Numerical simulation of two-phase flow with interface tracking by adaptive Eulerian grid subdivision

A numerical model for the simulation of three-dimensional liquid-gas flow with free surfaces is presented. The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are assumed to hold in the liquid domain, while the surrounding gas is assumed to be compressible, with constant pressure in each bubble of gas. An implicit time splitting scheme couples a method of characteristics for the solution of advection problems, the continuum surface force model for the computation of surface tension effects, and an implicit scheme for the solution of a time dependent Stokes problem. A two-grid method that couples a structured grid of small cells and a finite element mesh of tetrahedrons is used. A novel interface tracking technique involving local adaptive mesh refinement around the interface is detailed to obtain a more accurate approximation of the free surfaces and the surface forces. Numerical experiments, including sloshing and oscillations problems, illustrate the accuracy improvement when using the adaptive Eulerian grid subdivision. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis and numerical simulation of free surface flows

Alexandre Caboussat

Mathematical and numerical aspects of free surface flows are investigated. On one hand, the mathematical analysis of some free surface flows is considered. A model problem in one space dimension is first investigated. The Burgers equation with diffusion has to be solved on a space interval with one free extremity. This extremity is unknown and moves in time. An ordinary differential equation for the position of the free extremity of the interval is added in order to close the mathematical problem. Local existence in time and uniqueness results are proved for the problem with given domain, then for the free surface problem. A priori and a posteriori error estimates are obtained for the semi-discretization in space. The stability and the convergence of an Eulerian time splitting scheme are investigated. The same methodology is then used to study free surface flows in two space dimensions. The incompressible unsteady Navier-Stokes equations with Neumann boundary conditions on the whole boundary are considered. The whole boundary is assumed to be the free surface. An additional equation is used to describe the moving domain. Local existence in time and uniqueness results are obtained. On the other hand, a model for free surface flows in two and three space dimensions is investigated. The liquid is assumed to be surrounded by a compressible gas. The incompressible unsteady Navier-Stokes equations are assumed to hold in the liquid region. A volume-of-fluid method is used to describe the motion of the liquid domain. The velocity in the gas is disregarded and the pressure is computed by the ideal gas law in each gas bubble trapped by the liquid. A numbering algorithm is presented to recognize the bubbles of gas. Gas pressure is applied as a normal force on the liquid-gas interface. Surface tension effects are also taken into account for the simulation of bubbles or droplets flows. A method for the computation of the curvature is presented. Convergence and accuracy of the approximation of the curvature are discussed. A time splitting scheme is used to decouple the various physical phenomena. Numerical simulations are made in the frame of mould filling to show that the influence of gas on the free surface cannot be neglected. Curvature-driven flows are also considered.

EPFL2004

A semi-Lagrangian splitting method for the numerical simulation of sediment transport with free surface flows

Alexandre Caboussat, Arwa Mrad, Marco Picasso, Gilles Steiner

We present a numerical model for the simulation of 3D poly-dispersed sediment transport in a Newtonian flow with free surfaces. The physical model is based on a mixture model for multiphase flows. The Navier-Stokes equations are coupled with the transport and deposition of the particle concentrations, and a volume-of-fluid approach to track the free surface between water and air. The numerical algorithm relies on operator-splitting to decouple advection and diffusion phenomena. Two grids are used, based on unstructured finite elements for diffusion and an appropriate combination of the characteristics method with Godunov's method for advection on a structured grid. The numerical model is validated through numerical experiments. Simulation results are compared with experimental results in various situations for mono-disperse and bi-disperse sediments, and the calibration of the model is performed using, in particular, erosion experiments. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD2018

Numerical simulation of free surface incompressible liquid flows surrounded by compressible gas

Alexandre Caboussat, Marco Picasso, Jacques Rappaz

A numerical model for the three-dimensional simulation of liquid-gas flows with free surfaces is presented. The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are assumed to hold in the liquid domain. In the gas domain, the velocity is disregarded, the pressure is supposed to be constant in each connected component of the gas domain and follows the ideal gas law. The gas pressure is imposed as a normal force on the liquid-gas interface. An implicit splitting scheme is used to decouple the physical phenomena. Given the gas pressure on the interface, the method described in [J. Comput Phys. 155 (1999) 439; Int. J. Numer. Meth. Fluids 42(7) (2003) 697] is used to track the liquid domain and to compute the velocity and pressure fields in the liquid. Then the connected components of the gas domain are found using an original numbering algorithm. Finally, the gas pressure is updated from the ideal gas law in each connected component of gas. The implementation is validated in the frame of mould filling. Numerical results in two and three space dimensions show that the effect of pressure in the bubbles of gas trapped by the liquid cannot be neglected. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2005

Analysis and numerical simulation of free surface flows

Alexandre Caboussat

EPFL2004