Topology-Preserving Mesh Adaptation for Sharp-Interface Multiphase PFEM

Abstract

This paper presents a robust, fully Lagrangian framework based on the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) capable of simulating multiphase flows with an arbitrary number of immiscible phases. Interface-tracking methods can sometimes suffer from numerical diffusion or allow the underlying mesh resolution to prematurely dictate topological changes. To address these limitations, we introduce a dynamic mesh adaptation strategy that naturally preserves sharp geometric interfaces without relying on classical constrained triangulation. A node-empty disk is assigned to each segment of the discretized interface, ensuring that the edge is part of the Delaunay triangulation. Our approach decouples the interface physics from the grid size, allowing the integration of sub-grid physical models to properly govern topological changes independently of the user-defined mesh size. The capabilities and accuracy of the framework are validated against standard multiphase benchmarks, closely matching references while maintaining a remarkably low overall node count. We demonstrate the scalability and geometric versatility of the method, in particular with a challenging 16-phase Rayleigh-Taylor simulation.