A particle-based dissolution model using chemical collision energy.

Abstract

We propose a new energy-based method for real-time dissolution simulation. A unified particle representation is used for both fluid solvent and solid solute. We derive a novel dissolution model from the collision theory in chemical reactions: physical laws govern the local excitation of solid particles based on the relative motion of the fluid and solid. When the local excitation energy exceeds a user specified threshold (activation energy), the particle will be dislodged from the solid. Unlike previous methods, our model ensures that the dissolution result is independent of solute sampling resolution. We also establish a mathematical relationship between the activation energy, the inter-facial surface area, and the total dissolution time - allowing for accurate artistic control over the global dissolution rate while maintaining the physical plausibility of the simulation. We demonstrate applications of our method using a number of practical examples, including antacid pills dissolving in water and hydraulic erosion of non-homogeneous terrains. Our method is straightforward to incorporate with existing particle-based fluid simulations.