Rising Bubble

The level set method is well suited for problems with moving boundaries in which the geometry’s topology changes with time. A bubble of oil that travels up through water and finally merges with oil at the top causes this kind of topology change. For problems where the topology is unchanged as a function of time, as in free surface movement in a tank (no splashing) and impeller stirring, it is also possible to use the ALE (arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian) method.

In this model, three different regions exist initially: the oil bubble, the oil at the top of the container, and the water surrounding the bubble. The Level Set Two-Phase Flow application mode makes it easy to set up the model.

Oil/water interface and velocity field at t = 0.07s