A SEGREGATED SOLUTION ALGORITHM FOR INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOWS IN GENERAL CO-ORDINATES

To analyse an incompressible Navier–Stokes flow problem in a boundary- fitted curvilinear co-ordinate system is definitely not a trivial task. In the primitive variable formulation, choices between working variables and their storage points have to be made judiciously. The present work engages contravariant velocity components and scalar pressure which stagger each other in the mesh to prevent even–odd pressure oscillations from emerging. Now that smoothness of the pressure field is attainable, the remaining task is to ensure a discrete divergence-free velocity field for an incompressible flow simulation. Aside from the flux discretizations, the indispensable metric tensors, Jacobian and Christoffel symbols in the transformed equations should be approximated with care. The guiding idea is to get the property of geometric identity pertaining to these grid-sensitive discretizations. In addition, how to maintain the revertible one-to-one equivalence at the discrete level between primitive and contravariant velocities is another theme in the present staggered formulation. A semi-implicit segregated solution algorithm felicitous for a large-scale flow simulation was utilized to solve the entire set of basic equations iteratively. Also of note is that the present segregated solution algorithm has the virtue of requiring no user-specified relaxation parameters for speeding up the satisfaction of incompressibility in an optimal sense. Three benchmark problems, including an analytic problem, were investigated to justify the capability of the present formulation in handling problems with complex geometry. The test cases considered and the results obtained herein make a useful contribution in solving problems subsuming cells with arbitrary shapes in a boundary-fitted grid system.     

HIGH-ORDER-ACCURATE SCHEMES FOR INCOMPRESSIBLE VISCOUS FLOW

We present new finite difference schemes for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. The schemes are based on two spatial differencing methods; one is fourth-order-accurate and the other is sixth-order accurate. The temporal differencing is based on backward differencing formulae. The schemes use non-staggered grids and satisfy regularity estimates, guaranteeing smoothness of the solutions. The schemes are computationally efficient. Computational results demonstrating the accuracy are presented. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A COMPARISON OF COUPLED AND SEGREGATED ITERATIVE SOLUTION TECHNIQUE FOR INCOMPRESSIBLE SWIRLING FLOW

In many popular solution algorithms for the incompressible Navier–Stoke equations the coupling between the momentum equations is neglected when the linearized momentum equations are solved to update the velocities. This is known to lead to poor convergence in highly swirling flows where coupling between the radial and tangential momentum equations is strong. Here we propose a coupled solution algorithm in which the linearized momentum and continuity equations are solved simultaneously. Comparisons between the new method and the well-known SIMPLEC method are presented.     

VALIDATION OF A NAVIER–STOKES SOLUTION ALGORITHM WITH EXPERIMENTAL VALUES IN A SUPERSONIC WAKE

This paper describes the validation of a finite element solver for an axisymmetric compressible flow with experimental values, especially velocities measured with a laser Doppler anemometer in the near wake of a circular cylinder. The equations under consideration are the Navier-Stokes equations with turbulent terms. A time-stepping scheme for the solution of these equations can be produced by applying a forward-time Taylor series expansion including time derivatives of second order. These time derivatives are evaluated in terms of space derivatives in the Lax–Wendroff fashion. The method is based on unstructured triangular grids with a high resolution in the radial direction. In order to predict the measured turbulent intensites more exactly, a modification of the Baldwin–Lomax model is necessary.     

Modelling and simulation of fires in vehicle tunnels

Applying a low‐Mach asymptotic for the compressible Navier–Stokes equations, we derive a new fluid dynamics model,which should be capable to model large temperature differences in combination with the low‐Mach number limit. The model is used to simulate fires in vehicle tunnels, where the standard Boussinesq‐approximation for the incompressible Navier–Stokes seems to be inappropriate due to the high temperatures developing in the tunnel. The model is implemented using a modified finite‐difference approach for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations and tested in some realistic fire events. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A high‐order accurate discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for laminar low Mach number flows

In this paper we present a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method designed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of laminar flow simulations at low Mach numbers using an implicit scheme. The algorithm is based on the flux preconditioning approach, which modifies only the dissipative terms of the numerical flux. This formulation is quite simple to implement in existing implicit DG codes, it overcomes the time‐stepping restrictions of explicit multistage algorithms, is consistent in time and thus applicable to unsteady flows. The performance of the method is demonstrated by solving the flow around a NACA0012 airfoil and on a flat plate, at different low Mach numbers using various degrees of polynomial approximations. Computations with and without flux preconditioning are performed on different grid topologies to analyze the influence of the spatial discretization on the accuracy of the DG solutions at low Mach numbers. The time accurate solution of unsteady flow is also demonstrated by solving the vortex shedding behind a circular cylinder at the Reynolds number of 100. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A NUMERICAL PROCEDURE FOR PREDICTING MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS OF A SPHERICAL TAYLOR–COUETTE FLOW

A new numerical procedure for predicting multiple solutions of Taylor vortices in a spherical gap is presented. The steady incompressible Navier–Stokes equations in primitive variables are solved by a finite- difference method using a matrix preconditioning technique. Routes leading to multiple flow states are designed heuristically by imposing symmetric properties. Both symmetric and asymmetric solutions can be predicted in a deterministic way. The current procedure gives very fast convergence rate to the desired flow modes. This procedure provides an alternative way of finding all possible stable steady axisymmetric flow modes.     

AN APPROXIMATE PROJECTION SCHEME FOR INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOW USING SPECTRAL ELEMENTS

An approximate projection scheme based on the pressure correction method is proposed to solve the Navier–Stokes equations for incompressible flow. The algorithm is applied to the continuous equations; however, there are no problems concerning the choice of boundary conditions of the pressure step. The resulting velocity and pressure are consistent with the original system. For the spatial discretization a high-order spectral element method is chosen. The high-order accuracy allows the use of a diagonal mass matrix, resulting in a very efficient algorithm. The properties of the scheme are extensively tested by means of an analytical test example. The scheme is further validated by simulating the laminar flow over a backward-facing step.     

NUMERICAL SOLUTIONS OF OPTIMAL CONTROL FOR THERMALLY CONVECTIVE FLOWS

We study the numerical solution of optimal control problems associated with two-dimensional viscous incompressible thermally convective flows. Although the techniques apply to more general settings, the presentation is confined to the objectives of minimizing the vorticity in the steady state case and tracking the velocity field in the non-stationary case with boundary temperature controls. In the steady state case we develop a systematic way to use the Lagrange multiplier rules to derive an optimality system of equations from which an optimal solution can be computed; finite element methods are used to find approximate solutions for the optimality system of equations. In the time-dependent case a piecewise-in-time optimal control approach is proposed and the fully discrete approximation algorithm for solving the piecewise optimal control problem is defined. Numerical results are presented for both the steady state and time-dependent optimal control problems. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Colocated schemes for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations on non‐smooth grids for two‐dimensional problems

The accuracy of colocated finite volume schemes for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations on non‐smooth curvilinear grids is investigated. A frequently used scheme is found to be quite inaccurate on non‐smooth grids. In an attempt to improve the accuracy on such grids, three other schemes are described and tested. Two of these are found to give satisfactory results. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A high‐order discontinuous Galerkin solver for low Mach number flows

In this work, we present a high‐order discontinuous Galerkin method (DGM) for simulating variable density flows at low Mach numbers. The corresponding low Mach number equations are an approximation of the compressible Navier–Stokes equations in the limit of zero Mach number. To the best of the authors'y knowledge, it is the first time that the DGM is applied to the low Mach number equations. The mixed‐order formulation is applied for spatial discretization. For steady cases, we apply the semi‐implicit method for pressure‐linked equation (SIMPLE) algorithm to solve the non‐linear system in a segregated manner. For unsteady cases, the solver is implicit in time using backward differentiation formulae, and the SIMPLE algorithm is applied to solve the non‐linear system in each time step. Numerical results for the following three test cases are shown: Couette flow with a vertical temperature gradient, natural convection in a square cavity, and unsteady natural convection in a tall cavity. Considering a fixed number of degrees of freedom, the results demonstrate the benefits of using higher approximation orders. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new hybrid turbulence modelling strategy for industrial CFD

This paper presents a new strategy for turbulence model employment with emphasis on the model's applicability for industrial computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In the hybrid modelling strategy proposed here, the Reynolds stress and mean rate of strain tensors are coupled via Boussinesq's formula as in the standard k–εmodel. However, the turbulent kinetic energy is calculated as the sum of the normal Reynolds‐stress components, representing the solutions of the appropriate transport equations. The equations governing the Reynolds‐stress tensor and dissipation rate have been solved in the framework of a ‘background’ second‐moment closure model. Furthermore, the structure parameter C‐µ has been re‐calculated from a newly proposed functional dependency rather than kept constant. This new definition of C‐µ has been assessed by using direct numerical simulation (DNS) results of several generic flow configurations featuring different phenomena such as separation, reattachment and rotation. Comparisons show a large departure of C‐µ from the commonly used value of 0.09. The model proposed is computationally validated in a number of well‐proven fluid flow benchmarks, e.g. backward‐facing step, 180° turn‐around duct, rotating pipe, impinging jet and three‐dimensional (3D) Ahmed body. The obtained results confirm that the present hybrid model delivers a robust solution procedure while preserving most of the physical advantages of the Reynolds‐stress model over simple k–εmodels. A low Reynolds number version of the hybrid model is also proposed and discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation of two‐dimensional channel flow with a partially compliant wall using finite volume–finite difference approach

This paper presents a numerical simulation of steady two‐dimensional channel flow with a partially compliant wall. Navier–Stokes equation is solved using an unstructured finite volume method (FVM). The deformation of the compliant wall is determined by solving a membrane equation using finite difference method (FDM). The membrane equation and Navier–Stokes equation are coupled iteratively to determine the shape of the membrane and the flow field. A spring analogy smoothing technique is applied to the deformed mesh to ensure good mesh quality throughout the computing procedure. Numerical results obtained in the present simulation match well with that in the literature. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A LOCAL MESH REFINEMENT ALGORITHM APPLIED TO TURBULENT FLOW

This paper presents a local mesh refinement procedure based on a discretization over internal interfaces where the averaging is performed on the coarse side. It is implemented in a multigrid environment but can optionally be used without it. The discretization for the convective terms in the velocity and the temperature equation is the QUICK scheme, while the HYBRID-UPWIND scheme is used in the turbulence equations. The turbulence model used is a two-layer k–ϵ model. We have applied this formulation on a backward-facing step at Re=800 and on a three-dimensional turbulent ventilated enclosure, where we have resolved a geometrically complex inlet consisting of 84 nozzles. In both cases the concept of local mesh refinements was found to be an efficient and accurate solution strategy. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A 3D AGGLOMERATION MULTIGRID SOLVER FOR THE REYNOLDS–AVERAGED NAVIER–STOKES EQUATIONS ON UNSTRUCTURED MESHES

An agglomeration multigrid strategy is developed and implemented for the solution of three-dimensional steady viscous flows. The method enables convergence acceleration with minimal additional memory overhead and is completely automated in that it can deal with grids of arbitrary construction. The multigrid technique is validated by comparing the delivered convergence rates with those obtained by a previously developed overset-mesh multigrid approach and by demonstrating grid-independent convergence rates for aerodynamic problems on very large grids. Prospects for further increases in multigrid efficiency for high-Reynolds-number viscous flows on highly stretched meshes are discussed.     

Parallel‐in‐time simulation of the unsteady Navier–Stokes equations for incompressible flow

In this paper, we present an application of a parallel‐in‐time algorithm for the solution of the unsteady Navier–Stokes model equations that are of parabolic–elliptic type. This method is based on the alternated use of a coarse global sequential solver and a fine local parallel one. A standard finite volume/finite differences first‐order approach is used for discretization of the unsteady two‐dimensional Navier–Stokes equations. The Taylor vortex decay problem and the confined flow around a square cylinder were selected as unsteady flow examples to illustrate and analyse the properties of the parallel‐in‐time method through numerical experiments. The influence of several parameters on the computing time required to perform a parallel‐in‐time calculation on a PC cluster was verified. Among them we have analysed the influence of the number of processors, the number of iterations for convergence, the resolution of the spatial domain and the influence of the time‐step sizes ratio between the coarse and fine grids. Significant computer time saving was achieved when compared with the single processor computing time, particularly when the spatial dimension of the problem is low and the temporal scale is large. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Taylor series‐based finite volume method for the Navier–Stokes equations

A Taylor series‐based finite volume formulation has been developed to solve the Navier–Stokes equations. Within each cell, velocity and pressure are obtained from the Taylor expansion at its centre. The derivatives in the expansion are found by applying the Gauss theorem over the cell. The resultant integration over the faces of the cell is calculated from the value at the middle point of the face and its derivatives, which are further obtained from a higher order interpolation based on the values at the centres of two cells sharing this face. The terms up to second order in the velocity and the terms up to first order in pressure in the Taylor expansion are retained throughout the derivation. The test cases for channel flow, flow past a circular cylinder and flow in a collapsible channel have shown that the method is quite accurate and flexible. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

PEGASE: A NAVIER–STOKES SOLVER FOR DIRECT NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOWS

A hybrid conservative finite difference/finite element scheme is proposed for the solution of the unsteady incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Using velocity–pressure variables on a non-staggeredgrid system, the solution is obtained with a projection method basedon the resolution of a pressure Poisson equation. The new proposed scheme is derived from the finite element spatial discretization using the Galerkin method with piecewise bilinear polynomial basis functions defined on quadrilateral elements. It is applied to the pressure gradient term and to the non-linear convection term as in the so-called group finite element method. It ensures strong coupling between spatial directions, inhibiting the development of oscillations during long-term computations, as demonstrated by the validation studies. Two- and three-dimensional unsteady separated flows with open boundaries have been simulated with the proposed method using Cartesian uniform mesh grids. Several examples of calculations on the backward-facing step configuration are reported and the results obtained are compared with those given by other methods. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Int. j. numer. methods fluids 24: 833–861, 1997.     

Comment on ‘generalized potential flow theory and direct calculation of velocities applied to the numerical solution of the Navier–Stokes and the Boussinesq equations’

In a recent paper a generalized potential flow theory and its application to the solution of the Navier–Stokes equation are developed.¹ The purpose of this comment is to show that the analysis presented in that paper is in general not correct. We note that the theoretical development of Reference 1 is in fact an extension—although not cited—of some work first done by Hawthorne for steady inviscid flow.² Hawthorne's solution is correct, and his analysis, which we briefly describe, provides a useful introduction to this note.     

A high‐order discontinuous Galerkin method for all‐speed flows

In this article, we present a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method designed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of steady solutions of the compressible fully coupled Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes and k ? ω turbulence model equations for solving all‐speed flows. The system of equations is iterated to steady state by means of an implicit scheme. The DG solution is extended to the incompressible limit by implementing a low Mach number preconditioning technique. A full preconditioning approach is adopted, which modifies both the unsteady terms of the governing equations and the dissipative term of the numerical flux function by means of a new preconditioner, on the basis of a modified version of Turkel's preconditioning matrix. At sonic speed the preconditioner reduces to the identity matrix thus recovering the non‐preconditioned DG discretization. An artificial viscosity term is added to the DG discretized equations to stabilize the solution in the presence of shocks when piecewise approximations of order of accuracy higher than 1 are used. Moreover, several rescaling techniques are implemented in order to overcome ill‐conditioning problems that, in addition to the low Mach number stiffness, can limit the performance of the flow solver. These approaches, through a proper manipulation of the governing equations, reduce unbalances between residuals as a result of the dependence on the size of elements in the computational mesh and because of the inherent differences between turbulent and mean‐flow variables, influencing both the evolution of the Courant Friedrichs Lewy (CFL) number and the inexact solution of the linear systems. The performance of the method is demonstrated by solving three turbulent aerodynamic test cases: the flat plate, the L1T2 high‐lift configuration and the RAE2822 airfoil (Case 9). The computations are performed at different Mach numbers using various degrees of polynomial approximations to analyze the influence of the proposed numerical strategies on the accuracy, efficiency and robustness of a high‐order DG solver at different flow regimes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.