An improved SPH model for multiphase flows with large density ratios

This paper presents a new smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) model for simulating multiphase fluid flows with large density ratios. The new SPH model consists of an improved discretization scheme, an enhanced multiphase interface treatment algorithm, and a coupled dynamic boundary treatment technique. The presented SPH discretization scheme is developed from Taylor series analysis with kernel normalization and kernel gradient correction and is then used to discretize the Navier‐Stokes equation to obtain improved SPH equations of motion for multiphase fluid flows. The multiphase interface treatment algorithm involves treating neighboring particles from different phases as virtual particles with specially updated density to maintain pressure consistency and a repulsive interface force between neighboring interface particles into the pressure gradient to keep sharp interface. The coupled dynamic boundary treatment technique includes a soft repulsive force between approaching fluid and solid particles while the information of virtual particles are approximated using the improved SPH discretization scheme. The presented SPH model is applied to 3 typical multiphase flow problems including dam breaking, Rayleigh‐Taylor instability, and air bubble rising in water. It is demonstrated that inherent multiphase flow physics can be well captured while the dynamic evolution of the complex multiphase interfaces is sharp with consistent pressure across the interfaces.     

A simple SPH algorithm for multi‐fluid flow with high density ratios

In this paper, we describe an SPH algorithm for multi‐fluid flow, which is efficient, simple and robust. We derive the inviscid equations of motion from a Lagrangian together with the constraint provided by the continuity equation. The viscous flow equations then follow by adding a viscous term. Rigid boundaries are simulated using boundary force particles in a manner similar to the immersed boundary method. Each fluid is approximated as weakly compressible with a speed of sound sufficiently large to guarantee that the relative density variations are typically 1%. When the SPH force interaction is between two particles of different fluids, we increase the pressure terms. This simple procedure stabilizes the interface between the fluids. The equations of motion are integrated using a time stepping rule based on a second‐order symplectic integrator. When linear and angular momentum should be conserved exactly, they are conserved to within round‐off errors. We test the algorithm by simulating a variety of problems involving fluids with a density ratio in the range 1–1000. The first of these is a free surface problem with no rigid boundaries. It involves the flow of an elliptical distribution with one fluid inside the other. We show that the simulations converge as the particle spacing decreases, and the results are in good agreement with the exact inviscid, incompressible theory. The second test is similar to the first but involves the nonlinear oscillation of the fluids. As in the first test, the agreement with theory is very good, and the method converges. The third test is the simulation of waves at the interface between two fluids. The method is shown to converge, and the agreement with theory is satisfactory. The fourth test is the Rayleigh–Taylor instability for a configuration considered by other authors. Key parameters are shown to converge, and the agreement with other authors is good. The fifth and final test is how well the SPH method simulates gravity currents with density ratios in the range 2–30. The results of these simulations are in very good agreement with those of other authors and in satisfactory agreement with experimental results.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation of multifluid flows

This paper presents an incompressible SPH (ISPH) technique to simulate multifluid flows. The SPH method is a mesh‐free particle modeling approach that can treat free surfaces and multi‐interfaces in a simple and efficient manner. The ISPH method employs an incompressible hydrodynamic formulation to solve the fluid pressure that ensures a stable pressure field. Two multifluid ISPH models are proposed following different interface treatments: the coupled ISPH model does not distinguish the different fluid phases and applies the standard ISPH technique across the interface, whereas the decoupled ISPH model first treats each fluid phase separately and then couples the different phases by applying pressure and shear stress continuities across the interface. The two proposed models were used to investigate a gravity underflow with a low density ratio in a Generalized Reservoir Hydrodynamics (GRH) flume and a horizontal lock exchange flow with a high density ratio. Comparisons with data and relevant numerical error analysis indicated that the decoupled model performed well in cases of both low and high density ratios because of the accurate treatment of interface boundaries. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An SPH pressure correction algorithm for multiphase flows with large density ratio

In this paper, we propose an interfacial pressure correction algorithm for smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulation of multiphase flows with large density ratios. This correction term is based on the assumption of small deformation of the interface, and derived from perturbation expansion analysis. It is also proven to be applicable in cases with complex interfaces. This correction algorithm helps to overcome the discontinuities of the pressure gradient over the interfaces, which may cause unphysical gap between different phases. This proposed correction algorithm is implemented on a recent multiphase SPH model, which is based on the assumption of pressure continuity over the interfaces. The coupled dynamic solid boundary treatment is used to simulate solid walls; and a cut‐off pressure is applied to avoid negative particle pressure, which may cause computational instabilities in SPH. Three numerical examples of air–water flows, including sloshing, dam breaking, and water entry, are presented and compared with experimental data, indicating the robustness of our pressure correction algorithm in multiphase simulations with large density ratios. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一种基于黎曼解处理大密度比多相流SPH的改进算法

多相流界面存在密度、黏性等物理场间断,直接采用传统光滑粒子水动力学(smoothedparticle hydrodynamics,SPH)方法进行数值模拟,界面附近的压力和速度存在震荡.一套基于黎曼解能够处理大密度比的多相流SPH计算模型被提出,该模型利用黎曼解在处理接触间断问题方面的优势,将黎曼解引入到SPH多相流计算模型中,为了能够准确求解多相流体物理黏性、减小黎曼耗散,对黎曼形式的SPH动量方程进行了改进,又将Adami固壁边界与黎曼单侧问题相结合来施加多相流SPH固壁边界,同时模型中考虑了表面张力对小尺度异相界面的影响,该模型没有添加任何人工黏性、人工耗散和非物理人工处理技术,能够反应多相流真实物理黏性和物理演变状态.采用该模型首先对三种不同粒子间距离散下方形液滴震荡问题进行了数值模拟,验证了该模型在处理异相界面的正确性和模型本身的收敛性;后又通过对Rayleigh--Taylor不稳定、单气泡上浮、双气泡上浮问题进行了模拟计算,结果与文献对比吻合度高,异相界面捕捉清晰,结果表明,本文改进的多相流SPH模型能够稳定、有效的模拟大密度比和黏性比的多相流问题.      

Numerical simulation of two‐dimensional Kelvin–Helmholtz instability using weakly compressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics

The growth of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability generated at the interface between two ideal gases is studied by means of a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) scheme suitable for multi‐fluids. The SPH scheme is based on the continuity equation approach where the densities of SPH particles are evolved during the simulation, in combination with a momentum equation previously proposed in the literature. A series of simulations were carried out to investigate the influence of viscosity, smoothing, the thickness of density and velocity transition layers. It was found that the effective viscosity of the presented results are strongly dependent on the artificial viscosity parameter α_AV, with a linear dependence of 0.15. The utilisation of a viscosity switch is found to significantly reduce the spurious viscosity dependence to 1.68 × 10^?4 and generated qualitatively improved behaviour for inviscid fluids. The linear growth rate in the numerical solutions is found to be in satisfactory agreement with analytical expectations, with an average relative error 〈η_smooth〉=13%. In addition, the role played by velocity and density transition layers is also in general agreement with the analytical theory, except for the sharp‐velocity, finite‐density gradient cases where the larger growth rate than the classical growth rate is expected. We argue the inherited smoothing properties of the velocity field during the simulations are responsible for causing this discrepancy. Finally, the SPH results are in good agreement for finite velocity and density gradient scenarios, where an average relative error of 〈η_smooth〉=11.5% is found in our work. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulating surface tension with smoothed particle hydrodynamics

A method for simulating two‐phase flows including surface tension is presented. The approach is based upon smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). The fully Lagrangian nature of SPH maintains sharp fluid–fluid interfaces without employing high‐order advection schemes or explicit interface reconstruction. Several possible implementations of surface tension force are suggested and compared. The numerical stability of the method is investigated and optimal choices for numerical parameters are identified. Comparisons with a grid‐based volume of fluid method for two‐dimensional flows are excellent. The methods presented here apply to problems involving interfaces of arbitrary shape undergoing fragmentation and coalescence within a two‐phase system and readily extend to three‐dimensional problems. Boundary conditions at a solid surface, high viscosity and density ratios, and the simulation of free‐surface flows are not addressed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An integrated smoothed particle hydrodynamics model for complex interfacial flows with large density ratios

In this paper, an integrated smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) model for complex interfacial flows with large density ratios is developed. The discrete continuity equation and acceleration equation are obtained by considering the time derivative of the volume of particle and Eckart's continuum Lagrangian equation. A continuum surface force model is used to meet the fact that surface force may not be distributed uniformly on each side of the interface. An improved boundary condition is imposed to model wall free-slip and no-slip condition for interfacial flows with large density ratios. Particle shifting algorithm (PSA) is added for interfacial flows by imposing the normal correction near the interface, called as Interface-PSA. Then four representative numerical examples, including droplet deformation, Rayleigh-Taylor instability, dam breaking, and bubble rising, are presented and compared well with reference data. It is demonstrated that inherent interfacial flow physics can be well captured, including surface tension and the dynamic evolution of the complex interfaces.     

圆柱形汇聚激波诱导 Richtmyer-Meshkov不稳定的 SPH 模拟

汇聚激波诱导不同物质界面的Richtmyer-Meshkov(RM)不稳定现象在惯性约束核聚变领域有重要的学术意义和工程背景.基于网格离散的宏观流体力学方法由于数值扩散问题往往需要高阶精度算法才能准确追踪界面演化,且对大变形和破碎合并等复杂界面追踪也极为困难.光滑粒子流体动力学(smoothed particlehydrodynamics,SPH)方法采用纯拉格朗日算法,可以有效克服上述难点.但经典SPH算法需采用人工黏性处理强间断,在激波间断处往往会出现严重的非物理振荡,对于涉及强冲击不稳定性问题,很难达到理想的模拟效果.本文采用基于HLL黎曼求解器的SPH算法,实现了对强激波和大密度比物质界面的有效分辨和追踪.一维数值校核证明了代码的可靠性、健壮性,并进一步模拟了二维圆柱形汇聚冲击波冲击四边形轻/重气界面诱导的RM不稳定性问题,与已有实验结果进行了对比,发现模拟结果与实验结果吻合.通过分析界面演化过程中的密度及压力变化,发现本文所采用的方法可准确地追踪激波与界面作用的复杂界面和波系演化规律.研究结果为进一步理解和解释汇聚冲击条件下的RM不稳定性机理奠定了基础.      

An incompressible SPH method for simulation of unsteady viscoelastic free-surface flows

In this paper, an incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method is presented to solve unsteady free-surface flows. Both Newtonian and viscoelastic fluids are considered. In the case of viscoelastic fluids, both the Maxwell and Oldroyd-B models are investigated. The proposed SPH method uses a Poisson pressure equation to satisfy the incompressibility constraints. The solution algorithm is an explicit predictor-corrector scheme and employs an adaptive smoothing length based on density variations. To alleviate the numerical difficulties encountered when fluid is highly stretched, an artificial stress term is incorporated into the momentum equation which reduces the risk of unrealistic fractures in the material. Two challenging test cases, the impacting drop and the jet buckling problems, are solved to demonstrate the capability of the proposed scheme in handling viscoelastic flows with complex free surfaces. The jet buckling test case was solved for a wide range of Weissenberg numbers. It was shown that in all cases the method is stable and fairly accurate and agrees well with the available data.     

A mass‐conserving Level‐Set method for modelling of multi‐phase flows

A mass‐conserving Level‐Set method to model bubbly flows is presented. The method can handle high density‐ratio flows with complex interface topologies, such as flows with simultaneous occurrence of bubbles and droplets. Aspects taken into account are: a sharp front (density changes abruptly), arbitrarily shaped interfaces, surface tension, buoyancy and coalescence of droplets/bubbles. Attention is paid to mass‐conservation and integrity of the interface. The proposed computational method is a Level‐Set method, where a Volume‐of‐Fluid function is used to conserve mass when the interface is advected. The aim of the method is to combine the advantages of the Level‐Set and Volume‐of‐Fluid methods without the disadvantages. The flow is computed with a pressure correction method with the Marker‐and‐Cell scheme. Interface conditions are satisfied by means of the continuous surface force methodology and the jump in the density field is maintained similar to the ghost fluid method for incompressible flows. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An improved three-dimensional model for interface pressure calculations in free-surface flows

A three-dimensional method for the calculation of interface pressure in the computational modeling of free surfaces and interfaces is developed. The methodology is based on the calculation of the pressure force at the interfacial cell faces and is mainly designed for volume of fluid (VOF) interface capturing approach. The pressure forces at the interfacial cell faces are calculated according to the pressure imposed by each fluid on the portion of the cell face that is occupied by that fluid. Special formulations for the pressure in the interfacial cells are derived for different orientations of an interface. The present method, referred to as pressure calculation based on the interface location (PCIL), is applied to both static and dynamic cases. First, a three-dimensional motionless drop of liquid in an initially stagnant fluid with no gravity force is simulated as the static case and then two different small air bubbles in water are simulated as dynamic cases. A two-fluid, piecewise linear interface calculation VOF method is used for numerical simulation of the interfacial flow. For the static case, both the continuum surface force (CSF) and the continuum surface stress (CSS) methods are used for surface tension calculations. A wide range of Ohnesorge numbers and density and viscosity ratios of the two fluids are tested. It is shown that the presence of spurious currents (artificial velocities present in case of considerable capillary forces) is mainly due to the inaccurate calculation of pressure forces in the interfacial computational cells. The PCIL model reduces the spurious currents up to more than two orders of magnitude for the cases tested.

Also for the dynamic bubble rise case, it is shown that using the numerical solver employed here, without PCIL, the magnitude of spurious currents is so high that it is not possible to simulate this type of surface tension dominated flows, while using PCIL, we are able to simulate bubble rise and obtain results in close agreement with the experimental data.     

Dynamic behaviour of a bubble near an elastic infinite interface

This paper presents a study to describe the behaviour of a non-equilibrium bubble in a fluid (Fluid 1) that is in contact with another fluid (Fluid 2). Fluid 2 is assumed to incorporate some elastic properties, which are modelled through a pressure term at the fluid–fluid interface. The Laplace equation is assumed to be valid in both fluids and the boundary integral method is employed to simulate the dynamics of the bubble and the fluid–fluid interface. Interesting characteristic phenomena concerning bubble oscillations and the deformation of the fluid–fluid interface are studied for a range of parameters (distance from the fluid–fluid interface, density ratios of the two fluids and elastic properties of Fluid 2). Some of the phenomena observed are jet formation in the bubble, bubble splitting, a ring bubble separating from the main bubble, mushroom-shaped bubbles and the dynamic elevation of the elastic interface. Most of these phenomena are only observed when Fluid 2 possesses some elastic properties (besides the usual formation of a high speed liquid jet). Comparisons with experimental observations confirm the validity of our simulations.     

A robust multi‐grid pressure‐based algorithm for multi‐fluid flow at all speeds

This paper reports on the implementation and testing, within a full non‐linear multi‐grid environment, of a new pressure‐based algorithm for the prediction of multi‐fluid flow at all speeds. The algorithm is part of the mass conservation‐based algorithms (MCBA) group in which the pressure correction equation is derived from overall mass conservation. The performance of the new method is assessed by solving a series of two‐dimensional two‐fluid flow test problems varying from turbulent low Mach number to supersonic flows, and from very low to high fluid density ratios. Solutions are generated for several grid sizes using the single grid (SG), the prolongation grid (PG), and the full non‐linear multi‐grid (FMG) methods. The main outcomes of this study are: (i) a clear demonstration of the ability of the FMG method to tackle the added non‐linearity of multi‐fluid flows, which is manifested through the performance jump observed when using the non‐linear multi‐grid approach as compared to the SG and PG methods; (ii) the extension of the FMG method to predict turbulent multi‐fluid flows at all speeds. The convergence history plots and CPU‐times presented indicate that the FMG method is far more efficient than the PG method and accelerates the convergence rate over the SG method, for the problems solved and the grids used, by a factor reaching a value as high as 15. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The development of a Cartesian cut cell method for incompressible viscous flows

This paper describes the extension of the Cartesian cut cell method to applications involving unsteady incompressible viscous fluid flow. The underlying scheme is based on the solution of the full Navier–Stokes equations for a variable density fluid system using the artificial compressibility technique together with a Jameson‐type dual time iteration. The computational domain encompasses two fluid regions and the interface between them is treated as a contact discontinuity in the density field, thereby eliminating the need for special free surface tracking procedures. The Cartesian cut cell technique is used for fitting the complex geometry of solid boundaries across a stationary background Cartesian grid which is located inside the computational domain. A time accurate solution is achieved by using an implicit dual‐time iteration technique based on a slope‐limited, high‐order, Godunov‐type scheme for the inviscid fluxes, while the viscous fluxes are estimated using central differencing. Validation of the new technique is by modelling the unsteady Couette flow and the Rayleigh–Taylor instability problems. Finally, a test case for wave run‐up and overtopping over an impermeable sea dike is performed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical simulation of plane and spatial nonlinear stationary waves in a two-layer fluid of arbitrary depth

The solution of a model differential equation for the three-dimensional perturbations of the interface between two immiscible fluids of different densities lying between a stationary nondeformable bottom and cover is presented. It is assumed that the waves have an arbitrary length and small, though finite, amplitude. The shapes of stationary traveling internal waves, both periodic in the two horizontal coordinates and soliton-like, are presented. These shapes depend on different parameters of the problem: the direction of the perturbation wave vector and the fluid layer depth and density ratios.     

On the composite Riemann problem for multi‐material fluid flows

We develop an Eulerian fixed grid numerical method for calculating multi‐material fluid flows. This approach relates to the class of interface capturing methods. The fluid is treated as a heterogeneous mixture of constituent materials, and the material interface is implicitly captured by a region of mixed cells that have arisen owing to numerical diffusion. To suppress this numerical diffusion, we propose a composite Riemann problem (CRP), which describes the decay of an initial discontinuity in the presence of a contact point between two different fluids, which is located off the initial discontinuity point. The solution to the CRP serves to calculate multi‐material no mixed numerical flux without introducing any material diffusion. We discuss the CRP solution and its implementation in the multi‐material fluid Godunov method. Numerical results show that a simple framework of the CRP greatly improves capturing material interfaces in the Godunov method and reproduces many of the advantages of more complicated interface tracking multi‐material treatments. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A corrected symmetric SPH method to simulate viscoelastic free surface flows based on the PTT model

In this work, a corrected symmetric and periodic density reinitialized SPH (CSPDR‐SPH) method is proposed and extended to simulate the viscoelastic free surface flows based on the Phan–Thien–Tanner model. The improvements mainly lie in deriving a corrected symmetric kernel gradient, and combining it with a periodic density reinitialization procedure. In addition, a simple artificial viscosity and a simple artificial stress form are adopted. Thus, the CSPDR‐SPH method has higher accuracy and better stability than the SPH method, and conserves both linear and angular momentums. The consistency and convergence of the CSPDR‐SPH method are justified by approximating a function in one and two dimensions. The merits of CSPDR‐SPH method are demonstrated by several benchmarks. The simple flow in a two‐dimensional channel is investigated to show the capability of the CSPDR‐SPH method to simulate the viscoelastic free surface flow. Then the CSPDR‐SPH method is extended to simulate the impacting drop problem. Numerical results show that the CSPDR‐SPH method can precisely capture the viscoelastic free surface. The Reynolds number, Weissenberg number and elongation parameter have remarkable effect on the flows. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of air on solid body impact with water in two dimensions

In this paper we study the motion of wedge and catamaran shaped hulls initially in air, then impacting with water. We consider motion in two dimensions and simulate the impact using SPH in a form suitable for two-phase flow. This SPH algorithm has been tested for a variety of problems involving air and water with very good results. However, we supplement those tests by simulating the dynamics of bubbles, and the motion of piston driven by the pressure of air in a tube. The former confirms that our algorithm simulates the motion of two fluids with a high density ratio (in this case 1000) while the latter is relevant to the impact of a catamaran shaped hull where the trapped air cushions the impact. In both cases the results are in very good agreement with theory. When applied to simulate the dynamics of a wedge falling into a fluid the results are in good agreement with theory and confirm that the effect of the air on the motion is small because the air can escape easily as the wedge enters the water. When applied to simulate a model catamaran hull in two dimensions, where the air is trapped beneath the hull, the effect of air is pronounced. The simulations with the catamaran hull are not in close agreement with experiments because the hull in three dimensions does not trap air effectively as it does in two dimensions.