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interFoam VOF is loosing fluid

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Old   November 2, 2011, 04:59
Default interFoam VOF is loosing fluid
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Soeren Werner
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Hello Foamers,

I am running a case with interDyMFoam with OF-2.0.x
It is simulating a shake flask, which is use in bioscience for cultivation of microorganisms and other cells... so, in simple words, its a conical flask fixed at a rotating table. If you look at the flask form one point, you see always the same point at the flask, a little like the movement of the moon... anyway, I manage to change the tankMixer tutorial so that I get the movement rite...

The problem:
With every timestep it looses a certain amount of fluid due to "mathematical diffusion" or something... it became obvious after about 5s simulation time, after 10-15 s no water is in the flask at all!
How can this happen? And can I avoid it?

The mesh is quite good, checkMesh shows no problems at all.
The residues ar quite low, see below...

I attached some of the important configuration files.

Hopefully sb has an idea what could happen here, since I am really stuck here at the moment...


solver.log, just two time step, it looks all time quite the same, time step size will be bigger later on during the simulation...
Code:
Interface Courant Number mean: 0.0066323 max: 0.498321
Courant Number mean: 0.0398762 max: 0.498321
deltaT = 7.7658e-07
Time = 0.000208016105042192333

solidBodyMotionFunctions::rotatingMotion::transformation(): Time = 0.000208016 transformation: ((0.000163375 2.66915e-07 0) (0.999999 (0 0 0.00163375)))
solidBodyMotionFunctions::rotatingMotion::transformation(): Time = 0.000208016 transformation: ((0 0 0) (0.999999 (0 0 -0.00163375)))
solidBodyMotionFunctions::multiMotion::transformation(): Time = 0.000208016 transformation: ((0.000163375 2.66915e-07 0) (1 (0 0 0)))
Execution time for mesh.update() = 0.26 s
time step continuity errors : sum local = 1.96807e-13, global = -1.09833e-18, cumulative = -2.77411e-13
GAMGPCG:  Solving for pcorr, Initial residual = 1, Final residual = 6.41289e-07, No Iterations 19
GAMGPCG:  Solving for pcorr, Initial residual = 0.0710413, Final residual = 5.60197e-07, No Iterations 10
GAMGPCG:  Solving for pcorr, Initial residual = 0.00429145, Final residual = 5.82585e-07, No Iterations 7
time step continuity errors : sum local = 3.62563e-18, global = -1.11019e-18, cumulative = -2.77412e-13
MULES: Solving for alpha1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
Liquid phase volume fraction = 0.193844  Min(alpha1) = 2.30226e-132  Max(alpha1) = 1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
Liquid phase volume fraction = 0.193844  Min(alpha1) = 3.02039e-132  Max(alpha1) = 1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
Liquid phase volume fraction = 0.193844  Min(alpha1) = 3.96591e-132  Max(alpha1) = 1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
Liquid phase volume fraction = 0.193844  Min(alpha1) = 5.21193e-132  Max(alpha1) = 1
DILUPBiCG:  Solving for Ux, Initial residual = 0.00237312, Final residual = 4.19164e-09, No Iterations 3
DILUPBiCG:  Solving for Uy, Initial residual = 0.00328753, Final residual = 7.49817e-09, No Iterations 3
DILUPBiCG:  Solving for Uz, Initial residual = 0.0020948, Final residual = 3.63414e-09, No Iterations 4
GAMG:  Solving for p_rgh, Initial residual = 0.0253511, Final residual = 0.000118152, No Iterations 3
GAMG:  Solving for p_rgh, Initial residual = 0.00189087, Final residual = 1.84691e-05, No Iterations 2
GAMG:  Solving for p_rgh, Initial residual = 0.000119528, Final residual = 9.13697e-07, No Iterations 6
time step continuity errors : sum local = 2.13139e-10, global = -7.34516e-19, cumulative = -2.77413e-13
GAMG:  Solving for p_rgh, Initial residual = 0.00091004, Final residual = 2.82139e-06, No Iterations 3
GAMG:  Solving for p_rgh, Initial residual = 4.74559e-05, Final residual = 2.29515e-07, No Iterations 3
GAMGPCG:  Solving for p_rgh, Initial residual = 3.12808e-06, Final residual = 1.99243e-09, No Iterations 4
time step continuity errors : sum local = 4.0557e-13, global = -7.34599e-19, cumulative = -2.77414e-13
DILUPBiCG:  Solving for omega, Initial residual = 0.00892048, Final residual = 7.19565e-09, No Iterations 4
DILUPBiCG:  Solving for k, Initial residual = 0.00479677, Final residual = 1.3686e-10, No Iterations 5
ExecutionTime = 902.75 s  ClockTime = 905 s

Interface Courant Number mean: 0.00666334 max: 0.498319
Courant Number mean: 0.0400127 max: 0.498319
deltaT = 7.79193e-07
Time = 0.000208795297929659983

solidBodyMotionFunctions::rotatingMotion::transformation(): Time = 0.000208795 transformation: ((0.000163987 2.68919e-07 0) (0.999999 (0 0 0.00163987)))
solidBodyMotionFunctions::rotatingMotion::transformation(): Time = 0.000208795 transformation: ((0 0 0) (0.999999 (0 0 -0.00163987)))
solidBodyMotionFunctions::multiMotion::transformation(): Time = 0.000208795 transformation: ((0.000163987 2.68919e-07 0) (1 (0 0 0)))
Execution time for mesh.update() = 0.26 s
time step continuity errors : sum local = 4.06964e-13, global = 2.12725e-18, cumulative = -2.77411e-13
GAMGPCG:  Solving for pcorr, Initial residual = 1, Final residual = 8.2677e-07, No Iterations 26
GAMGPCG:  Solving for pcorr, Initial residual = 0.0782515, Final residual = 7.38951e-07, No Iterations 21
GAMGPCG:  Solving for pcorr, Initial residual = 0.00468234, Final residual = 3.12732e-07, No Iterations 11
time step continuity errors : sum local = 4.6662e-18, global = 2.12035e-18, cumulative = -2.77409e-13
MULES: Solving for alpha1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
Liquid phase volume fraction = 0.193844  Min(alpha1) = 6.8496e-132  Max(alpha1) = 1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
Liquid phase volume fraction = 0.193844  Min(alpha1) = 9.01104e-132  Max(alpha1) = 1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
Liquid phase volume fraction = 0.193844  Min(alpha1) = 1.18666e-131  Max(alpha1) = 1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
MULES: Solving for alpha1
Liquid phase volume fraction = 0.193844  Min(alpha1) = 1.5643e-131  Max(alpha1) = 1
DILUPBiCG:  Solving for Ux, Initial residual = 0.00237884, Final residual = 3.78435e-09, No Iterations 3
DILUPBiCG:  Solving for Uy, Initial residual = 0.00328912, Final residual = 7.99669e-09, No Iterations 3
DILUPBiCG:  Solving for Uz, Initial residual = 0.00209302, Final residual = 3.10299e-09, No Iterations 4
GAMG:  Solving for p_rgh, Initial residual = 0.0255634, Final residual = 0.000116615, No Iterations 3
GAMG:  Solving for p_rgh, Initial residual = 0.00189883, Final residual = 1.77012e-05, No Iterations 2
GAMG:  Solving for p_rgh, Initial residual = 0.000119078, Final residual = 8.93598e-07, No Iterations 6
time step continuity errors : sum local = 2.10798e-10, global = 2.13129e-19, cumulative = -2.77409e-13
GAMG:  Solving for p_rgh, Initial residual = 0.000931977, Final residual = 2.85761e-06, No Iterations 3
GAMG:  Solving for p_rgh, Initial residual = 4.78142e-05, Final residual = 2.35694e-07, No Iterations 3
GAMGPCG:  Solving for p_rgh, Initial residual = 3.16514e-06, Final residual = 1.28317e-09, No Iterations 4
time step continuity errors : sum local = 2.60862e-13, global = 2.1641e-19, cumulative = -2.77409e-13
DILUPBiCG:  Solving for omega, Initial residual = 0.00886702, Final residual = 5.8744e-09, No Iterations 4
DILUPBiCG:  Solving for k, Initial residual = 0.00479084, Final residual = 1.15469e-10, No Iterations 5
ExecutionTime = 910.15 s  ClockTime = 912 s
Attached Files
File Type: txt controlDict.txt (2.1 KB, 20 views)
File Type: txt dynamicMeshDict.txt (2.0 KB, 53 views)
File Type: txt fvSchemes.txt (1.5 KB, 31 views)
File Type: txt fvSolution.txt (3.0 KB, 22 views)
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Old   November 2, 2011, 06:16
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Aurelien Thinat
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Hi Wersoe,

You should send your folder 0, or at least the boundary conditions for alpha1 and U. It would be easier to help you.
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Old   November 2, 2011, 08:23
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Soeren Werner
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Hi Aurelien,

thanks for trying to help me...

Here are the contents, its quite simple, since it is all around just wall, the same like in the tankMixer tutorial...

One more thing: I use the k-o SST turbulence model instead of laminar...


U:
Code:
// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //

dimensions      [0 1 -1 0 0 0 0];

internalField   uniform (0 0 0);

boundaryField
{
    Deckel
    {
        type            movingWallVelocity;
        value           uniform (0 0 0);
    }
    Wand
    {
        type            movingWallVelocity;
        value           uniform (0 0 0);
    }
}

// ************************************************************************* //

alpha1 before setFields:
Code:
// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //

dimensions      [0 0 0 0 0 0 0];

internalField   uniform 0;

boundaryField
{
    Deckel
    {
        type            zeroGradient;
    }
    
    Wand
    {
        type            zeroGradient;
    }
}

// ************************************************************************* //
setFieldsDict:
Code:
// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //

defaultFieldValues
(
    volScalarFieldValue alpha1 0
);

regions
( 
    boxToCell
    {
        box ( -0.1 -0.1 0 ) ( 0.1 0.1 0.02725 ); //10mL
//        box ( -0.1 -0.1 0 ) ( 0.1 0.1 0.04525 ); //20mL
        fieldValues
        (
            volScalarFieldValue alpha1 1
        );
    }
);

// ************************************************************************* //

Any idea?

Your help is much appreciated...

Best, Sören
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Old   November 2, 2011, 09:13
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I don't see any problem in your files.

Did you try to run your case on several meshes with different cell's size ?
You can divide by 2 your reference cell size at each step and see if you are stabilizing the volume of fluid
.
I have run the tutorial and there is the same problem, obviously because of the cell size.
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Old   November 3, 2011, 16:38
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angel
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Hello,
I have the same ploblem since of1.6 but i do not have any solution. I have tried with different mesh size with same results.
Regards
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Old   November 4, 2011, 05:06
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Soeren Werner
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Hello,

thanks for your replies...

I use a polyeder mesh create with following steps:
1: Salome for geometry and surface mesh
2: enGrid for boundary layer and volume mesh with tetraeder
3: polyDualMesh for conversion to polymesh

The size of the domain is about 500mL.
The mesh is about 2mm in edge lenght, which gives about 800 k cells with tetra and about 200k with poly...

I run the case with single processor, and with 4 and 8 processors...

The main thing I dont understand is that the time step continuity error is very small, about 1e-18, even after many thousands time steps the cumulative error is just about 1e-15.
So what happens here?

@Aurelien: Could you give me a hint how you reduce the mesh size by 2? Which tool do you use for it?

@anmartin: Thanks for the hint, anyway, I cant use it. For the motion I use the multiMotion class, which was introduced in OF 2.0.


Any help would be much appreciated.

Best, Sören
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Old   February 27, 2012, 08:16
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Hi Wersoe,

For what it's worth, after 3 months; refining the mesh can be done using the 'refineMesh' tool. But of course you can also change the blockMeshDict to change the cell size.


I am too seeing this problem, also with interDyMFoam... The alpha1 fraction in the domain should not change if there's no inflow or outflow, but it does. As far as I know, the VoF scheme should be fully conservative, no matter what the cell size is. I just cannot really pinpoint the problem, in some simulations I can see it happening immediately, in other simulations it doesn't happen or only after a long time. Could it have something to do with large-small cell transitions?
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Old   February 27, 2012, 08:22
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Ivooo,

By any chance, do you have any symmetryPlane condition in your case ?
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Old   February 27, 2012, 08:37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aurelien Thinat View Post
Ivooo,

By any chance, do you have any symmetryPlane condition in your case ?
No, but I do use the constantAlphaContactAngle BC condition. I simulate a droplet around a fibre, and I set the contact angle of the fibre to some high value so that the liquid moves to find its lowest energy state. While it looks ok, I can check the volume fraction of alpha1 in the domain, and it decreases. Some snapshots and volume vs time evolution are given in the Figures attached.
Attached Images
File Type: png scrshot_t0.png (68.8 KB, 93 views)
File Type: png scrshot_t_last.png (65.5 KB, 85 views)
File Type: png volumeloss.png (21.3 KB, 87 views)
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Old   February 27, 2012, 08:47
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Well, for what it's worth :
I had some issues with the conservation of the fluid volume fraction in my simulations. It was linked to the pressure condition over a symmetryPlane. The gradient was not defined correctly. I switched for a slip wall with buoyant Presssure condition to fix it.
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Old   February 28, 2012, 11:11
Default Check your BCs!
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Hi,

Just to follow-up the volume loss problems using constantAlphaContactAngle; be sure to set the 'limit' parameter to 'zeroGradient', otherwise a flux through the interface will emerge. Another option is to change the pressure boundary conditions, as outlined in the post of phsieh2005 in [1].

[1] http://www.cfd-online.com/Forums/ope...interfoam.html
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Old   June 2, 2012, 18:06
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Hello,

This is maybe just a silly idea coming to my mind: What if you reduce the tolerances in the fvSolution? (i particular for U) If you have a continuity problem, maybe it's because the equation is not sufficiently well approximated.

Roby
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Old   June 26, 2013, 09:13
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For constantAlphaContactAngle
you must use
fixedFluxPressure

-> Calculates the pressure gradient in that way that the velocity bc is fullfilled
Velocity*Area is Flux! and the flux is at the wall then zero!
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