Best Practices Vof

Best practices for the VOF model
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2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com
Outline
Which problems can be solved with VOF model? Settings
Multiphase Model Solver Settings:
Discretization and URF ITA vs NITA
Boundary Conditions
open channel
Initial conditions: smooth interface
Example setup: sloshing tank
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Which problems can be solved with VOF model?

VOF is exact multiphase model
Based on first principles Solves one set of momentum equations for single mixture fluid Turbulence and other models are the same as in single phase flows Becomes impractical if length scale of the interface is comparable to cell length scale
Illustration of mixture density concept
m = gas liq = 0, gas = 1 m = liq liq = 1, gas = 0

Density of the gas-liquid mixture fluid
m = liq liq + gas gas
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Settings: Multiphase Model

Most free surface flows are unsteady
Explicit vs implicit means how mass conservation equation is discretized in time Explicit method advantages
Small CPU effort per time step Accurate interface tracking scheme ensures interface thickness is one cell thick
Explicit method disadvantages

Restriction in time step size High grid quality requirement for default Geo scheme
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Explicit (cont.) 4 discretization methods for VOF equation
Geo default. Most accurate interface tracking without numerical diffusion. Cases where Geo-Reconstruct may fail or require too small time steps include
Skewed or high aspect ratio mesh create high quality mesh in regions of the domain where interface is expected or use Explicit scheme can be still used with Modified HRIC to minimize numerical diffusion Very large velocity difference between phases (gas assisted atomization) use implicit scheme with high resolution discretization for VOF (Modified HRIC) SolveControlsSolution
1-5

Explicit (cont.) 4 discretization methods for VOF equation
High viscosity ratio of phase material (molten plastics at low temperature) As the alternative a CICSAM scheme can be used it can handle high viscosity ratio or lower viscosity can be increased so viscosity ratio is below 1e-5 QUICK scheme is not recommended to use Modified HRIC is preferred SolveControlsSolution
1-6

Implicit all discretization schemes except Modified HRIC will most likely produce significant numerical diffusion so HRIC should be used Implicit scheme also allows for steady state solver however we recommend to solve even steady state problems with unsteady implicit scheme
SolveControlsSolution
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Solver Settings: Discretization and URF

Default single phase settings should be corrected for both explicit and implicit solvers Untoggle SkewnessNeighbor Coupling if mesh is skewed For compressible VOF problems use SIMPLE C instead of PISO Momentum URF can be increased
Conservative numerical settings for typical VOF model with good mesh
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Solver Settings: Discretization and URF

Implicit default singe phase settings may not be correct PRESTO is recommended pressure discretization
1-9
Solver Settings: ITA vs NITA

Non Iterative Time Advancement reduces computational effort per time step in comparison with iterative schemes (SIMPLE, PISO) Can be used with VOF model however convergence problems may happen use variable time step and reduce Max. corrections number for Momentum and reduce Relaxation Factor for pressure
DefineModelsSolver
1-10
Boundary conditions
Volume Fraction needs clear specification of interface location via initial and boundary conditions
Initial phase location is specified via marking cells in Adaptation and subsequent patching of Volume Fraction if needed Inlet or outlet BC must be setup such that only one phase can enter or exit domain
For velocity inlet, the incoming Volume Fraction of one phase must be 1 and all others must be zero For mass flow inlet, the mass flow rate of only one phase can have a nonzero value For pressure outlet, the back flow value of Volume Fraction of only one phase must be 1, all other Volume Fractions must be zero Outflow BC must never be used in any multiphase model including VOF
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Boundary conditions: Open channel

Applicable to flows where inertia and gravity are dominant with known depths of the liquid at the inlets or outlets
Example destroyer moving through the sea at depth yin at speed Vin Prescribe yin and Vin at inlet and yout at the outlet If Fr= Vin*(g yin)-0.5>1, then choice of yout does not matter flow supercritical, if Fr<1, then choice of yout influence solution (subcritical flow)
One can specify either yin and Vin (convection driven) or height difference (gravity driven) between yin and yout
yin
1-12
yout
r Vin
Initial conditions: smooth interface

Default initialization of interface through patching creates sharp interface often leads to divergence Smoothing interface can be accomplished by typing the following TUI command before initialization (rpsetvar patch/vof? #t) To return back to default sharp initialization type (rpsetvar patch/vof? #f) Works only per one initialization register created in ADAPTATION panel
(rpsetvar patch/vof? #t)
(rpsetvar patch/vof? #f)
1-13
Example setup: sloshing in the tank

Swaying motion of the partially filled tank is approximated as nonstationary body force using User Defined Function (UDF)
Fsway = a m 2 sin (t )
UDF uses DEFINE_SOURCE Macro to prescribe force per unit of volume in horizontal component of momentum equation
Gas Liqud
1-14

VOF model and solver definition
1-15

Definition of phase materials and phases
1-16

UDF hookup
1-17

Numerical settings
1-18

Choice of time step order of magnitude estimation
Two velocity scales are present
gravitational velocity scale
d U g dx 2
2
GridCheck
= g U g = 2 gx 3m / s
oscillation velocity scale

Uo = a
1/3
= 0.031m / s 2
cell length scale l = 0.03m for inertia dominated flows Courant number = 1 so
t = l 0.01sec MAX (U g , U O )
Variable time step was chosen where maximum time step was 0.01 sec
1-19

Results VOF at different oscillation periods T = 2 = 1.94 sec
t = 2T
t = 4T
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Example setup: injection generic problem

Explicit scheme with PISO algorithm and Geo scheme PRESTO discretization for pressure Time step size from the cell length and inlet velocity of red phase Surface tension can be turned on if deemed important Velocity inlet includes velocity and volume fraction 1 of red phase If turbulence and non-isothermal case make sure that back flow turbulence and temperature values are reasonable
Secondary phase inlet: velocity or inlet pressure BC
Constant pressure outlet BC with backflow volume fraction of white phase 1 Constant pressure outlet BC with backflow volume fraction of red phase 1
H0
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Example setup: injection with compressibility

White (primary phase) compressible gas, Red secondary phase with constant density and non-Newtonian Implicit scheme with HRIC discretization for volume fraction, PRESTO or STANDARD discretization for pressure PISO or SIMPLE pressure-velocity coupling Time step from cell length scale and red phase velocity scale Turn off solution of energy equation for first 10 time steps of temperature jumps are seen
Secondary phase inlet: mass flow or inlet pressure BC Primary phase inlet: mass flow or inlet pressure BC
Constant pressure outlet BC with backflow volume fraction of white phase 1
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Example setup: tank filling application

White (primary phase) incompressible gas, Red liquid secondary phase with constant density Create a uniform mesh and modify the mesh only in regions where mesh refinement is absolutely necessary Extrude 1-2 prism layers at the filling inlet. These cells will be part of a separate fluid volume, which is patched during initialization with a volume fraction of 1 (i.e. these cells are filled with filling fluid)
Pressure outlet with white phase backflow volume fraction 1 Secondary phase inlet: velocity or mass flow inlet BC
Wall
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Example setup: tank filling application (ctd.)

Examples of good and bad mesh practices in real geometry and example if inlet meshing
Good
Bad
Good
Bad
Inlet prism layer to be filled by secondary phase at initialization
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Example setup: tank filling application (ctd.)

Geo reconstruct scheme should be used together with PISO
0 iterations for Skewness Correction 1 iteration for Neighbor Correction Turn ON Skewness-Neighbor Coupling option
The under relaxation factors should have the following values;

Pressure 0.7 Momentum 0.8 Density 1 Body Forces 1
If NITA is used set Pressure under relaxation factor to 0.7 Time step size is usually determined by inlet velocity and mesh scale
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Additional training resources

Several tutorial are available on the Learning CFD center http://www.learningcfd.com/login/index.htm
Choose a Course
FLUENT
Intermediate Tutorials Tutorials with a Focus on Multiphase Flow Applications Advanced Tutorials
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Best practices for the VOF model

On-line FLUENT Training

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Initial conditions: smooth interface

Example setup: sloshing tank

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Which problems can be solved with VOF model?

m = gas liq = 0, gas = 1 m = liq liq = 1, gas = 0

m = liq liq + gas gas

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Settings: Multiphase Model

Explicit method disadvantages

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Settings: Multiphase Model

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Settings: Multiphase Model

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Settings: Multiphase Model

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Solver Settings: Discretization and URF

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Solver Settings: Discretization and URF

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Solver Settings: ITA vs NITA

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Boundary conditions: Open channel

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Initial conditions: smooth interface

(rpsetvar patch/vof? #f)

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Example setup: sloshing in the tank

2006 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary

Fluent User Services Center www.fluentusers.com

Example setup: sloshing in the tank