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A solver for massively parallel direct numerical simulation of three-dimensional multiphase flows

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Abstract

We present a new solver for massively parallel simulations of fully three-dimensional multiphase flows. The solver runs on a variety of computer architectures from laptops to supercomputers and on 262144 threads or more (limited only by the availability to us of more threads). The code is wholly written by the authors in Fortran 2008 and uses a domain decomposition strategy for parallelization with MPI. The fluid interface solver is based on a parallel implementation of the LCRM hybrid front tracking/level set method designed to handle highly deforming interfaces with complex topology changes. We discuss the implementation of this interface method and its particular suitability to distributed processing where all operations are carried out locally on distributed subdomains. We have developed parallel GMRES and Multigrid iterative solvers suited to the linear systems arising from the implicit solution of the fluid velocities and pressure in the presence of strong density and viscosity discontinuities across fluid phases. Particular attention is drawn to the details and performance of the parallel Multigrid solver. The code includes modules for flow interaction with immersed solid objects, contact line dynamics, species and thermal transport with phase change. Here, however, we focus on the simulation of the canonical problem of drop splash onto a liquid film and report on the parallel performance of the code on varying numbers of threads. The 3D simulations were run on mesh resolutions up to 10243 with results at the higher resolutions showing the fine details and features of droplet ejection, crown formation and rim instability observed under similar experimental conditions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical and System Design Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul, 121-791, Korea

    Seungwon Shin

  2. Laboratoire d’Informatique pour la Mécanique et les Sciences de l’Ingénieur (LIMSI), CNRS-UPR 3251, 91405, Orsay, France

    Jalel Chergui & Damir Juric

Authors
  1. Seungwon Shin
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  2. Jalel Chergui
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  3. Damir Juric
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seungwon Shin.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Gihun Son

Seungwon Shin received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea, in 1995 and 1998, respectively. He then received his Ph.D. degree from Georgia Tech. in 2002. Dr. Shin is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical and System Design Engineering at Hongik University in Seoul, Korea. Dr. Shin’s research interests include computational fluid dynamics, multiphase flow, surface tension effect, phase change process.

Jalel Chergui received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Applied Fluid Mechanics from Tunis University of Science in 1982 and 1984, respectively and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Pierre and Marie Curie of Paris 6 in 1989. Dr. Chergui has worked in Academia and Government and is currently Ingénieur de Recherche at the CNRS in Orsay, France. His main research interests are in Parallel computational Fluid Dynamics for Multiphase Flows.

Damir Juric received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1987 and 1990, respectively and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan in 1996. Dr. Juric has worked in industry, academia and government and is currently Chargé de Recherche at the CNRS in Orsay, France. His research interests are in computational physics, fluid dynamics and interface methods for multiphase flow.

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Shin, S., Chergui, J. & Juric, D. A solver for massively parallel direct numerical simulation of three-dimensional multiphase flows. J Mech Sci Technol 31, 1739–1751 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-017-0322-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-017-0322-y

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