Numerical Methods for Viscous Flows With Moving Boundaries

Abstract

A review of numerical algorithms for the analysis of viscous flows with moving interfaces is presented. The review is supplemented with a discussion of methods that have been introduced in the context of other classes of free boundary problems, but which can be generalized to viscous flows with moving interfaces. The available algorithms can be classified as Eulerian, Lagrangian, and mixed, ie, Eulerian-Lagrangian. Eulerian algorithms consist of fixed grid methods, adaptive grid methods, mapping methods, and special methods. Lagrangian algorithms consist of strictly Lagrangian methods, Lagrangian methods with rezoning, free Lagrangian methods and particle methods. Mixed methods rely on both Lagrangian and Eulerian concepts. The review consists of a description of the present state-of-the-art of each group of algorithms and their applications to a variety of problems. The existing methods are effective in dealing with small to medium interface deformations. For problems with medium to large deformations the methods produce results that are reasonable from a physical viewpoint; however, their accuracy is difficult to ascertain.