Algorithms to calculate interface area and centroid based on the VOF model

YU Pengfei; ZHANG Meng; LIU Hu; CHE Defu

doi:null

您当前的位置：

首页 >

文章列表页 >

Algorithms to calculate interface area and centroid based on the VOF model

更新时间：2025-11-18

- Algorithms to calculate interface area and centroid based on the VOF model
- JOURNAL OF XI’AN JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY (2025)
- 作者机构：
  
  西安交通大学动力工程多相流国家重点实验室,陕西省西安市710049
- 作者简介：
- 基金信息：
- DOI：
  CLC： TK124
- Received：14 July 2025，
  
  Revised：2025-09-11，
  
  Accepted：29 September 2025，
- 稿件说明：
移动端阅览
YU Pengfei, ZHANG Meng, LIU Hu, et al. Algorithms to calculate interface area and centroid based on the VOF model[J/OL]. JOURNAL OF XI’AN JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY, 2025.
DOI：

YU Pengfei, ZHANG Meng, LIU Hu, et al. Algorithms to calculate interface area and centroid based on the VOF model[J/OL]. JOURNAL OF XI’AN JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY, 2025. DOI：

摘要

为提升相间传质数值模拟精度，本研究在VOF模型框架内提出了一个集成速度拓展的界面面积和形心计算方法。该方法由多边形切割算法和质量源分配算法两部分构成，具有准确度高、计算开销低、鲁棒性好等优点。多边形切割算法将网格内的相界面近似为平面多边形，从多边形的任一顶点出发将其分割成若干三角形，进而给出相界面的面积和形心。质量源分配算法利用亥姆霍兹方程，将传质引起的体积膨胀项转移到主相内，使得次相速度场无散，从而确保体积分数方程精确求解。测试发现：无相间传质时，多边形切割算法计算液滴表面积的相对误差在±1%以内；发生相间传质（传质速率

m''

= 10 kg·m

-2

·s

-1

）时，单独使用多边形切割算法导致结果失真。当两个算法协同应用时，模拟结果与液滴理论生长曲线呈现良好的一致性：液滴表面积最大绝对百分比误差为0.89%，液滴体积最大绝对百分比误差为0.28%。

Abstract

In order to enhance the accuracy of numerical simulation of interphase mass transfer

a method integrated with velocity extension was proposed

whereby the interface area and centroid are calculated within the framework of the VOF model. The method comprises a polygon-cutting algorithm and a mass source distribution algorithm

offering the advantages of high accuracy

low computational cost

and good robustness. The polygon-cutting algorithm works under the assumption that the interface in a grid is a planar polygon. The polygon is then cut into several triangles from a vertex

thereby calculating the area and centroid of the interface. The mass source distribution algorithm utilizes the Helmholtz equation to shift the volume expansion term caused by mass transfer to the primary phase

ensuring that the secondary-phase velocity field is divergence-free and the volume fraction equation is solved accurately. Results show that

in the absence of interphase mass transfer

the polygon-cutting algorithm can calculate the surface area of the droplet with relative errors within ±1%. However

the algorithm cannot offer reasonable results once interphase mass transfer occurs (mass transfer rate

m''

= 10 kg·m

-2

·s

-1

). As the two algorithms were applied synergistically

results exhibit good agreement with the theoretical growth curves of the droplet: the maximum absolute percentag

e error was 0.89% for surface area

and the maximum absolute percentage error was 0.28% for volume.

关键词

Keywords

references

汤志轩 , 郭文华 , 吴思远 , 等 . 微通道蒸发器优化两相制冷剂分配及沸腾传热研究进展 [J ] . 化工学报 . 2023 , 74 ( 10 ): 4020 - 4036 .

TANG Z , GUO W , WU S , et al . Research progress on optimizing two-phase refrigerant distribution and boiling heat transfer in microchannel evaporators [J ] . CIESC Journal . 2023 , 74 ( 10 ): 4020 - 4036 .

刘畅 , 李树森 , 张立峰 . RH精炼过程中气液两相流动及混匀现象的模拟研究 [J ] . 金属学报 . 2018 , 54 ( 2 ): 347 - 356 .

LIU C , LI S , ZHANG L . Simulation of gas-liquid two-phase flow and mixing phenomena during RH refining process [J ] . Acta Metallurgica Sinica . 2018 , 54 ( 2 ): 347 - 356 .

罗成 , 范晓勇 , 朱永红 , 等 . 中低温煤焦油加氢反应器不同分配器中液体分布的CFD模拟 [J ] . 化工进展 . 2023 , 42 ( 9 ): 4538 - 4549 .

LUO C , FAN X , ZHU Y , et al . CFD simulation of liquid distribution in different distributors in medium-low temperature coal tar hydrogenation reactor [J ] . Chemical Industry and Engineering Progress . 2023 , 42 ( 9 ): 4538 - 4549 .

FRANCOIS J , DIETRICH N , GUIRAUD P , et al . Direct measurement of mass transfer around a single bubble by micro-PLIFI [J ] . Chemical Engineering Science . 2011 , 66 ( 14 ): 3328 - 3338 .

LI H , HRNJAK P . Heat transfer coefficient, pressure gradient, and flow patterns of R1233zd(E) and R1336mzz(Z) evaporating in a microchannel tube [J ] . International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer . 2022 , 182 : 121992 .

宗潇 , 刘继平 , 杨赪石 , 等 . 矩形通道内蒸汽射流凝结换热面积的实验研究 [J ] . 西安交通大学学报 . 2018 , 52 ( 7 ): 46 - 51 .

ZONG X , LIU J , YANG C , et al . Experimental study on the interfacial heat transfer area of steam jet condensation in a rectangular mix chamber [J ] . Journal of Xi’an Jiaotong University . 2018 , 52 ( 7 ): 46 - 51 .

ZHAN S , YUAN R , HUANG Y , et al . Numerical simulation of hydrogen bubble growth and mass transfer on horizontal microelectrode surface under electrode-normal magnetic field [J ] . Physics of Fluids . 2022 , 34 ( 11 ): 112120 .

支长双 , 李创业 , 李金波 , 等 . 气液两相流分配器参数敏感性分析与优化 [J ] . 西安交通大学学报 . 2024 , 58 ( 6 ): 90 - 102 .

ZHI C , LI C , LI J , et al . Sensitivity analysis and parametric optimization of distributors with vapor-liquid two-phase flow [J ] . Journal of Xi’an Jiaotong University . 2024 , 58 ( 6 ): 90 - 102 .

CHEN Y , JIN S , YU B , et al . Modeling and study of microlayer effects on flow boiling in a mini-channel [J ] . International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer . 2023 , 208 : 124039 .

HIRT C W , NICHOLS B D . Volume of fluid (VOF) method for the dynamics of free boundaries [J ] . Journal of Computational Physics . 1981 , 39 ( 1 ): 201 - 225 .

SCHLOTTKE J , WEIGAND B . Direct numerical simulation of evaporating droplets [J ] . Journal of Computational Physics . 2008 , 227 ( 10 ): 5215 - 5237 .

BANERJEE R . Numerical investigation of evaporation of a single ethanol/iso-octane droplet [J ] . Fuel . 2013 , 107 : 724 - 739 .

MAGNINI M , MATAR O K . Numerical study of the impact of the channel shape on microchannel boiling heat transfer [J ] . International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer . 2020 , 150 : 119322 .

SOH G Y , YEOH G H , TIMCHENKO V . A CFD model for the coupling of multiphase, multicomponent and mass transfer physics for micro-scale simulations [J ] . International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer . 2017 , 113 : 922 - 934 .

GUO Z , FLETCHER D F , HAYNES B S . A review of computational modelling of flow boiling in microchannels [J ] . The Journal of Computational Multiphase Flows . 2014 , 6 ( 2 ): 79 - 110 .

LI W , WANG J , CHEN H , et al . CFD analysis on the intensified mechanism of gas-liquid mass transfer in a microporous tube-in-tube microchannel reactor [J ] . International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer . 2022 , 182 : 121914 .

LU C , DING Y , WANG H , et al . Numerical simulation study on the flow dynamics and reaction kinetics of CO 2 bubble in monoethanolamine solution [J ] . Physics of fluids . 2024 , 36 ( 11 ): 113331 .

SOH G Y , YEOH G H , TIMCHENKO V . An algorithm to calculate interfacial area for multiphase mass transfer through the volume-of-fluid method [J ] . International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer . 2016 , 100 : 573 - 581 .

HARDT S , WONDRA F . Evaporation model for interfacial flows based on a continuum-field representation of the source terms [J ] . Journal of Computational Physics . 2008 , 227 ( 11 ): 5871 - 5895 .

ZHU C , LI Y , XIE F , et al . Development of a modified mass transfer model based on height function method to capture the pressure oscillation occurred in direct contact condensation process [J ] . International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer . 2023 , 201 : 123619 .

LING K , SON G , SUN D , et al . Three dimensional numerical simulation on bubble growth and merger in microchannel boiling flow [J ] . International Journal of Thermal Sciences . 2015 , 98 : 135 - 147 .

GENNARI G , JEFFERSON-LOVEDAY R , PICKERING S J . A phase-change model for diffusion-driven mass transfer problems in incompressible two-phase flows [J ] . Chemical Engineering Science . 2022 , 259 : 117791 .

SCARDOVELLI R , AULISA E , MANSERVISI S , et al . A marker-VOF algorithm for incompressible flows with interfaces [Z ] . Montreal : 2002 .

BOTHE D , FLECKENSTEIN S . A volume-of-fluid-based method for mass transfer processes at fluid particles [J ] . Chemical Engineering Science . 2013 , 101 : 283 - 302 .

SCAPIN N , COSTA P , BRANDT L . A volume-of-fluid method for interface-resolved simulations of phase-changing two-fluid flows [J ] . Journal of Computational Physics . 2020 , 407 : 109251 .

MALAN L C , MALAN A G , ZALESKI S , et al . A geometric VOF method for interface resolved phase change and conservative thermal energy advection [J ] . Journal of Computational Physics . 2021 , 426 : 109920 .

LING K , LI Z , SUN D , et al . A three-dimensional volume of fluid & level set (VOSET) method for incompressible two-phase flow [J ] . Computers & Fluids . 2015 , 118 : 293 - 304 .

VAN SINT ANNALAND M , DEEN N G , KUIPERS J A M . Numerical simulation of gas bubbles behaviour using a three-dimensional volume of fluid method [J ] . Chemical Engineering Science . 2005 , 60 ( 11 ): 2999 - 3011 .

DAI D , TONG A Y . Analytical interface reconstruction algorithms in the PLIC-VOF method for 3D polyhedral unstructured meshes [J ] . International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids . 2019 , 91 ( 5 ): 213 - 227 .

BRACKBILL J U , KOTHE D B , ZEMACH C . A continuum method for modeling surface tension [J ] . Journal of Computational Physics . 1992 , 100 ( 2 ): 335 - 354 .

Views

下载量

CSCD

Alert me when the article has been cited

提交

Tools

Publicity Resources

Calculation Method for Interfacial Area and Centroid Within the Volume of Fluid Framework

Performance Analysis of Power Battery Cooling Systems under Different Transcritical CO2 Direct Cooling System Architectures

Research on Improved Algorithm for Surface Reconstruction of Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow

Performance Analysis of Power Battery Cooling System under Different Transcritical CO2 Direct Cooling System Architectures

Numerical Simulation for Flow Characteristics in Thermosyphon Elevation Tube with Lunate Channel

Related Author

CHE Defu

LIU Hu

ZHANG Meng

YU Pengfei

CHEN Bin

HAN Xu

JIA Fan

FANG Jianmin

Related Institution

State key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China

Yuxin Automotive Thermal Management Technology Co., Ltd.

National Innovation Platform (Centre)for Industry-Education Integration of Energy Storage Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University

School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University

Kunlun Digital Intelligence Technology Company

⁰