Implementation of a Level Set Interface Tracking Method in the FIDAP and CFX-4 Codes

Abstract

We present a streamline-upwind–Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) finite element level set method that may be implemented into commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, both finite element (FE) and finite volume (FV) based, to solve problems involving incompressible, two-phase flows with moving interfaces. The method can be used on both structured and unstructured grids. Two formulations are given. The first considers the coupled motion of the two phases and is implemented within the framework of the commercial CFD code CFX-4 . The second can be applied for those gas-liquid flows for which effects of the gaseous phase on the motion of the liquid phase are negligible; consequently, the gaseous phase is removed from consideration. This level set formulation is implemented in the commercial CFD code FIDAP . The resulting level set formulations are tested and validated on sample problems involving two-phase flows with density ratios of the order of 103 and viscosity ratios as high as 1.6×105.