A coupled local front reconstruction and immersed boundary method for simulating 3D multiphase flows with contact line dynamics in complex geometries

Multi-phase flows in the presence of complex solid geometries are encountered widely throughout industrial processes to intensify mass and heat transfer processes. The efficiency of these processes relies largely on the predominant fluid dynamics regime inside the reaction vessel (e.g. trickle bed, bubble column reactor). The prevailing flow structure is influenced by many factors including the nature of the fluid-solid interactions (i.e. wetting or non-wetting). Such flows are often studied using front-capturing techniques to capture the fluid-fluid interface in combination with an auxiliary model to account for fluid-solid interactions. However, these front-capturing methods have difficulties in accurately representing the interface. Therefore, we adopted a front-tracking method: the Local Front Reconstruction Method (LFRM). In this study, LFRM is coupled with the Immersed Boundary method to incorporate the no-slip boundary condition at the solid surface. The model performance is assessed using droplet spreading simulations, where the equilibrium droplet shape (i.e. radius, height, and outline), the interfacial pressure difference, and the surface tension force are compared to analytical solutions and literature data. The results show an excellent match with the analytical solutions, and additionally superior performance to state-of-the-art volume tracking models.