A numerical model for the simulation of complex planar Newtonian interfaces

Abstract

We present a numerical model for the simulation of complex planar interfaces at which moving solid objects can be immersed, reproducing a wide variety of experimental conditions. The mathematical model consists of the Navier-Stokes equations governing the incompressible viscous flow in the liquid subphase, the transport equation for the evolution of the surfactant concentration at the interface, and the interfacial stress balance equation. The equations are simplified by treating the problem as isothermal and the surfactant as insoluble. The bulk flow equations are discretized using a collocated finite volume method, while the interfacial flow equations are discretized using a finite area method. The Boussinesq-Scriven interface constitutive model and a variant form accounting for extensional viscosity are used to describe the extra surface stress tensor. The coupling between surfactant concentration, interfacial velocity, and bulk velocity is treated implicitly by solving the interfacial and bulk equations sequentially at each time step until a stopping criterion is satisfied. The motion of the solid is treated by an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian method. The model has been implemented in the OpenFOAM framework and allows the incorporation of new interface models and solvers, making the developed new package a versatile and powerful tool in the field of computational rheology. Applications of the model include the numerical simulation of flow around objects, such as probes, immersed at a complex interface, reproducing given experimental conditions, and its use as a tool in the analysis and design of interfacial stress rheometers. Several test cases have been performed to validate the model by comparing the results obtained with analytical solutions and with numerical and experimental results available in the literature.