A suitable parametrization to simulate slug flows with the Volume-Of-Fluid method

Abstract

Diffuse–interface methods, such as the Volume-Of-Fluid method, are often used to simulate complex multiphase flows even if they require significant computation time. Moreover, it can be difficult to simulate some particular two-phase flows such as slug flows with thin liquid films. Suitable parametrization is necessary to provide accuracy and computation speed. Based on a numerical study of slug flows in capillary tubes, we show that it is not trivial to optimize the parametrization of these methods. Some simulation problems described in the literature are directly related to a poor model parametrization, such as an unsuitable discretization scheme or too large time steps. The weak influence of the mesh irregularity is also highlighted. It is shown how to capture accurately thin liquid films with reasonably low computation times.