Multiscale Modeling of Cavitation using a Level Set Method with Cavity Detection

An Eulerian-Lagrangian multi-scale two-phase flow model is presented, which includes a micro-scale model for tracking the microbubbles, a macro-scale model for describing the overall flow field and large cavity dynamics, and a transition model to bridge the micro and macro scales. The method also includes a cavity detection scheme which marks each cavity with an ID index so that each can be tracked and treated individually. This approach was implemented in our CFD code 3DynaFS^© and used to simulate, for illustration, multiple bubble dynamics simultaneously released at different locations in a Rankine line vortex. The method captures their growth, entrainment into the vortex core, elongation along the vortex centerline, followed by potential splitting and breakup.