Two-phase flow with mass density contrast: stable schemes for a thermodynamic consistent and frame-indifferent diffuse-interface model

TL;DR

This paper introduces a thermodynamically consistent, frame-indifferent numerical scheme for a diffuse-interface model of two-phase flow with density contrast, validated through numerical experiments including Rayleigh-Taylor instability.

Contribution

It develops a novel discretization that ensures thermodynamic consistency in simulating two-phase flows with density differences, advancing numerical methods for diffuse-interface models.

Findings

Scheme is energy-stable and thermodynamically consistent.

Numerical experiments validate the scheme's practicality.

Model captures complex flow phenomena like Rayleigh-Taylor instability.

Abstract

In this paper, we present a numerical scheme for the diffuse-interface model in [Abels, Garcke, Gr\"un, M3AS 22(3), 2012] for two-phase flow of immiscible, incompressible fluids. As that model is in particular consistent with thermodynamics, energy estimates are expected to carry over to the discrete setting. By a subtle discretization of the convective coupling with the flux of the phase-field in the momentum equation, we prove discrete consistency with thermodynamics. Numerical experiments in two spatial dimensions -- ranging from Rayleigh-Taylor instability to a comparison with previous modeling approaches -- indicate the full practicality of our scheme and enable a first validation of the new modeling approach in [Abels, Garcke, Gr\"un, M3AS 22(3), 2012].