Conservative finite volume strategy for investigation of solution crystal growth techniques

•Highly reliable finite volume strategy is proposed for investigation of phase transition processes in non-dilute solutions.•The approach ensures global conservation of kinetic nd thermal energy, and constituent species.•The robustness of the approach is confirmed by the numerical experiments. The article presents a finite volume method for the numerical study of solution crystal growth. The mathematical model is based on the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations in the stream function/vorticity form, energy and mass transfer equations in solid and liquid phases, and thermodynamics equilibrium conditions at the phase transition interface. The problem is axisymmetric and studied in a cylindrical body-fitted coordinate system. The equations for temperature and composition in the solid and liquid phases, and interface velocity are solved simultaneously. The approach ensures global conservation of kinetic and thermal energy and conservation of the solute. The proposed strategy allows performing a full-scale numerical simulation of a variety of technological regimes with a reversal in the crystal dissolution and growth. Sample calculations are reported for prototypes of liquid phase diffusion growth process and Bridgman-Stockbarger method.