models.cfd.phase_separation.pdfVIP

Solved with COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3b Phase Separation Introduction Phase separation occurs when a binary system is quenched from a stable, homogeneous one-phase state into the two-phase region of its phase diagram. The spontaneous separation of two immiscible fluids is sometimes referred to as spinodal decomposition . Each phase tends to separate into pure components. This model demonstrates how to use the Phase Field interface to model the process of phase separation, see Ref. 1 for more information. Model Definition This simple benchmark model takes two initially mixed, immiscible phases and observes their separation into pure components. The components are represented by a phase field function, φ , and are considered pure when φ = ± 1 . The initial mixture is created by putting φ equal to a random number with zero mean and a standard deviation of 0.05. The initial random perturbation initiates the separation into pure phases. The separation of the two immiscible phases is described by the Cahn-Hilliard equation: ∂φ γλ = ∇ ⋅ ∇ψ (1) ∂t 2 ε where φ is the dimensionless phase field variable, so that the volume fractions of the components of the fluid are ( 1 + φ )⁄ 2 and ( 1 – φ )⁄ 2 . The variable γ is the mobility (m3·s/kg), the quantity