Axisymmetric deformations of circular rings made of linear and Neo-Hookean materials under internal and external pressure: A benchmark for finite element codes

The axisymmetric deformations of thick circular rings are investigated. Four materials are explored: linear material, incompressible Neo-Hookean material and Ogden's and Bower's forms of compressible Neo-Hookean material. Radial distributed forces and a displacement-dependent pressure are the external loads. This problem is relatively simple and allows analytical, or semi-analytical, solution; therefore it has been chosen as a benchmark to test commercial finite element software for various material laws at large strains. The solutions obtained with commercial finite element software are almost identical to the present semi-analytical ones, except for the linear material, for which commercial finite element programs give incorrect results.     

A finite element method for analysis of fluid flow,heat transfer and free interfaces in Czochralski crystal growth

A finite element algorithm is presented for simultaneous calculation of the steady state, axisymmetric flows and the crystal, melt/crystal and melt/ambient interface shapes in the Czochralski technique for crystal growth from the melt. The analysis is based on mixed Lagrangian finite element approximations to the velocity, temperature and pressure fields and isoparametric approximations to the interface shape. Galerkin's method is used to reduce the problem to a non-linear algebraic set, which is solved by Newton's method. Sample solutions are reported for the thermophysical properties appropriate for silicon, a low-Prandtl-number semiconductor, and for GGG, a high–Prandtl–number oxide material. The algorithm is capable of computing solutions for both materials at realistic values of the Grashof number, and the calculations are convergent with mesh refinement. Flow transitions and interface shapes are calculated as a function of increasing flow intensity and compared for the two material systems. The flow pattern near the melt/gas/crystal tri-junction has the asymptotic form predicted by an inertialess analysis assuming the meniscus and solidification interfaces are fixed.     

A new numerical algorithm for viscoelastic fluid flows : The grid-by-grid inversion method

We present a new algorithm for solving viscoelastic flows with a general constitutive equation. In our approach the hyperbolic constitutive equation is split such that the term for the convective transport of stress tensor is treated as a source. This allows the stress tensor at each grid point to be expressed mainly in terms of the velocity gradient tensor at the same point. Then, the set of six stress tensor components is found after inverting a six by six matrix at each grid point. Thus we call this algorithm the grid-by-grid inversion method. The convective transport of stress tensor in the constitutive equation, which has been treated as a source, is updated iteratively. The present algorithm can be combined with finite volume method, finite element method or the spectral methods. To corroborate the accuracy and robustness of the present algorithm we consider viscoelastic flow past a cylinder placed at the center between two plates, which has served as a benchmark problem. Also considered is the investigation of the pattern and strength of the secondary flows in the viscoelastic flows through a rectangular pipe. It is found that the present method yields accurate results even for large relaxation times.     

A simple method for simulating viscoelastic fluid flows in slit channel

A low-cost semi-analysis finite element technique, named the finite piece method (FPM) is presented in this article. It aims to solve three-dimensional (3D) viscoelastic slit flows. The viscoelastic stress of the fluid is modelled using an K-BKZ integral constitutive equation of the Wagner type. Picard iteration is used to solve non-linear equations. The FPM is tested on flow problems in both planar and contraction channels. The accuracy of the method is assessed by comparing flow distributions and pressure with results obtained by 3D finite element method (FEM). It shows that the solution accuracy is excellent and a substantial amount of computing time and memory requirement can be saved.     

Numerical analysis of Biot's consolidation process by radial point interpolation method

An algorithm is proposed to solve Biot's consolidation problem using meshless method called a radial point interpolation method (radial PIM). The radial PIM is advantageous over the meshless methods based on moving least-square (MLS) method in implementation of essential boundary condition and over the original PIM with polynomial basis in avoiding singularity when shape functions are constructed. Two variables in Biot's consolidation theory, displacement and excess pore water pressure, are spatially approximated by the same shape functions through the radial PIM technique. Fully implicit integration scheme is proposed in time domain to avoid spurious ripple effect. Some examples with structured and unstructured nodes are studied and compared with closed-form solution or finite element method solutions.     

Iterative stabilization of the bilinear velocity–constant pressure element

Some finite element approximations of incompressible flows, such as those obtained with the bilinear velocity–constant pressure element (Q₁?P₀), are well known to be unstable in pressure while providing reasonable results for the velocity. We shall see that there exists a subspace of piecewise constant pressures that leads to a stable approximation. The main drawback associated with this subspace is the necessity of assembling groups of elements, the so-called ‘macro-elements’, which increases dramatically the bandwidth of the system. We study a variant of Uzawa's method which enables us to work in the desired subspace without increasing the bandwidth of the system. Numerical results show that this method is efficient and can be made to work at a low extra cost. The method can easily be generalized to other problems and is very attractive in three-dimensional cases.     

An efficient parallel and fully implicit algorithm for the simulation of transient free-surface flows of multimode viscoelastic liquids

The parallelization of a fully implicit and stable finite element algorithm with relative low memory requirements for the accurate simulation of time-dependent, free-surface flows of multimode viscoelastic liquids is presented. It is an extension of our multi-stage sequential solution procedure which is based on the mixed finite element method for the velocity and pressure fields, an elliptic grid generator for the deformation of the mesh, and the discontinuous Galerkin method for the viscoelastic stresses [Dimakopoulos and Tsamopoulos [12], [14]]. Each one of the above subproblems is solved with the Newton–Rapshon technique according to its particular characteristics, while their coupling is achieved through Picard cycles. The physical domain is graphically partitioned into overlapping subdomains. In the process, two different kinds of parallel solvers are used for the solution of the distributed set of flow and mesh equations: a multifrontal, massively parallel direct one (MUMPS) and a hierarchical iterative parallel one (HIPS), while viscoelastic stress components are independently calculated within each finite element. The parallel algorithm retains all the advantages of its sequential predecessor, related with the robustness and the numerical stability for a wide range of levels of viscoelasticity. Moreover, irrespective of the deformation of the physical domain, the mesh partitioning remains invariant throughout the simulation. The solution of the constitutive equations, which constitutes the largest portion of the system of the governing, non-linear equations, is performed in a way that does not need any data exchange among the cluster's nodes. Finally, indicative results from the simulation of an extensionally thinning polymeric solution, demonstrating the efficiency of the algorithm are presented.     

Simulations of 2D and 3D thermocapillary flows by a least-squares finite element method

Numerical results for time-dependent 2D and 3D thermocapillary flows are presented in this work. The numerical algorithm is based on the Crank–Nicolson scheme for time integration, Newton's method for linearization, and a least-squares finite element method, together with a matrix-free Jacobi conjugate gradient technique. The main objective in this work is to demonstrate how the least-squares finite element method, together with an iterative procedure, deals with the capillary-traction boundary conditions at the free surface, which involves the coupling of velocity and temperature gradients. Mesh refinement studies were also carried out to validate the numerical results. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulation of three-dimensional polymer mould filling processes using a pseudo-concentration method

Mould filling processes, in which a material flow front advances through a mould, are typical examples of moving boundary problems. The moving boundary is accompanied by a moving contact line at the mould walls causing, from a macroscopic modelling viewpoint, a stress singularity. In order to be able to simulate such processes, the moving boundary and moving contact line problem must be overcome. A numerical model for both two- and three-dimensional mould filling simulations has been developed. It employs a pseudo-concentration method in order to avoid elaborate three-dimensional remeshing, and has been implemented in a finite element program. The moving contact line problem has been overcome by employing a Robin boundary condition at the mould walls, which can be turned into a Dirichlet (no-slip) or a Neumann (free-slip) boundary condition depending on the local pseudo-concentration. Simulation results for two-dimensional test cases demonstrate the model's ability to deal with flow phenomena such as fountain flow and flow in bifurcations. The method is by no means limited to two-dimensional flows, as is shown by a pilot simulation for a simple three-dimensional mould. The reverse problem of mould filling is the displacement of a viscous fluid in a tube by a less viscous fluid, which has had considerable attention since the 1960's. Simulation results for this problem are in good agreement with results from the literature. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Velocity–pressure integrated versus penalty finite element methods for high-Reynolds-number flows

Velocity–pressure integrated and consistent penalty finite element computations of high-Reynolds-number laminar flows are presented. In both methods the pressure has been interpolated using linear shape functions for a triangular element which is contained inside the biquadratic flow element. It has been shown previously that the pressure interpolation method, when used in conjunction with the velocity-pressure integrated method, yields accurate computational results for high-Reynolds-number flows. It is shown in this paper that use of the same pressure interpolation method in the consistent penalty finite element method yields computational results which are comparable to those of the velocity–pressure integrated method for both the velocity and the pressure fields. Accuracy of the two finite element methods has been demonstrated by comparing the computational results with available experimental data and/or fine grid finite difference computational results. Advantages and disadvantages of the two finite element methods are discussed on the basis of accuracy and convergence nature. Example problems considered include a lid-driven cavity flow of Reynolds number 10 000, a laminar backward-facing step flow and a laminar flow through a nest of cylinders.     

A simple finite element method for Stokes flows with surface tension using unfitted meshes

This paper presents a simple finite element method for Stokes flows with surface tension. The method uses an unfitted mesh that is independent of the interface. Due to the surface force, the pressure has a jump across the interface. Based on the properties of the level set function that implicitly represents the interface, the jump of the pressure is removed, and a new problem without discontinuities is formulated. Then, classical stable finite element methods are applied to solve the new problem. Some techniques are used to show that the method is equivalent to an easy‐to‐implement method that can be regarded as a traditional method with a modified pressure space. However, the matrix of the resulting linear system of equations is the same as that of the traditional method. Optimal error estimates are derived for the proposed method. Finally, some numerical tests are presented to confirm the theoretical results. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A triangular plate element 2343 using second-order absolute-nodal-coordinate slopes: numerical computation of shape functions

In this paper, the process by which geometrical and structural matrices of plate finite elements employing absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) are constructed is studied. The kinematic and topological properties of an arbitrary plate finite element are described using universal digital code dncm that provides systematic enumeration of finite elements. This code is formed using the element’s dimension d, the number of nodes it possesses n, the number of scalar coordinates per node c, and a multiplier describing the process of transforming a conventional finite element to an ANCF element m. The detailed generation of a new type of triangular plate finite element 2343 using numerical computation of shape functions is also discussed in the paper. The new triangular element employs position vectors and slope vectors up to second-order mixed-derivative slope vector. A detailed derivation of the equations of motion of the element is also provided and examples of its numerical simulation and validation presented.     

The analysis of unsteady incompressible flows by a three-step finite element method

This paper describes a three-step finite element method and its applications to unsteady incompressible fluid flows. Stability analysis of the one-dimensional pure convection equation shows that this method has third-order accuracy and an extended numerical stability domain in comparison with the Lax--Wendroff finite element method. The method is cost-effective for incompressible flows because it permits less frequent updates of the pressure field with good accuracy. In contrast with the Taylor-Galerkin method, the present method does not contain any new higher-order derivatives, which makes it suitable for solving non-linear multidimensional problems and flows with complicated boundary conditions. The three-step finite element method has been used to simulate unsteady incompressible flows. The numerical results obtained are in good agreement with those in the literature.     

Computation of 3D vortex flows past a flat plate at incidence through a variational approach of the full steady euler equations

A variational method for solving directly the full steady Euler equations is presented. This method is based on both Newton's linearization and a least squares formulation. The validity of the Euler model and boundary conditions to capture the vortex sheet is discussed. A finite element approximation of the groups of conservative variables is described and results are given for 3D subsonic flows as well as supersonic flows past a flat plate at high angle of attack.     

Iterative solvers for quadratic discretizations of the generalized Stokes problem

We present in this paper various iterative methods for the solution of large linear and non‐linear systems resulting from the discretization of the generalized Stokes problem. A second‐order (O(h²)) P₂‐P₁ mixed finite element is used for the approximation of the velocity and the pressure. Solution strategies based on conjugate gradient‐like methods, the Uzawa's and Arrow–Hurwicz's methods are presented. Schur complement methods are also explored in the context of a hierarchical decomposition of the velocity field. The ever present preconditioning problem is also addressed. The performance of these iterative methods will be discussed on complex flows of industrial interest. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A singular finite element for Stokes flow: The stick–slip problem

Abrupt changes in boundary conditions in viscous flow problems give rise to stress singularities. Ordinary finite element methods account effectively for the global solution but perform poorly near the singularity. In this paper we develop singular finite elements, similar in principle to the crack tip elements used in fracture mechanics, to improve the solution accuracy in the vicinity of the singular point and to speed up the rate of convergence. These special elements surround the singular point, and the corresponding field shape functions embody the form of the singularity. Because the pressure is singular, there is no pressure node at the singular point. The method performs well when applied to the stick–slip problem and gives more accurate results than those from refined ordinary finite element meshes.     

Gauge finite element method for incompressible flows

A finite element method for computing viscous incompressible flows based on the gauge formulation introduced in [Weinan E, Liu J‐G. Gauge method for viscous incompressible flows. Journal of Computational Physics (submitted)] is presented. This formulation replaces the pressure by a gauge variable. This new gauge variable is a numerical tool and differs from the standard gauge variable that arises from decomposing a compressible velocity field. It has the advantage that an additional boundary condition can be assigned to the gauge variable, thus eliminating the issue of a pressure boundary condition associated with the original primitive variable formulation. The computational task is then reduced to solving standard heat and Poisson equations, which are approximated by straightforward, piecewise linear (or higher‐order) finite elements. This method can achieve high‐order accuracy at a cost comparable with that of solving standard heat and Poisson equations. It is naturally adapted to complex geometry and it is much simpler than traditional finite element methods for incompressible flows. Several numerical examples on both structured and unstructured grids are presented. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improving Eulerian two‐phase flow finite element approximation with discontinuous gradient pressure shape functions

In this paper we present a problem we have encountered using a stabilized finite element method on fixed grids for flows with interfaces modelled with the level set approach. We propose a solution based on enriching the pressure shape functions on the elements cut by the interface. The enrichment is used to enable the pressure gradient to be discontinuous at the interface, thus improving the ability to simulate the behaviour of fluids with different density under a gravitational force. The additional shape function used is local to each element and the corresponding degree of freedom can therefore be condensed prior to assembly, making the implementation quite simple on any existing finite element code. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Finite difference and finite element methods for mhd channel flows

A Galerkin finite element method and two finite difference techniques of the control volume variety have been used to study magnetohydrodynamic channel flows as a function of the Reynolds number, interaction parameter, electrode length and wall conductivity. The finite element and finite difference formulations use unequally spaced grids to accurately resolve the flow field near the channel wall and electrode edges where steep flow gradients are expected. It is shown that the axial velocity profiles are distorted into M-shapes by the applied electromagnetic field and that the distortion increases as the Reynolds number, interaction parameter and electrode length are increased. It is also shown that the finite element method predicts larger electromagnetic pinch effects at the electrode entrance and exit and larger pressure rises along the electrodes than the primitive-variable and streamfunction–vorticity finite difference formulations. However, the primitive-variable formulation predicts steeper axial velocity gradients at the channel walls and lower axial velocities at the channel centreline than the streamfunction–vorticity finite difference and the finite element methods. The differences between the results of the finite difference and finite element methods are attributed to the different grids used in the calculations and to the methods used to evaluate the pressure field. In particular, the computation of the velocity field from the streamfunction–vorticity formulation introduces computational noise, which is somewhat smoothed out when the pressure field is calculated by integrating the Navier–Stokes equations. It is also shown that the wall electric potential increases as the wall conductivity increases and that, at sufficiently high interaction parameters, recirculation zones may be created at the channel centreline, whereas the flow near the wall may show jet-like characteristics.