A discontinuous Galerkin method for a diffuse-interface model of immiscible two-phase flows with soluble surfactant

Abstract

A numerical method using discontinuous polynomial approximations is formulated for solving a phase-field model of two immiscible fluids with a soluble surfactant. The scheme recovers the Langmuir adsorption isotherms at equilibrium. Simulations of spinodal decomposition, flow through a cylinder and flow through a sequence of pore throats show the dynamics of the flow with and without surfactant. Finally the numerical method is used to simulate fluid flows in the pore space of Berea sandstone obtained by micro-CT imaging.