New methods for microscale multiphase flows: application to separation processes

Abstract

This research proposal covers the study and development of new finite element methods for dynamic meshes, with the objective of simulating multiphase flows with free boundaries, specially in the presence of a dense-packed layer of many droplets. Such flows are important in applications in the oil industry, more specifically when modeling phase separation devices (for instance water and oil). In this type o flow, effects happening in the sub-millimeter scale are of great importance, and up to now, available numerical methods fail to properly resolve these phenomena. The equations modeling the multiphase flows will be treated in an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian framework, where suitable boundary conditions will be applied at the free boundaries separating different fluids. Some of the numerical challenges involved are the correct representation of the interface in the moving mesh framework, the geometry and topology maintenance of the dynamic mesh, and those coming from the correct modeling of microscale phenomena, such as droplet coalescence. (AU)