For the study of sloshing inside floating membrane LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) tanks, we want to simulate numerically the impact of a breaking wave on a wall when phase change between liquid and gas can happen. We thus need to model two compressible phases separated by a sharp interface allowing mass exchange. It leads us to extend the Euler conservation equations to an hyperbolic system of balance laws including non-equilibrium phase change.
Two approaches are used to solve numerically this system. The first one relies on a mixture model for the description of the finite volume cells containing the interface, whereas in the second approach the interface is reconstructed and evolves in a Lagrangian way. Both methods are based on a Roe-type finite volume scheme. The challenge of the numerical simulation of interfacial phase change is the capacity of the code to deal with a density ratio far from 1 and a high latent heat, as they lead to high pressure and temperature variations at the interface.
Finally, some simplified wave impact simulations allows us to draw preliminary conclusions on the influence of phase change on sloshing loads.