A High-Order Kernel-Free Boundary Integral Method for Incompressible Flow Equations in Two Space Dimensions

This paper presents a fourth-order kernel-free boundary integral method for the time-dependent, incompressible Stokes and Navier-Stokes equations defined on irregular bounded domains. By the stream function-vorticity formulation, the incompressible flow equations are interpreted as vorticity evolution equations. Time discretization methods for the evolution equations lead to a modified Helmholtz equation for the vorticity, or alternatively, a modified biharmonic equation for the stream function with two clamped boundary conditions. The resulting fourth-order elliptic boundary value problem is solved by a fourth-order kernel-free boundary integral method, with which integrals in the reformulated boundary integral equation are evaluated by solving corresponding equivalent interface problems, regardless of the exact expression of the involved Green's function. To solve the unsteady Stokes equations, a four-stage composite backward differential formula of the same order accuracy is employed for time integration. For the Navier-Stokes equations, a three-stage third-order semi-implicit Runge-Kutta method is utilized to guarantee the global numerical solution has at least third-order convergence rate. Numerical results for the unsteady Stokes equations and the Navier-Stokes equations are presented to validate efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.     

Spectral method for vorticity‐stream function form of Navier–Stokes equations with slip boundary conditions

In this paper, we propose a spectral method for the vorticity‐stream function form of the Navier–Stokes equations with slip boundary conditions. The numerical solutions fulfill the incompressibility and the physical boundary conditions automatically. The stability and convergence of the proposed methods are proven. Numeric results demonstrate the efficiency of suggested algorithm. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Meshless solution of two-dimensional incompressible flow problems using the radial basis integral equation method

The two-dimensional incompressible fluid flow problems governed by the velocity–vorticity formulation of the Navier–Stokes equations were solved using the radial basis integral (RBIE) equation method. The RBIE is a meshless method based on the multi-domain boundary element method with overlapping subdomains. It solves at each node for the potential and its spatial derivatives. This feature of the RBIE is advantageous in solving the velocity–vorticity formulation of the Navier–Stokes equations since the calculated velocity gradients can be used to compute the vorticity that is prescribed as a boundary condition to the vorticity transport equation. The accuracy of the numerical solution was examined by solving the test problem with known analytical solution. Two benchmark problems, i.e. the lid driven cavity flow and the thermally driven cavity flow were also solved. The numerical results obtained using the RBIE showed very good agreement with the benchmark solutions.     

Two-parameter extremum problems of boundary control for stationary thermal convection equations

Two-parameter extremum problems of boundary control are formulated for the stationary thermal convection equations with Dirichlet boundary conditions for velocity and with mixed boundary conditions for temperature. The cost functional is defined as the root mean square integral deviation of the desired velocity (vorticity, or pressure) field from one given in some part of the flow region. Controls are the boundary functions involved in the Dirichlet condition for velocity on the boundary of the flow region and in the Neumann condition for temperature on part of the boundary. The uniqueness of the extremum problems is analyzed, and the stability of solutions with respect to certain perturbations in the cost functional and one of the functional parameters of the original model is estimated. Numerical results for a control problem associated with the minimization of the vorticity norm aimed at drag reduction are discussed.     

Unsteady convective boundary layer flow of a viscous fluid at a vertical surface with variable fluid properties

In this paper we present numerical solutions to the unsteady convective boundary layer flow of a viscous fluid at a vertical stretching surface with variable transport properties and thermal radiation. Both assisting and opposing buoyant flow situations are considered. Using a similarity transformation, the governing time-dependent partial differential equations are first transformed into coupled, non-linear ordinary differential equations with variable coefficients. Numerical solutions to these equations subject to appropriate boundary conditions are obtained by a second order finite difference scheme known as the Keller-Box method. The numerical results thus obtained are analyzed for the effects of the pertinent parameters namely, the unsteady parameter, the free convection parameter, the suction/injection parameter, the Prandtl number, the thermal conductivity parameter and the thermal radiation parameter on the flow and heat transfer characteristics. It is worth mentioning that the momentum and thermal boundary layer thicknesses decrease with an increase in the unsteady parameter.     

The Design of axisymmetric ducts for incompressible flow with vorticity.

In this paper a numerical algorithm is described for solving the boundary value problem associated with axisymmetric, inviscid, incompressible, rotational (and irrotational) flow in order to obtain duct wall shapes from prescribed wall velocity distributions. The governing equations are formulated in terms of the stream function and the function as independent variables where for irrotational flow can be recognized as the velocity potential function, for rotational flow ceases being the velocity potential function but does remain orthogonal to the stream lines. A numerical method based on finite differences on a uniform mesh is employed. The technique described is capable of tackling the so–called inverse problem where the velocity wall distributions are prescribed from which the duct wall shape is calculated, as well as the direct problem where the velocity distribution on the duct walls are calculated from prescribed duct wall shapes. The two different cases as outlined in this paper are in fact boundary value problems with Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions respectively. Even though both approaches are discussed, only numerical results for the case of the Dirichlet boundary conditions are given. A downstream condition is prescribed such that cylindrical flow, that is flow which is independent of the axial coordinate, exists. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the use of potential fields in fluid mechanics

In classical fluid mechanics, potential fields have been employed to enable the integration of the equations of motion. As is well known, Bernoulli's equation is obtained as a first integral of Euler's equations in the absence of vorticity and viscosity if the velocity vector is perceived as the gradient of a scalar potential. The so-called Clebsch transformation [1] involving three scalar potentials allows for a further extension to flows with non-vanishing vorticity; the resulting equations turn out to be self-adjoint, allowing for a variational formulation. All attempts in classic literature, however, are restricted to inviscid flows and the finding of a potential representation enabling the integration of the Navier-Stokes equations remains desirable. Progress on this topic was reported by [3, 4] who constructed a first integral of the two-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations by making use of an auxiliary potential field and a representation of the fields in terms of complex coordinates. The new formulation proved to be useful in numerical applications and moreover, replacing the scalar potential by a tensor potential, the theory can be successfully generalised to encompass three-dimensional Navier-Stokes flow. Related to the first integral a finite element method was presented in [2] based on a formulation involving the velocities and the first order derivatives of the introduced potential. This way the dynamic boundary condition could be incorporated elegantly and the system of equations fitted into the first order system least-squares methodology. However, a promising alternative approach results if one considers the streamfunction and a slightly modified potential field as independent variables. This new approach involves Laplacian operators rather than mixed derivatives and allows for a convenient embodiment of the Neumann conditions on the streamfunction that is in contrast to the original stream function / potential formulation [4]. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Numerical solution of the time-dependent incompressible Navier–Stokes equations by piecewise linear finite elements

In this paper we present a new method to solve the 2D generalized Stokes problem in terms of the stream function and the vorticity. Such problem results, for instance, from the discretization of the evolutionary Stokes system. The difficulty arising from the lack of the boundary conditions for the vorticity is overcome by means of a suitable technique for uncoupling both variables. In order to apply the above technique to the Navier–Stokes equations we linearize the advective term in the vorticity transport equation as described in the development of the paper. We illustrate the good performance of our approach by means of numerical results, obtained for benchmark driven cavity problem solved with classical piecewise linear finite element.     

Discharge of gas into vacuum with temperature at the boundary subject to exponential law

A two-dimensional self-similar problem of discharge of a heat conducting gas Into vacuum is analyzed. The temperature at the boundary of gas and vacuum is assumed to change as an exponential function of time. The coefficient of thermal conductivity depends exponentially on temperature and density. The initial gas density is assumed to be finite and constant. With definite values of exponents this problem is self-similar i.e. the system of partial differential equations can be reduced to the solution of a system of ordinary equations.

The self-modeling properties of solutions of this kind of problems has been noted earlier in [1 and 2]. The problem analyzed here is a particular case of the problem of piston motion considered in [3]. In this problem, however, there appears at the boundary of gas and vacuum a new singular point which does not occur in the piston problem.

A numerical solution of the boundary value problem defined by a system of ordinary equations is made difficult by the presence in the latter of singular points, and of discontinuities in the sought solution. These difficulties have been overcome by a qualitative analysis of the behavior of integral curves, and by the selection of a suitable method of numerical integration.

It is shown in this work that, depending on the initial parameters of the problem, there may exist two kinds of solutions. This had been noted earlier in [1, 3 and 4]. Examples of these are presented here. The degeneration of the solution into a trivial one, when the thermal conductivity coefficient is either invariant of density, or increases with increasing density, is pointed out.     

Navier–Stokes equations with slip boundary conditions

In this paper, we consider incompressible viscous fluid flows with slip boundary conditions. We first prove the existence of solutions of the unsteady Navier–Stokes equations in n‐spacial dimensions. Then, we investigate the stability, uniqueness and regularity of solutions in two and three spacial dimensions. In the compactness argument, we construct a special basis fulfilling the incompressibility exactly, which leads to an efficient and convergent spectral method. In particular, we avoid the main difficulty for ensuring the incompressibility of numerical solutions, which occurs in other numerical algorithms. We also derive the vorticity‐stream function form with exact boundary conditions, and establish some results on the existence, stability and uniqueness of its solutions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Combined effects of non-uniform heat source/sink and thermal radiation on heat transfer over an unsteady stretching permeable surface

The present paper is concerned with the study of flow and heat transfer characteristics in the unsteady laminar boundary layer flow of an incompressible viscous fluid over continuously stretching permeable surface in the presence of a non-uniform heat source/sink and thermal radiation. The unsteadiness in the flow and temperature fields is because of the time-dependent stretching velocity and surface temperature. Similarity transformations are used to convert the governing time-dependent nonlinear boundary layer equations for momentum and thermal energy are reduced to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations containing Prandtl number, non-uniform heat source/sink parameter, thermal radiation and unsteadiness parameter with appropriate boundary conditions. These equations are solved numerically by applying shooting method using Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg method. Comparison of numerical results is made with the earlier published results under limiting cases. The effects of the unsteadiness parameter, thermal radiation, suction/injection parameter, non-uniform heat source/sink parameter on flow and heat transfer characteristics as well as on the local Nusselt number are shown graphically.     

The Solution of Two-Dimensional Oseen Flow Problems Using Integral Conditions

A general method of solving Oseen's linearized equations fortwo-dimensional steady flow of a viscous incompressible fluidpast a cylinder in an unbounded field is developed. The analysisis developed in terms of the scalar vorticity and stream functionand it is shown that the vorticity for Oseen flow problems canbe obtained separately from the stream function. The determinationof the vorticity can be effected using conditions of an integralcharacter deduced from the no-slip condition at the cylindersurface together with the conditions at large distances. Theindependent determination of the vorticity seems to be a newstep in Oseen theory. The method enables one to obtain manyproperties of the flow in terms ofthe Reynolds number by usingonly the vorticity without the necessity of finding the streamfunction. The use of integral conditions makes the detailedcalculations straightforward, systematic, and elementary. Themethod is tested by applying it to the case of uniform flowpast an elliptic cylinder at an arbitrary angle of incidenceand also to cases of symmetrical and asymmetrical flows pastcircular cylinders. The leading approximation for small Reynoldsnumber is obtained where possible. In the case of flow pasta rotating cylinder, the only possible solution is the Oseensolution for the nonrotating case with the addition of a potentialvortex.     

A Mixed Analytical/Numerical Method for Velocity and Heat Transfer of Laminar Power-Law Fluids

This paper presents a relatively simple numerical method to investigate the flow and heat transfer of laminar power-law fluids over a semi-infinite plate in the presence of viscous dissipation and anisotropy radiation. On one hand, unlike most classical works, the effects of power-law viscosity on velocity and temperature fields are taken into account when both the dynamic viscosity and the thermal diffusivity vary as a power-law function. On the other hand, boundary layer equations are derived by Taylor expansion, and a mixed analytical/numerical method (a pseudo-similarity method) is proposed to effectively solve the boundary layer equations. This method has been justified by comparing its results with those of the original governing equations obtained by a finite element method. These results agree very well especially when the Reynolds number is large. We also observe that the robustness and accuracy of the algorithm are better when thermal boundary layer is thinner than velocity boundary layer.     

Polynomial particular solutions for certain partial differential operators

In this article, we consider a variant of the Dual Reciprocity Method (DRM) for solving boundary value problems based on approximating source terms by polynomials other than the traditional basis functions. The use of pseudo‐spectral approximations and symbolic methods enables us to obtain highly accurate results without solving the often ill‐conditioned equations that occur when radial basis function approximations are used. When the given partial differential equation is either Poisson's equation or an inhomogeneous Helmholtz‐type equation, we are able to obtain either closed form particular solutions or efficient recursive algorithms. Using the particular solutions, we convert the inhomogeneous equations to homogeneous. The resulting homogeneous equations are then amenable to solution by boundary‐type methods such as the Boundary Element Method (BEM) or the Method of Fundamental Solutions (MFS). Using the MFS, we provide numerical solutions to a variety of boundary value problems in R² and R³ . Using this approach, we can achieve high accuracy with a modest number of interpolation and collocation points. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 19: 112–133, 2003     

Steady two-dimensional flow past a normal flat plate

A vorticity/stream function formulation is used to obtain a numerical simulation of steady two-dimensional flow of a viscous incompressible fluid past a normal flat plate for a range of Reynolds numbers. A method of Fornberg [J. Fluid Mech. 98, 819 (1980)] is used to determine upstream and downstream boundary conditions on the stream function. Special care is taken in the neighbourhood of the singularities in vorticity at the plate edges and this is very important because any errors introduced are swept downstream and severely affect such quantities as the length and width of the attached eddies. The computed results are compared with those of a laboratory experiment in which a plane strip is drawn through water and ethylene glycol for the range of Reynolds numbers for which the experimental flow is stable.     

Free convection flow about a cone under mixed thermal boundary conditions and a magnetic field

A similarity analysis was performed to investigate the laminar free-convection boundary-layer flow in the presence of a transverse magnetic field over a vertical down-pointing cone with mixed thermal boundary conditions. Boundary layer velocity and temperature profiles were determined numerically for various values of the magnetic parameter and the Prandtl number. The results show that the magnetic field suppresses the velocity profiles and increases the skin friction. The temperature profiles were expanded with increasing values of the magnetic parameter resulting in higher surface temperatures. A transformation relating the similarity solutions of the boundary-layer velocity and temperature profiles associated with different values of the mixed thermal boundary condition parameter was obtained.     

Nonsimilar boundary layer analysis of double-diffusive convection from a vertical truncated cone in a porous medium with variable viscosity

This work presents a boundary layer analysis about variable viscosity effects on the double-diffusive convection near a vertical truncated cone in a fluid-saturated porous medium with constant wall temperature and concentration. The viscosity of the fluid is assumed to be an inverse linear function of the temperature. A boundary layer analysis is employed to derive the nondimensional nonsimilar governing equations, and the transformed boundary layer governing equations are solved by the cubic spline collocation method to yield computationally efficient numerical solutions. The obtained results are found to be in good agreement with previous papers on special cases of the problem. Results for local Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are presented as functions of viscosity-variation parameter, buoyancy ratio, and Lewis number. For a porous medium saturated with a Newtonian fluid with viscosity proportional to an inverse linear function of temperature, higher value of viscosity-variation parameter leads to the decrease of the viscosity in fluid flow, thus increasing the fluid velocity as well as the local Nusselt number and the local Sherwood number.     

热泳和Brown运动对太阳能辐射下热分层纳米流体边界层流动的影响

在太阳辐射下的纳米流体中,数值地研究竖向延伸壁面具有可变流条件时的层流运动.使用的纳米流体模型为,在热分层中综合考虑了Brown运动和热泳的影响.应用一个特殊形式的Lie群变换,即缩放群变换,得到相应边值问题的对称群.对平移对称群得到一个精确解,对缩放对称群得到数值解.数值解依赖于Lewis数、Brown运动参数、热分层参数和热泳参数.得到结论:上述参数明显地影响着流场、温度和纳米粒子体积率的分布.显示出纳米流体提高了基流体热传导率和对流的热交换性能,基流体中的纳米粒子还具有改善液体辐射性能的作用,直接提高了太阳能集热器的吸热效率.     

Field descriptions for a steady,developing tube flow of vanishing Reynolds number

Numerical solutions for the stream function, vorticity, velocity, and pressure fields are presented for the case of a steady, laminar, isothermal, Newtonian flow developing from an initial slug flow in a circular cylinder of infinite length at zero Reynolds number.     

The coupling of bem and fem for the two-dimensional viscous flow problem

In this paper we propose a numerical scheme for treating the problem of sJow viscous flow past an obstacle in the plane. This scheme is a combination of boundary element and finite element methods. By introducing an auxiliary boundary curve, we divide the region under consideration into two subregions, an inner and an outer region. In the inner region, we employ a finite element method (FEM) for solving a system of simplified field equations with proper natural boundary conditions. In the outer region, the solution is expressed in the form of a simple-layer potential with density function satisfying a system of modified integral equations of the first kind. The latter are solved by a boundary element method (BEM). Both solutions are matched on the common auxiliary boundary curve. Error estimates in suitable function spaces are derived in terms of the mesh widths as well as the small parameters, the Reynolds numbers