A comparative study of interface reconstruction algorithms in molten metal flow

In the present research, two numerical schemes for improving the accuracy of the solution in the flow simulation of molten metal were applied. One method is the Piecewise Linear Interface Calculation (PLIC) method and the other is the Donor-Acceptor (D-A) method. To verify the module of the interface reconstruction algorithms, simple problems were tested. After these validations, the accuracy and efficiency of these two methods were compared by simulating various real products. On the numerical simulation of free surface flow, it is possible for the PLIC method to track very accurately the interface between phases. The PLIC method, however, has the weak point in that a lot of computational time is required, though it shows the more accurate interface reconstruction. The Donor-Acceptor method has enough effectiveness in the macro-observation of a mold filling sequence though it shows inferior accuracy. Therefore, for the problems that need the accurate solution, PLIC is more appropriate than D-A. More accuracy may cause less efficiency in numerical analysis. Which method between D-A method and PLIC method should be chosen depends on the product.