Evolution of Contact and Weak Discontinuity Waves in Two Phase Drift Flux Model

Abstract

In this paper, we consider two-phase drift flux model and give a full symmetry group classification of the governing quasilinear system of partial differential equations (PDEs). An exact solution is obtained by mapping the governing system to an analogous system of PDEs, where the flow variable exhibits space-time dependence. The drift flux model, which is a strictly hyperbolic system, is shown to have a linearly degenerated characteristic field, therefore, the associated wave is a contact discontinuity. The transport equations for the evolution of the contact and weak discontinuity waves are studied explicitly and some intriguing observations on the behavior of these elementary waves are obtained.