Numerical convergence studies of the mixed finite element method for natural convection flow in a fluid-saturated porous medium

This paper describes a numerical approximation scheme for the natural convection (NC) flow in a fluid-saturated porous medium. Our formulation of the problem is based on the mixed finite element method (FEM). Using the so-called consistent splitting scheme, a second-order accuracy in time and in space is verified by the numerical calculation. The resulting flow patterns and heat transfer for different Rayleigh numbers, Darcy numbers and porosities are numerically studied by the proposed scheme.     

A transient finite element analysis of natural convection around a horizontal hot cylinder

This paper presents an advanced method for a 2-dimensional analysis of transient natural convection by finite element method. The present method, based on stream function—vorticity formulation, could get rid of numerical errors and constraint of perpendicular mesh subdivision, since we excluded a finite difference approximation of vorticity on no-slip boundaries. A considerable effect of upwind weighting function was examined. The method was successfully applied to a problem of natural convection around a horizontal hot cylinder.     

A FE‐based algorithm for the inverse natural convection problem

Several numerical algorithms for solving inverse natural convection problems are revisited and studied. Our aim is to identify the unknown strength of a time‐varying heat source via a set of coupled nonlinear partial differential equations obtained by the so‐called finite element consistent splitting scheme (CSS) in order to get a good approximation of the unknown heat source from both the measured data and model results, by minimizing a functional that measures discrepancies between model and measured data. Viewed as an optimization problem, the solutions are obtained by means of the conjugate gradient method. A second‐order CSS in time involving the direct problem, the adjoint problem, the sensitivity problem and a system of sensitivity functions is used in order to enhance the numerical accuracy obtained for the unknown heat source function. A spatial discretization of all field equations is implemented using equal‐order and mixed finite element methods. Numerical experiments validate the proposed optimization algorithms that are in good agreement with the existing results. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

对流扩散方程的迎风变换及相应有限差分方法

本文提出所谓迎风变换,将对流扩散方程分解为对流迎风函数和扩散方程,并构造相应的有限差分格式。对流迎风函数以简明的指数解析形式反映对流扩散现象的迎风效应,原则上消除了源于不对称对流算子的困难,能够便利对流扩散方程的数值求解。有限差分格式具有二阶精度和无条件稳定性,算例表明其准确性、收敛速度及对边界层效应的适应能力均明显优于中心差分格式和迎风差分格式。     

A streamline diffusion nonconforming finite element method for the time-dependent linearized Navier-Stokes equations

A nonconforming finite element method of finite difference streamline diffusion type is proposed to solve the time-dependent linearized Navier-Stokes equations. The backward Euler scheme is used for time discretization. Crouzeix-Raviart nonconforming finite element approximation, namely, nonconforming （P1）2 - P0 element, is used for the velocity and pressure fields with the streamline diffusion technique to cope with usual instabilities caused by the convection and time terms. Stability and error estimates are derived with suitable norms.     

A combined finite volumes - finite elements method for a low-Mach model

In this paper, we develop a finite volumes - finite elements method based on a time splitting to simulate some low-Mach flows. The mass conservation equation is solved by a vertex-based finite volume scheme using a τ-limiter. The momentum equation associated with the compressibility constraint is solved by a finite element projection scheme. The originality of the approach is twofold. First, the state equation linking the temperature, the density, and the thermodynamic pressure is imposed implicitly. Second, the proposed combined scheme preserves the constant states, in the same way as a similar one previously developed for the variable density Navier-Stokes system. Some numerical tests are performed to exhibit the efficiency of the scheme. On the one hand, academic tests illustrate the ability of the scheme in term of convergence rates in time and space. On the other hand, our results are compared to some of the literature by simulating a transient injection flow as well as a natural convection flow in a cavity.     

Numerical simulation of natural and mixed convection flows by Galerkin‐characteristic method

A numerical investigation is performed to study the solution of natural and mixed convection flows by Galerkin‐characteristic method. The method is based on combining the modified method of characteristics with a Galerkin finite element discretization in primitive variables. It can be interpreted as a fractional step technique where convective part and Stokes/Boussinesq part are treated separately. The main feature of the proposed method is that, due to the Lagrangian treatment of convection, the Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy (CFL) restriction is relaxed and the time truncation errors are reduced in the Stokes/Boussinesq part. Numerical simulations are carried out for a natural convection in squared cavity and for a mixed convection flow past a circular cylinder. The computed results are compared with those obtained using other Eulerian‐based Galerkin finite element solvers, which are used for solving many convective flow models. The Galerkin‐characteristic method has been found to be feasible and satisfactory. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A mixed‐interpolation finite element method for incompressible thermal flows of electrically conducting fluids

A new mixed‐interpolation finite element method is presented for the two‐dimensional numerical simulation of incompressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows which involve convective heat transfer. The proposed method applies the nodal shape functions, which are locally defined in nine‐node elements, for the discretization of the Navier–Stokes and energy equations, and the vector shape functions, which are locally defined in four‐node elements, for the discretization of the electromagnetic field equations. The use of the vector shape functions allows the solenoidal condition on the magnetic field to be automatically satisfied in each four‐node element. In addition, efficient approximation procedures for the calculation of the integrals in the discretized equations are adopted to achieve high‐speed computation. With the use of the proposed numerical scheme, MHD channel flow and MHD natural convection under a constant applied magnetic field are simulated at different Hartmann numbers. The accuracy and robustness of the method are verified through these numerical tests in which both undistorted and distorted meshes are employed for comparison of numerical solutions. Furthermore, it is shown that the calculation speed for the proposed scheme is much higher compared with that for a conventional numerical integration scheme under the condition of almost the same memory consumption. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Time‐accurate stabilized finite‐element model for weakly nonlinear and weakly dispersive water waves

Introduction of a time‐accurate stabilized finite‐element approximation for the numerical investigation of weakly nonlinear and weakly dispersive water waves is presented in this paper. To make the time approximation match the order of accuracy of the spatial representation of the linear triangular elements by the Galerkin finite‐element method, the fourth‐order time integration of implicit multistage Padé method is used for the development of the numerical scheme. The streamline‐upwind Petrov–Galerkin (SUPG) method with crosswind diffusion is employed to stabilize the scheme and suppress the spurious oscillations, usually common in the numerical computation of convection‐dominated flow problems. The performance of numerical stabilization and accuracy is addressed. Treatments of various boundary conditions, including the open boundary conditions, the perfect reflecting boundary conditions along boundaries with irregular geometry, are also described. Numerical results showing the comparisons with analytical solutions, experimental measurements, and other published numerical results are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A problem for diffusion with relaxation in polymers

A nonlinear problem for penetrant diffusion with relaxation in polymers is considered. A numerical approach to solving this type of problems is developed. The proposed numerical scheme based on a finite element domain approximation and a time difference method can be used for numerical simulation of the considered penetrant diffusion in 2-D and 3-D domains. A numerical procedure and a corresponding computer code are created and tested for some examples in 1-D and 2-D domains.     

Unstructured finite element method for the solution of the Boussinesq problem in three dimensions

We present a numerical method for the monolithic discretisation of the Boussinesq system in three spatial dimensions. The key ingredients of the proposed methodology are the finite element discretisation of the spatial part of the problem using unstructured tetrahedral meshes, an implicit time integrator, based on adaptive predictor–corrector scheme (the explicit second‐order Adams–Bashforth method with the implicit stabilised trapezoid rule), and a new preconditioned Krylov subspace solver for the resulting linearised discrete problem. We test the proposed methodology on a number of physically relevant cases, including laterally heated cavities and the Rayleigh–Bénard convection. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Finite element,stream function–vorticity solution of steady laminar natural convection

Stream function–vorticity finite element solution of two-dimensional incompressible viscous flow and natural convection is considered. Steady state solutions of the natural convection problem have been obtained for a wide range of the two independent parameters. Use of boundary vorticity formulae or iterative satisfaction of the no-slip boundary condition is avoided by application of the finite element discretization and a displacement of the appropriate discrete equations. Solution is obtained by Newton–Raphson iteration of all equations simultaneously. The method then appears to give a steady solution whenever the flow is physically steady, but it does not give a steady solution when the flow is physically unsteady. In particular, no form of asymmetric differencing is required. The method offers a degree of economy over primitive variable formulations. Physical results are given for the square cavity convection problem. The paper also reports on earlier work in which the most commonly used boundary vorticity formula was found not to satisfy the no-slip condition, and in which segregated solution procedures were attempted with very minimal success.     

Galerkin finite element simulation of convection driven by rotation and gravitation

The performance of the Galerkin finite element method when applied to time-dependent convection involving rotation, self-gravitation and the normal gravity field in a horizontal cylinder is discussed in this paper. The governing equations, the parameters of the problem and our implementation of the numerical schemes are presented. The accuracy, spatial scale of resolution, flexibility and robustness of the resulting code show the element method as a valuable tool for research in this area or in related problems in astrophysical fluid dynamics. The numerical difficulties in large-amplitude flows are associated with an error-control scheme for time integration and the ‘short-time’ wiggles in transient Dirichlet problems. Coarse grids give the correct qualitative picture in most simulations, but the type of solution at short time (and hence grid refinement) presumably resolves the degeneracy in the azimuthal orientation of convection cells in flows driven by self-gravitation and (perhaps) centrifugal buoyancy. The final state in transient flows is a motionless isothermal fluid. However, residual motions can be nullified only in the limit of zero grid size in flows driven by centrifugal buoyancy (self-gravitation), while a fairly coarse grid is sufficient for this purpose in normal gravity-driven flows.     

ISPH modeling of natural convection heat transfer with an analytical kernel renormalization factor

The objective of this study is to extend the attention of the incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics method (ISPH) in the heat transfer field. The ISPH method for the natural convection heat transfer under the Boussinesq approximation in various environments: pure-fluid, nanofluid, and non-Darcy porous medium is introduced. We adopted the improved analytical method for calculating the kernel renormalization factor and its gradient based on a quintic kernel function for the wall boundary treatment in the ISPH method. The proposed method requires no dummy particle layer to meet the impermeability condition and makes the heat flux over the wall boundary easy to implement. We performed four different numerical simulations of natural convection in cavities with increasing complexity in modeling and implementation: the natural convection in a square cavity with constant differentially heated wall temperature, natural convection with the heat flux from the bottom wall for a wide range of Rayleigh numbers, natural convection in a non-Darcy porous cavity fully filled with nanofluid in different flow regimes, and natural convection in a partially layered porous cavity. The results showed excellent agreement with results from literatures and the in-house P1–P1 finite element method code.     

Streamline upwind finite element method for conjugate heat transfer problems

This paper presents a combined finite element method for solving conjugate heat transfer problems where heat conduction in a solid is coupled with heat convection in viscous fluid flow. The streamline upwind finite element method is used for the analysis of thermal viscous flow in the fluid region, whereas the analysis of heat conduction in solid region is performed by the Galerkin method. The method uses the three-node triangular element with equal-order interpolation functions for all the variables of the velocity components, the pressure and the temperature. The main advantage of the proposed method is to consistently couple heat transfer along the fluid-solid interface. Three test cases, i.e. conjugate Couette flow problem in parallel plate channel, counter-flow in heat exchanger, and conjugate natural convection in a square cavity with a conducting wall, are selected to evaluate the efficiency of the present method. The English text was polished byYunming Chen.     

非定常流函数涡量方程的一种数值解法的研究

对非定常流函数涡量方程的数值求解方法进行了改进,其中流函数一阶导数即速度项采用四阶精度的Hermitian公式,对流项由一般二阶精度的中心差分提高到四阶精度离散差分,包含温度方程在内的离散方程组采用ADI迭代方法求得定常解．以无内热体及有一内热体的封闭方腔内自然对流为例,进行了不同瑞利数（Ra）条件下的数值研究．结果表明,该方法推导简单,求解精度高且计算稳定,适用于封闭腔内高瑞利数复杂混合对流的数值模拟．     

An upwind compact mpact approach with group velocity control for compressible flow fields

In this paper we construct an upwind compact finite difference scheme with group velocity control for better simulation of compressible flow fields. Compared with traditional difference schemes, compact schemes have higher accuracy for the same stencil width. By means of the characteristic analysis of the operators, the group velocity of wave packets will be controlled to suppress the non‐physical oscillations in numerical solutions. In numerical simulation of the 3D compressible flow fields the third‐order accurate upwind compact operator is used to approximate the derivatives in the convection terms of the compressible N–S equations, the traditional finite difference scheme is used to approximate the viscous terms. Numerical solutions indicate that the method is satisfactory. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The improved space–time conservation element and solution element scheme for two‐dimensional dam‐break flow simulation

A new numerical scheme, namely space–time conservation element and solution element (CE/SE) method, has been used for the solution of the two‐dimensional (2D) dam‐break problem. Distinguishing from the well‐established traditional numerical methods (such as characteristics, finite difference, finite element, and finite‐volume methods), the CE/SE scheme has many non‐traditional features in both concept and methodology: space and time are treated in a unified way, which is the most important characteristic for the CE/SE method; the CEs and SEs are introduced, both local and global flux conservations in space and time rather than space only are enforced; an explicit scheme with a stagger grid is adopted. Furthermore, this scheme is robust and easy to implement. In this paper, an improved CE/SE scheme is extended to solve the 2D shallow water equations with the source terms, which usually plays a critical role in dam‐break flows. To demonstrate the accuracy, robustness and efficiency of the improved CE/SE method, both 1D and 2D dam‐break problems are simulated numerically, and the results are consistent with either the analytical solutions or experimental results. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical solution of a first-order conservation equation by a least square method

Least square methods have been frequently used to solve fluid mechanics problems. Their specific usefulness is emphasized for the solution of a first-order conservation equation. On the one hand, the least square formulation embeds the first-order problem into equivalent second-order problem, better adapted to discretization techniques due to symmetry and positive-definiteness of the associated matrix. On the other hand, the introduction of a least square functional is convenient for finite element applications. This approach is applied to the model problem of the conservation of mass (the unknown is the density ρ) in a nozzle with a specified velocity field (u, v), possibly including jumps along lines simulating shock waves. This represent a preliminary study towards the solution of the steady Euler equations. A finite difference and a finite element method are presented. The choice of the finite difference scheme and of a continuous finite element representation for the groups of variables (ρu, ρv) is discussed in terms of conservation of mass flux. Results obtained with both methods are compared in two numerical tests with the same mesh system.