Finite element method for simulation of 3-D form filling with incompressible fluid

Abstract In the present article we propose an approach for treating the problem for the filling of a cavity with incompressible fluid by the Finite Element Method (FEM). The area occupied by fluid is approximated by elements, which have dimensions in both space and time. With this choice of elements the method is an implicit time stepping technique and adaptive to the non-stationary nature of the solution. An algorithm is developed for localization of the position of the free surface and for constructing of FE-mesh over the fluid occupied area at each time step. Numerical results were obtained for simulation of the process of filling of the cavity of the form used for production of 3-D axi-symmetric automobile wheels by the Counter Pressure Casting-method.