A hybrid interface method for three-dimensional multiphase flows based on front tracking and level set techniques

Successful interface methods for multiphase flows need to be designed to operate well in the opposite extremes of strongly surface tension-dominant flows on the one hand and strongly deforming flows on the other. To this end, recent advances in direct numerical simulation of multiphase flows have involved the hybridization of popular methods. One hybrid approach developed by the authors is the level contour reconstruction method (LCRM), which combines the characteristics of both the front tracking and the level set method. It was designed specifically for general 3D multiphase flow problems where very dynamic and deformable interfaces interact and where accuracy, reliability, and simplicity are essential features. In this paper, we carry the hybridization of the LCRM with the level set technique to a further level in that the explicit calculation of a distance function is introduced and plays a crucial role in the interface reconstruction procedure as well as in the calculation of the surface tension force. An accurate method of computing the distance function directly from the tracked interface is presented whereby a vector distance function is found, i.e. the minimum distance to the interface as well as the corresponding minimum distance point location on the interface itself. This information allows us to calculate a compact Curvature field for the computation of the surface tension force, which decreases the level of parasitic Currents to a negligible level. Various benchmark test cases to demonstrate the accuracy of the new schemes compared with other existing methods are provided. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.