3-D multiscale adaptive eulerian-lagrangian method for multiphase flows with phase change

A multi-scale multiphase computational model including phase change has been developed to study the moving interfacial dynamics and thermal effect in various engineering and scientific applications, including spacecraft cryogenic propellant delivery processes. A 3-D adaptive Eulerian-Lagrangian method is implemented, utilizing the stationary (Eulerian) frame to resolve the flow field, and the marker-based triangulated moving (Lagrangian) surface meshes to treat the fluid interface and solid boundaries. Other than treating the unsteady, convection, pressure, viscous/diffusion, and buoyancy terms in the governing field equations, the energy and mass transfer across interface due to phase change is handled using probe-based profile computations. Numerous test cases are presented, including liquid fuel draining, sloshing, and surface flow stability related to the interfacial dynamics, and natural convection in a cavity and Stefan problem for energy transport and phase change dynamics. Copyright © 2010 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc