riemann invariants.     

Volume fraction flux approximation in a two-fluid flow

The broken dam problem flow is tested to check accuracy of different procedures for gas-liquid interface resolution based on solution of the additional equation for the volume fraction of liquid phase. The study is focused on the numerical schemes used to approximate advection fluxes of this equation. In particular, the MUSCL scheme with QUICK interpolants and compressive minmod TVD limiters with the slope modification technique for the volume fraction fluxes is applied, as well as the upwind-downwind donor acceptor procedure designed in the VOF method. As the first stage, the quite simple and explicit procedure adopting the artificial compressibility method is used to solve the velocity and pressure equations. Computations are initially performed with a careful grid and time step independence studies. Importance of the wall boundary condition is also discussed. To present free surface motion, results of numerical investigation are shown in terms of contour plots for the volume fraction at successive times, as well as surge front and column height positions versus time. The work was financially supported by the President of the Russian Federation (NSh No. 454.2008.1), Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grant No. 06-01-00724), Integration Project of SB RAS (No. 2-16), and National Scientific Council of Taiwan (NSC, R.O.C., contract NSC-92-2212-E006-102).     

Finite-volume transport on various cubed-sphere grids

The performance of a multidimensional finite-volume transport scheme is evaluated on the cubed-sphere geometry. Advection tests with prescribed winds are used to evaluate a variety of cubed-sphere projections and grid modifications including the gnomonic and conformal mappings, as well as two numerically generated grids by an elliptic solver and spring dynamics. We explore the impact of grid non-orthogonality on advection tests over the corner singularities of the cubed-sphere grids, using some variations of the transport scheme, including the piecewise parabolic method with alternative monotonicity constraints. The advection tests revealed comparable or better accuracy to those of the original latitudinal–longitudinal grid implementation. It is found that slight deviations from orthogonality on the modified cubed-sphere (quasi-orthogonal) grids do not negatively impact the accuracy. In fact, the more uniform version of the quasi-orthogonal cubed-sphere grids provided better overall accuracy than the most orthogonal (and therefore, much less uniform) conformal grid. It is also shown that a simple non-orthogonal extension to the transport equation enables the use of the highly non-orthogonal and computationally more efficient gnomonic grid with acceptable accuracy.     

Shape instabilities in vesicles: A phase-field model

A phase field model for dealing with shape instabilities in fluid membrane vesicles is presented. This model takes into account the Canham-Helfrich bending energy with spontaneous curvature. A dynamic equation for the phase-field is also derived. With this model it is possible to see the vesicle shape deformation dynamically, when some external agent instabilizes the membrane, for instance, inducing an inhomogeneous spontaneous curvature. The numerical scheme used is detailed and some stationary shapes are shown together with a shape diagram for vesicles of spherical topology and no spontaneous curvature, in agreement with known results.     

高密度和高粘度比率下气液两相流动的数值模拟

本文在VOF方法的基础上,采用粗细两套网格对高密度和高粘度比率下的气液两相流动模拟进行了研究分析.在细网格中求解流体体积函数方程,在粗网格中采用交错网格求解动量方程和压力修正方程,通过粗细网格间的数据传递获得求解动量方程时需要的准确的界面密度和粘度及控制体密度,克服了高密度和高粘度比率下通过插值方法计算界面密度和粘度及控制体密度带来较大误差的困难,保证了质量和动量同时守恒.高密度和高粘度比率下气液两相流动中气液交界面处密度、速度和压力急剧变化,为了保证格式的有界性和稳定性,采用稳定的有界高阶组合格式STOIC.最后模拟了不同工况下气泡在液体中的运动,并通过实验和模拟结果验证了方法的可行性及准确性.