ADAPTIVE UNSTRUCTURED GRID FOR 3-DIMENSIONAL INTERFACE REPRESENTATION

Moving-boundary problems arise in numerous important physical phenomen a, and often form complex shapes during their evolution. The ability t o track the interface in such cases in two dimensions is well establis hed. However, modifying the grid representing the interface as it evol ves in three-dimensional space introduces additional issues. In the cu rrent work, three-dimensional interfaces are represented by adaptive u nstructured grids. The grids are restructured and refined based on the shape and size of the triangular elements in the grid that forms the interfaces. As the interface deforms, points are automatically added t o ensure that the accuracy of interface representation remains consist ent. Results are presented to show how complex interface features, inc luding surface curvatures and normals, can be captured by modifying an existing method that uses an approximation to the Dupin indicatrix.