A Simple Weighted Integration Method for Calculating Surface Tension Force to Suppress Parasitic Flow in the Level Set Approach1

Parasitic flows may occur in the numerical simulation of incompressible multiphase flow due to errors in the calculation of surface tension terms, specifically for the curvature and unit normal vector. An improved method for calculating the surface tension based on the level set approach is proposed, in which the contribution of not only the center node but also the rest area of a control volume to the calculation of surface tension is considered in a balanced manner. The weighted integration method (WIM) is more consistent with the concept of a banded interface in the level set method. It is applied to the temporal evolution of a two-dimensional neutrally buoyant liquid drop and a buoyancy driven deformable bubble in an immiscible fluid for the validation of WIM. The results show that the parasitic flows are evidently suppressed by the weighted integration method. The weight factors for WIM in 3-D cases are also suggested.