GT3F - AN IMPLICIT FINITE-DIFFERENCE COMPUTER CODE FOR TRANSIENT 3-DIMENSIONAL 3-PHASE FLOW .1. GOVERNING EQUATIONS AND SOLUTION SCHEME

This article describes the modeling bases and numerics of the computer code GT3F. The code has been developed for the numerical solution of transient, three-dimensional, continuum-mechanical conservation equations for a three-phase flow composed of a liquid phase, a gas phase, and a third dispersed solid or liquid phase. Separate mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations for each phase are included. The numerical solution scheme is based on the implicit, Eulerian finite-difference technique, and utilizes a point-relaxation Gauss-Seidel iteration method for solving the system of coupled, nonlinear equations resulting from the finite differencing. The continuum mechanical conservation equations, and the method used for their numerical solution, are described in this part. In Part II, the numerical scheme is applied to a stream explosion transient.