A new two-phase numerical model for species transfer in bubble flows: Comparison with the one-fluid method
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: We present a robust, accurate, and computationally efficient numerical strategy for modeling species transfer across immiscible fluid interfaces on Cartesian meshes. The method provides an efficient alternative to the classical one-fluid approach while retaining its algorithmic simplicity and limited computational overhead. The proposed framework relies on a two-phase formulation in cut cells, combining dedicated phase reconstructions with a simple and robust mass-flux approximation to accurately enforce interfacial jump conditions.The method is first assessed against analytical solutions for pure diffusion in both static and moving configurations. Compared with the standard one-fluid model, we demonstrate that appropriate phase reconstructions for the advection and the temporal scheme significantly improve the accuracy of the concentration field, including mean mass fluxes and interfacial concentrations. The approach is then validated on fully coupled three-dimensional simulations of mass transfer on rising bubbles. The computed Sherwood numbers are compared with established numerical results from the literature. While the Sherwood number is shown to be an unreliable indicator of concentration-field accuracy, the proposed schemes provide accurate and robust mass transfer predictions over a wide range of grid resolutions. Overall, the method achieves a substantial gain in accuracy for interfacial mass transfer at a computational cost that is comparable to the classical one-fluid formulations.
Source: Computers & Fluids
Language: English
Subfield: Computational Mechanics
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,700
OpenAlex ID: W7153590890