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

YU Pengfei; ZHANG Meng; LIU Hu; CHE Defu

doi:10.7652/xjtuxb202603009

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

更新时间：2026-03-09

- Calculation Method for Interfacial Area and Centroid Within the Volume of Fluid Framework
- Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University Vol. 60, Issue 3, Pages: 86-96(2026)
- 作者机构：
  
  西安交通大学绿色氢电全国重点实验室，710049，西安
- 作者简介：
- 基金信息：
- DOI：10.7652/xjtuxb202603009
  CLC： TK124
- Received：14 July 2025，
  
  Published：10 March 2026
- 稿件说明：
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YU Pengfei, ZHANG Meng, LIU Hu, et al. Calculation Method for Interfacial Area and Centroid Within the Volume of Fluid Framework[J]. Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 2026, 60(3): 86-96.
DOI：

YU Pengfei, ZHANG Meng, LIU Hu, et al. Calculation Method for Interfacial Area and Centroid Within the Volume of Fluid Framework[J]. Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 2026, 60(3): 86-96. DOI： 10.7652/xjtuxb202603009.

摘要

为提升相间传质数值模拟精度，在流体体积（VOF）模型框架内提出了一个集成速度拓展的界面面积和界面形心计算方法。该方法由多边形切割算法和质量源分配算法两部分构成：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，进而给出相界面面积和界面形心；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

″=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，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%，模拟结果与液滴理论生长曲线呈现良好的一致性。所提方法能够为处理相间传质问题提供可靠的相界面几何信息。

Abstract

To enhance the accuracy of numerical simulations for interphase mass transfer

a calculation method for interfacial area and centroid integrated with velocity extension is proposed within the volume of fluid (VOF)framework.This method consists of two components：a polygonal cutting algorithm and a mass source distribution algorithm.The polygonal cutting algorithm approximates the phase interface within a grid cell as a planar polygon.Starting from any vertex of the polygon

it subdivides the polygon into triangles

subsequently calculating the interfacial area and centroid. The mass source distribution algorithm utilizes the Helmholtz equation to transfer the volume expansion term caused by mass transfer into the primary phase

ensuring a divergence-free velocity field for the secondary phase and thereby guaranteeing the accurate solution of the volume fraction equation.Tests reveal that in the absence of interphase mass transfer

the relative error in calculating droplet surface area using the polygonal cutting algorithm alone remains within ±1%. However

when interphase mass transfer occurs (with a mass transfer rate

″=10 kg·m

-2

·s

-1

)

using only the polygonal cutting algorithm leads to distorted results.When the two algorithms are applied synergistically

the maximum absolute percentage error for droplet surface area is 0.89%

and for droplet volume is 0.28%.The simulation results show good agreement with the theoretical droplet growth curve.These findings indicate that the proposed method can provide reliable geometric information of phase interfaces for addressing interphase mass transfer problems.

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