A time dependent Stokes interface problem: well-posedness and space-time finite element discretization

In this paper a time dependent Stokes problem that is motivated by a standard sharp interface model for the fluid dynamics of two-phase flows is studied. This Stokes interface problem has discontinuous density and viscosity coefficients and a pressure solution that is discontinuous across an evolving interface. This strongly simplified two-phase Stokes equation is considered to be a good model problem for the development and analysis of finite element discretization methods for two-phase flow problems. In view of the unfitted finite element methods that are often used for two-phase flow simulations, we are particularly interested in a well-posed variational formulation of this Stokes interface problem in a Euclidean setting. Such well-posed weak formulations, which are not known in the literature, are the main results of this paper. Different variants are considered, namely one with suitable spaces of divergence free functions, a discrete-in-time version of it, and variants in which the divergence free constraint in the solution space is treated by a pressure Lagrange multiplier. The discrete-in-time variational formulation involving the pressure variable for the divergence free constraint is a natural starting point for a space-time finite element discretization. Such a method is introduced and results of numerical experiments with this method are presented

On the well-posed coupling between free fluid and porous viscous flows

International audienceWe present a well-posed model for the Stokes/Brinkman problem with {\em jump embedded boundary conditions (J.E.B.C.)} on an immersed interface. It is issued from a general framework recently proposed for fictitious domain problems. Our model is based on algebraic transmission conditions combining the stress and velocity jumps on the interface $\S$ separating the fluid and porous domains. These conditions are well chosen to get the coercivity of the operator. Then, the general framework allows to prove the global solvability of some models with physically relevant stress or velocity jump boundary conditions for the momentum transport at a fluid-porous interface. The Stokes/Brinkman problem with {\em Ochoa-Tapia \& Whitaker (1995)} interface conditions and the Stokes/Darcy problem with {\em Beavers \& Joseph (1967)} conditions are both proved to be well-posed by an asymptotic analysis. Up to now, only the Stokes/Darcy problem with {\em Saffman (1971)} approximate interface conditions was known to be well-posed

Well-posed Stokes/Brinkman and Stokes/Darcy problems for coupled fluid-porous viscous flows

International audienceWe present a well-posed model for the Stokes/Brinkman problem with a family of jump embedded boundary conditions (J.E.B.C.) on an immersed interface with weak regularity assumptions. It is issued from a general framework recently proposed for fictitious domain problems. Our model is based on algebraic transmission conditions combining the stress and velocity jumps on the interface $\Sigma$ separating the fluid and porous domains. These conditions, well chosen to get the coercivity of the operator, are sufficiently general to get the usual immersed boundary conditions on $\Sigma$ when fictitious domain methods are concerned: Stefan-like, Robin (Fourier), Neumann or Dirichlet... Moreover, the general framework allows to prove the global solvability of some models with physically relevant stress or velocity jump boundary conditions for the momentum transport at a fluid-porous interface. The Stokes/Brinkman problem with Ochoa-Tapia & Whitaker (1995) interface conditions and the Stokes/Darcy problem with Beavers & Joseph (1967) conditions are both proved to be well-posed by an asymptotic analysis. Up to our knowledge, only the Stokes/Darcy problem with Saffman (1971) approximate interface conditions was known to be well-posed

On the coupling of hyperbolic and parabolic systems: Analytical and numerical approach

The coupling of hyperbolic and parabolic systems is discussed in a domain Omega divided into two distinct subdomains omega(+) and omega(-). The main concern is to find the proper interface conditions to be fulfilled at the surface separating the two domains. Next, they are used in the numerical approximation of the problem. The justification of the interface conditions is based on a singular perturbation analysis, i.e., the hyperbolic system is rendered parabolic by adding a small artifical viscosity. As this goes to zero, the coupled parabolic-parabolic problem degenerates into the original one, yielding some conditions at the interface. These are taken as interface conditions for the hyperbolic-parabolic problem. Actually, two alternative sets of interface conditions are discussed according to whether the regularization procedure is variational or nonvariational. It is shown how these conditions can be used in the frame of a numerical approximation to the given problem. Furthermore, a method of resolution is discussed which alternates the resolution of the hyperbolic problem within omega(-) and of the parabolic one within omega(+). The spectral collocation method is proposed, as an example of space discretization (different methods could be used as well); both explicit and implicit time-advancing schemes are considered. The present study is a preliminary step toward the analysis of the coupling between Euler and Navier-Stokes equations for compressible flows

The contact line behaviour of solid-liquid-gas diffuse-interface models

A solid-liquid-gas moving contact line is considered through a diffuse-interface model with the classical boundary condition of no-slip at the solid surface. Examination of the asymptotic behaviour as the contact line is approached shows that the relaxation of the classical model of a sharp liquid-gas interface, whilst retaining the no-slip condition, resolves the stress and pressure singularities associated with the moving contact line problem while the fluid velocity is well defined (not multi-valued). The moving contact line behaviour is analysed for a general problem relevant for any density dependent dynamic viscosity and volume viscosity, and for general microscopic contact angle and double well free-energy forms. Away from the contact line, analysis of the diffuse-interface model shows that the Navier--Stokes equations and classical interfacial boundary conditions are obtained at leading order in the sharp-interface limit, justifying the creeping flow problem imposed in an intermediate region in the seminal work of Seppecher [Int. J. Eng. Sci. 34, 977--992 (1996)]. Corrections to Seppecher's work are given, as an incorrect solution form was originally used.Comment: 33 pages, 3 figure

Phase field modelling of surfactants in multi-phase flow

A diffuse interface model for surfactants in multi-phase flow with three or more fluids is derived. A system of Cahn-Hilliard equations is coupled with a Navier-Stokes system and an advection-diffusion equation for the surfactant ensuring thermodynamic consistency. By an asymptotic analysis the model can be related to a moving boundary problem in the sharp interface limit, which is derived from first principles. Results from numerical simulations support the theoretical findings. The main novelties are centred around the conditions in the triple junctions where three fluids meet. Specifically the case of local chemical equilibrium with respect to the surfactant is considered, which allows for interfacial surfactant flow through the triple junctions

A Deep Neural Network/Meshfree Method for Solving Dynamic Two-phase Interface Problems

In this paper, a meshfree method using the deep neural network (DNN) approach is developed for solving two kinds of dynamic two-phase interface problems governed by different dynamic partial differential equations on either side of the stationary interface with the jump and high-contrast coefficients. The first type of two-phase interface problem to be studied is the fluid-fluid (two-phase flow) interface problem modeled by Navier-Stokes equations with high-contrast physical parameters across the interface. The second one belongs to fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problems modeled by Navier-Stokes equations on one side of the interface and the structural equation on the other side of the interface, both the fluid and the structure interact with each other via the kinematic- and the dynamic interface conditions across the interface. The DNN/meshfree method is respectively developed for the above two-phase interface problems by representing solutions of PDEs using the DNNs' structure and reformulating the dynamic interface problem as a least-squares minimization problem based upon a space-time sampling point set. Approximation error analyses are also carried out for each kind of interface problem, which reveals an intrinsic strategy about how to efficiently build a sampling-point training dataset to obtain a more accurate DNNs' approximation. In addition, compared with traditional discretization approaches, the proposed DNN/meshfree method and its error analysis technique can be smoothly extended to many other dynamic interface problems with fixed interfaces. Numerical experiments are conducted to illustrate the accuracies of the proposed DNN/meshfree method for the presented two-phase interface problems. Theoretical results are validated to some extent through three numerical examples