High-Order Finite-Element Framework for the Efficient Simulation of Multifluid Flows

Abstract

In this paper, we present a comprehensive framework for the simulation of Multifluid flows based on the implicit level-set representation of interfaces and on an efficient solving strategy of the Navier-Stokes equations. The mathematical framework relies on a modular coupling approach between the level-set advection and the fluid equations. The space discretization is performed with possibly high-order stable finite elements while the time discretization features implicit Backward Differentation Formulae of arbitrary order. This framework has been implemented within the Feel++ library, and features seamless distributed parallelism with fast assembly procedures for the algebraic systems and efficient preconditioning strategies for their resolution. We also present simulation results for a three-dimensional Multifluid benchmark, and highlight the importance of using high-order finite elements for the level-set discretization for problems involving the geometry of the interfaces, such as the curvature or its derivatives.

Keywords

• Multifluid flows
• level-set method
• high-order finite elements
• Navier-Stokes equations
• finite-element toolbox
• parallel computing