Level Set Approach (level + set_approach)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Numerical simulation of bubble and droplet deformation by a level set approach with surface tension in three dimensions

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 9 2010
Roberto Croce
Abstract In this paper we present a three-dimensional Navier,Stokes solver for incompressible two-phase flow problems with surface tension and apply the proposed scheme to the simulation of bubble and droplet deformation. One of the main concerns of this study is the impact of surface tension and its discretization on the overall convergence behavior and conservation properties. Our approach employs a standard finite difference/finite volume discretization on uniform Cartesian staggered grids and uses Chorin's projection approach. The free surface between the two fluid phases is tracked with a level set (LS) technique. Here, the interface conditions are implicitly incorporated into the momentum equations by the continuum surface force method. Surface tension is evaluated using a smoothed delta function and a third-order interpolation. The problem of mass conservation for the two phases is treated by a reinitialization of the LS function employing a regularized signum function and a global fixed point iteration. All convective terms are discretized by a WENO scheme of fifth order. Altogether, our approach exhibits a second-order convergence away from the free surface. The discretization of surface tension requires a smoothing scheme near the free surface, which leads to a first-order convergence in the smoothing region. We discuss the details of the proposed numerical scheme and present the results of several numerical experiments concerning mass conservation, convergence of curvature, and the application of our solver to the simulation of two rising bubble problems, one with small and one with large jumps in material parameters, and the simulation of a droplet deformation due to a shear flow in three space dimensions. Furthermore, we compare our three-dimensional results with those of quasi-two-dimensional and two-dimensional simulations. This comparison clearly shows the need for full three-dimensional simulations of droplet and bubble deformation to capture the correct physical behavior. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


On surface tension modelling using the level set method

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 2 2009
Sergey V. Shepel
Abstract The paper describes and compares the performance of two options for numerically representing the surface tension force in combination with the level set interface-tracking method. In both models, the surface tension is represented as a body force, concentrated near the interface, but the technical implementation is different: the first model is based on a traditional level set approach in which the force is distributed in a band around the interface using a regularized delta function, whereas in the second, the force is partly distributed in a band around the interface and partly localized to the actual computational cells containing the interface. A comparative study, involving analysis of several two-phase flows with moving interfaces, shows that in general the two surface tension models produce results of similar accuracy. However, in the particular case of merging and pinching-off of interfaces, the traditional level set model of surface tension produces an error that results in non-converging solutions for film-like interfaces (i.e. ones involving large contact areas). In contrast, the second model, based on the localized representation of the surface tension force, displays consistent first-order convergence. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Improving Eulerian two-phase flow finite element approximation with discontinuous gradient pressure shape functions

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 12 2005
A. H. Coppola-Owen
Abstract In this paper we present a problem we have encountered using a stabilized finite element method on fixed grids for flows with interfaces modelled with the level set approach. We propose a solution based on enriching the pressure shape functions on the elements cut by the interface. The enrichment is used to enable the pressure gradient to be discontinuous at the interface, thus improving the ability to simulate the behaviour of fluids with different density under a gravitational force. The additional shape function used is local to each element and the corresponding degree of freedom can therefore be condensed prior to assembly, making the implementation quite simple on any existing finite element code. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


RANS-simulation of premixed turbulent combustion using the level set approach

PROCEEDINGS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS & MECHANICS, Issue 1 2005
A. Kurenkov
A model for premixed turbulent combustion is investigated using a RANS-approach. The evolution of the flame front is described with the help of the level set approach [1] which is used for tracking of propagating interfaces in free-surface flows, geodesics, grid generation and combustion. The fluid properties are conditioned on the flame front position using a burntunburnt probability function across the flame front. Computations are performed using the code FASTEST-3D which is a flow solver for a non-orthogonal, block-structured grid. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]