Parallel adaptive simulation of a plunging liquid jet

This paper is concerned with three-dimensional numerical simulation of a plunging liquid jet. The transient processes of forming an air cavity around the jet, capturing an initially large air bubble, and the break-up of this large toroidal-shaped bubble into smaller bubbles were analyzed. A stabilized finite element method (FEM) was employed under parallel numerical simulations based on adaptive, unstructured grid and coupled with a level-set method to track the interface between air and liquid. These simulations show that the inertia of the liquid jet initially depresses the pool's surface, forming an annular air cavity which surrounds the liquid jet. A toroidal liquid eddy which is subsequently formed in the liquid pool results in air cavity collapse, and in turn entrains air into the liquid pool from the unstable annular air gap region around the liquid jet.