Direct numerical simulation of variable surface tension flows using a Volume-of-Fluid method

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2018

Abstract

We develop a general methodology for the inclusion of a variable surface tension coefficient into a Volume-of-Fluid based Navier–Stokes solver. This new numerical model provides a robust and accurate method for computing the surface gradients directly by finding the tangent directions on the interface using height functions. The implementation is applicable to both temperature and concentration dependent surface tension coefficient, along with the setups involving a large jump in the temperature between the fluid and its surrounding, as well as the situations where the concentration should be strictly confined to the fluid domain, such as the mixing of fluids with different surface tension coefficients. We demonstrate the applicability of our method to the thermocapillary migration of bubbles and the coalescence of drops characterized by a different surface tension coefficient.

Identifier

85031505570 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Journal of Computational Physics

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcp.2017.10.008

e-ISSN

10902716

ISSN

00219991

First Page

615

Last Page

636

Volume

352

Grant

1320037

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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