A stabilized finite element method using a discontinuous level set approach for solving two phase incompressible flows

A numerical method for the simulation of three-dimensional incompressible two-phase flows is presented. The proposed algorithm combines an implicit pressure stabilized finite element method for the solution of incompressible two-phase flow problems with a level set method implemented with a quadrature-free discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method [E. Marchandise, J.-F. Remacle, N. Chevaugeon, A quadrature free discontinuous Galerkin method for the level set equation, Journal of Computational Physics 212 (2006) 338-357]. The use of a fast contouring algorithm [N. Chevaugeon, E. Marchandise, C. Geuzaine, J.-F. Remacle, Efficient visualization of high order finite elements, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering] permits us to localize the interface accurately. By doing so, we can compute the discontinuous integrals without neither introducing an interface thickness nor reinitializing the level set. The capability of the resulting algorithm is demonstrated with "large scale" numerical examples (free surface flows: dam break, sloshing) and "small scale" ones (two phase Poiseuille, Rayleigh-Taylor instability). (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.