LAUSR

The Boundary Integral Method (BIM) has been widely and successfully applied to cavitation bubble dynamics; however, the physical complexities involved in the coalescence of multiple bubbles are still challenging for numerical modeling. In this study, an improved three-dimensional (3D) BIM model is developed to simulate the coalescence of multiple cavitation bubbles near a rigid wall, including an extreme situation when cavitation bubbles are in contact with the rigid wall. As the first highlight of the present model, a universal topological treatment for arbitrary coalescence is proposed for 3D cases, combined with a density potential method and an adaptive remesh scheme to maintain a stable and high-accuracy calculation. Modeling for the multiple bubbles attached to the rigid boundary is the second challenging task of the present study. The effects of the rigid wall are modeled using the method of image; thus, the boundary value problem is transformed to the coalescence of real bubbles and their images across the boundary. Additionally, the numerical difficulties associated with the splitting of a toroidal bubble and self-coalescence due to the self-film-thinning process of a coalesced bubble are successfully overcome. The present 3D model is verified through convergence studies and further validated by the purposely conducted experiments. Finally, representative simulations are carried out to elucidate the main features of a coalesced bubble near a rigid boundary and the flow fields are provided to reveal the underlying physical mechanisms.