A Dorodnitsyn finite element formulation for laminar boundary layer flow

The Dorodnitsyn boundary later formulation is given a finite element interpretation and found to generate very accurate and economical solutions when combined with an implicit, non-iterative marching scheme in the downstream direction. The algorithm is of order (Δ²u, Δx) whether linear or quadratic elements are used across the boundary layer. Solutions are compared with a Dorodnitsyn spectral formulation and a conventional finite difference formulation for three Falkner-Skan pressure gradient cases and the flow over a circular cylinder. With quadratic elements the Dorodnitsyn finite element formulation is approximately five times more efficient than the conventional finite difference formulation.     

p-version least squares finite element formulation for two-dimensional,incompressible, non-Newtonian isothermal and non-isothermal fluid flow

This paper presents a p- version least squares finite element formulation (LSFEF) for two-dimensional, incompressible, non-Newtonian fluid flow under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. The dimensionless forms of the diffential equations describing the fluid motion and heat transfer are cast into a set of first-order differential equations using non-Newtonian stresses and heat fluxes as auxiliary variables. The velocities, pressure and temperature as well as the stresses and heat fluxes are interpolated using equal-order, C⁰-continuous, p-version hierarchical approximation functions. The application of least squares minimization to the set of coupled first-order non-linear partial differential equations results in finding a solution vector {δ} which makes the partial derivatives of the error functional with respect to {δ} a null vector. This is accomplished by using Newton's method with a line search. The paper presents the implementation of a power-law model for the non-Newtonian Viscosity. For the non-isothermal case the fluid properties are considered to be a function of temperature. Three numerical examples (fully developed flow between parallel plates, symmetric sudden expansion and lid-driven cavity) are presented for isothermal power-law fluid flow. The Couette shear flow problem and the 4:1 symmetric sudden expansion are used to present numerical results for non-isothermal power-law fluid flow. The numerical examples demonstrate the convergence characteristics and accuracy of the formulation.     

BOUNDARY CONDITIONS IN SHALLOW WATER MODELS—AN ALTERNATIVE IMPLEMENTATION FOR FINITE ELEMENT CODES

Finite element solution of the shallow water wave equations has found increasing use by researchers and practitioners in the modelling of oceans and coastal areas. Wave equation models, most of which use equal-orderC⁰ interpolants for both the velocity and the surface elevation, do not introduce spurious oscillation modes, hence avoiding the need for artificial or numerical damping. An important question for both primitive equation and wave equation models is the interpretation of boundary conditions. Analysis of the characteristics of the governing equations shows that for most geophysical flows a single condition at each boundary is sufficient, yet there is not a consensus in the literature as to what that boundary condition must be or how it should be implemented in a finite element code. Traditionally (partly because of limited data), surface elevation is specified at open ocean boundaries while the normal flux is specified as zero at land boundaries. In most finite element wave equation models both of these boundary conditions are implemented as essential conditions. Our recent work focuses on alternative ways to numerically implement normal flow boundary conditions with an eye towards improving the mass-conserving properties of wave equation models. A unique finite element formulation using generalized functions demonstrates that boundary conditions should be implemented by treating normal fluxes as natural conditions with the flux interpreted as external to the computational domain. Results from extensive numerical experiments show that the scheme does conserve mass for all parameter values. Furthermore, convergence studies demonstrate that the algorithm is consistent, as residual errors at the boundary diminish as the grid is refined.     

A sensitivity analysis on the parameter of the GLS method for a second‐gradient theory of incompressible flow

Using a non‐conforming C⁰‐interior penalty method and the Galerkin least‐square approach, we develop a continuous–discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for discretizing fourth‐order incompressible flow problems. The formulation is weakly coercive for spaces that fail to satisfy the inf‐sup condition and consider discontinuous basis functions for the pressure field. We consider the results of a stability analysis through a lemma which indicates that there exists an optimal or quasi‐optimal least‐square stability parameter that depends on the polynomial degree used to interpolate the velocity and pressure fields, and on the geometry of the finite element in the mesh. We provide several numerical experiments illustrating such dependence, as well as the robustness of the method to deal with arbitrary basis functions for velocity and pressure, and the ability to stabilize large pressure gradients. We believe the results provided in this paper contribute for establishing a paradigm for future studies of the parameter of the Galerkin least square method for second‐gradient theory of incompressible flow problems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

p-version least squares finite element formulation for two-dimensional,incompressible fluid flow

A p-version least squares finite element formulation for non-linear problems is applied to the problem of steady, two-dimensional, incompressible fluid flow. The Navier-Stokes equations are cast as a set of first-order equations involving viscous stresses as auxiliary variables. Both the primary and auxiliary variables are interpolated using equal-order C⁰ continuity, p-version hierarchical approximation functions. The least squares functional (or error functional) is constructed using the system of coupled first-order non-linear partial differential equations without linearization, approximations or assumptions. The minimization of this least squares error functional results in finding a solution vector {δ} for which the partial derivative of the error functional (integrated sum of squares of the errors resulting from individual equations for the entire discretization) with respect to the nodal degrees of freedom {δ} becomes zero. This is accomplished by using Newton's method with a line search. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the convergence characteristics and accuracy of the method.     

A stabilized finite element method for the Stokes problem based on polynomial pressure projections

A new stabilized finite element method for the Stokes problem is presented. The method is obtained by modification of the mixed variational equation by using local L² polynomial pressure projections. Our stabilization approach is motivated by the inherent inconsistency of equal‐order approximations for the Stokes equations, which leads to an unstable mixed finite element method. Application of pressure projections in conjunction with minimization of the pressure–velocity mismatch eliminates this inconsistency and leads to a stable variational formulation. Unlike other stabilization methods, the present approach does not require specification of a stabilization parameter or calculation of higher‐order derivatives, and always leads to a symmetric linear system. The new method can be implemented at the element level and for affine families of finite elements on simplicial grids it reduces to a simple modification of the weak continuity equation. Numerical results are presented for a variety of equal‐order continuous velocity and pressure elements in two and three dimensions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical study of vortex shedding from a rotating cylinder immersed in a uniform flow field

A numerical study is made of the unsteady two‐dimensional, incompressible flow past an impulsively started translating and rotating circular cylinder. The Reynolds number (Re) and the rotating‐to‐translating speed ratio (α) are two controlled parameters, and the influence of their different combinations on vortex shedding from the cylinder is investigated by the numerical scheme sketched below. Associated with the streamfunction (ψ)–vorticity (ω) formulation of the Navier–Stokes equations, the Poisson equation for ψ is solved by a Fourier/finite‐analytic, separation of variable approach. This approach allows one to attenuate the artificial far‐field boundary, and also yields a global conditioning on the wall vorticity in response to the no‐slip condition. As for the vorticity transport equation, spatial discretization is done by means of finite difference in which the convection terms are handled with the aid of an ENO (essentially non‐oscillatory)‐like data reconstruction process. Finally, the interior vorticity is updated by an explicit, second‐order Runge–Kutta method. Present computations fall into two categories. One with Re=10³ and α≤3; the other with Re=10⁴ and α≤2. Comparisons with other numerical or physical experiments are included. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Buoyancy modelling with incompressible SPH for laminar and turbulent flows

This work aims to model buoyant, laminar or turbulent flows, using a two‐dimensional incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics model with accurate wall boundary conditions. The buoyancy effects are modelled through the Boussinesq approximation coupled to a heat equation, which makes it possible to apply an incompressible algorithm to compute the pressure field from a Poisson equation. Based on our previous work [1], we extend the unified semi‐analytical wall boundary conditions to the present model. The latter is also combined to a Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes approach to treat turbulent flows. The k ? ? turbulence model is used, where buoyancy is modelled through an additional term in the k ? ? equations like in mesh‐based methods. We propose a unified framework to prescribe isothermal (Dirichlet) or to impose heat flux (Neumann) wall boundary conditions in incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics. To illustrate this, a theoretical case is presented (laminar heated Poiseuille flow), where excellent agreement with the theoretical solution is obtained. Several benchmark cases are then proposed: a lock‐exchange flow, two laminar and one turbulent flow in differentially heated cavities, and finally a turbulent heated Poiseuille flow. Comparisons are provided with a finite volume approach using an open‐source industrial code. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A least-squares finite element method for time-dependent incompressible flows with thermal convection

The time-dependent Navier–Stokes equations and the energy balance equation for an incompressible, constant property fluid in the Boussinesq approximation are solved by a least-squares finite element method based on a velocity–pressure–vorticity–temperature–heat-flux ( u –P–ω–T– q ) formulation discretized by backward finite differencing in time. The discretization scheme leads to the minimization of the residual in the l²-norm for each time step. Isoparametric bilinear quadrilateral elements and reduced integration are employed. Three examples, thermally driven cavity flow at Rayleigh numbers up to 10⁶, lid-driven cavity flow at Reynolds numbers up to 10⁴ and flow over a square obstacle at Reynolds number 200, are presented to validate the method.     

Stabilized finite‐element computation of compressible flow with linear and quadratic interpolation functions

The unsteady compressible flow equations are solved using a stabilized finite‐element formulation with C⁰ elements. In 2D, the performance of three‐noded linear and six‐noded quadratic triangular elements is compared. In 3D, the relative performance is evaluated for 6‐noded linear and 18‐noded quadratic wedge elements. Results are compared for the solutions to Euler, laminar, and turbulent flows at different Mach numbers for several flow problems. The finite‐element meshes considered for comparison have same location of nodes for the linear and quadratic interpolations. For the turbulent flow, the Spalart–Allmaras model is used for closure. It is found that the quadratic elements yield better performance than the linear elements. This is attributed to accurate representation of the stabilization terms that involve second‐order derivatives in the formulation. When these terms are dropped from the formulation with quadratic interpolation, the numerical results are similar to those obtained with linear interpolation. The absence of these terms result in added numerical diffusion that seems to give the effect of a relatively reduced Reynolds number. For the same location of nodes, the computations with the linear triangular and wedge elements are approximately 20% and 100% faster than those with quadratic triangular and wedge elements, respectively. However, if the same quadrature rule for numerical integration is used for both interpolations, the computations with quadratic elements are approximately 20% and 45% faster in 2D and 3D, respectively. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical convergence of finite element solutions of nonrational B-spline element and absolute nodal coordinate formulation

In this investigation, numerical convergence of finite element solutions obtained using the B-spline approach and the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) is discussed. Furthermore, equivalence of the two formulations with different orders of polynomials and degrees of continuity is demonstrated by several numerical examples. The degree of continuity can be easily controlled in B-spline elements by changing knot multiplicities, while continuity conditions associated with higher order derivatives need to be imposed to achieve C ² and higher continuities in ANCF elements. In order to compare element performances of the third and quartic B-spline and ANCF elements, the three-node quartic ANCF beam element is developed. It is demonstrated in several numerical examples that use of B-spline and ANCF elements with same orders and continuities leads to identical results. Furthermore, effects of polynomial orders and continuities on the accuracy and numerical convergence are demonstrated.     

Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions for the pressure poisson equation of incompressible flow

In a recent paper Gresho and Sani showed that Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions for the pressure Poisson equation give the same solution. The purpose of this paper is to confirm this (for one case at least) by numerically solving the pressure equation with Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions for the inviscid stagnation point flow problem. The Dirichlet boundary condition is obtained by integrating the tangential component of the momentum equation along the boundary. The Neumann boundary condition is obtained by applying the normal component of the momentum equation at the boundary. In this work solutions for the Neumann problem exist only if a compatibility condition is satisfied. A consistent finite difference procedure which satisfies this condition on non-staggered grids is used for the solution of the pressure equation with Neumann conditions. Two test cases are computed. In the first case the velocity field is given from the analytical solution and the pressure is recovered from the solution of the associated Poisson equation. The computed results are identical for both Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. However, the Dirichlet problem converges faster than the Neumann case. In the second test case the velocity field is computed from the momentum equations, which are solved iteratively with the pressure Poisson equation. In this case the Neumann problem converges faster than the Dirichlet problem.     

Evaluation of tidal residual currents in a wide estuary,using a finite element method

From the linearized, time-independent, constant depth, shallow water tidal equations in an f-plane for a two-layer estuary, two independent modal Helmholtz equations are derived. These modal equations are solved using a fifth-degree finite element technique. The first and second space derivatives of the complex modal tidal elevations, and thus the modal currents and their first derivatives, are evaluated directly from the solution at each node of the finite element mesh. The Stokes drift, which is the major part of the residual tidal flow, is evaluated from these nodal values of the currents and their derivatives. Good agreement is obtained with the exact analytical solution for a wedge-shaped estuary with a wedge angle of π/3, using a mesh of 64 equilateral triangles with sides approximately 1/10 of the wavelength 2πC₂/σ of a Kelvin wave solution for the short-wavelength mode.     

Existence and Stability of Multidimensional Transonic Flows through an Infinite Nozzle of Arbitrary Cross-Sections

We establish the existence and stability of multidimensional steady transonic flows with transonic shocks through an infinite nozzle of arbitrary cross-sections, including a slowly varying de Laval nozzle. The transonic flow is governed by the inviscid potential flow equation with supersonic upstream flow at the entrance, uniform subsonic downstream flow at the exit at infinity, and the slip boundary condition on the nozzle boundary. Our results indicate that, if the supersonic upstream flow at the entrance is sufficiently close to a uniform flow, there exists a solution that consists of a C ^1,α subsonic flow in the unbounded downstream region, converging to a uniform velocity state at infinity, and a C ^1,α multidimensional transonic shock separating the subsonic flow from the supersonic upstream flow; the uniform velocity state at the exit at infinity in the downstream direction is uniquely determined by the supersonic upstream flow; and the shock is orthogonal to the nozzle boundary at every point of their intersection. In order to construct such a transonic flow, we reformulate the multidimensional transonic nozzle problem into a free boundary problem for the subsonic phase, in which the equation is elliptic and the free boundary is a transonic shock. The free boundary conditions are determined by the Rankine–Hugoniot conditions along the shock. We further develop a nonlinear iteration approach and employ its advantages to deal with such a free boundary problem in the unbounded domain. We also prove that the transonic flow with a transonic shock is unique and stable with respect to the nozzle boundary and the smooth supersonic upstream flow at the entrance.     

Preconditioned conjugate gradients for solving the transient Boussinesq equations in three-dimensional geometries

In this paper we present a new version of the ‘modified finite element method’ (MFEM) presented by Gresho, Chan, Lee and Upson.¹ The main modification of the original algorithm is the introduction of a cost-effective and memory-saving iterative solver for the discretized Poisson equation for the pressure. The vectorization of the preconditioner has been especially considered. For low Prandtl number problems we also split the advection-diffusion operator of the energy equation into explicit and implicit parts. In that sense the present approach is related to the recent implicitization of the diffusive terms introduced by Gresho and Chan² and by Gresho.³ The algorithm is applied to the study of buoyancy-driven flow oscillations occuring in a horizontal crucible of molten metal under the action of a horizontal temperature gradient.     

FINITE ELEMENT MODELLING OF THE INCOMPRESSIBLE NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS

SUMMARY

The paper presents a finite element model for the solution of the three-dimensional, time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations. Isoparametric brick elements are used, with tri-linear interpolation for both velocity and pressure. A fractional-step algorithm is applied, and the advection-diffusion part of the system is solved using a two-step Taylor-Galerkin formulation. The pressure is computed from a Poisson equation, which is solved numerically using a preconditioned conjugate gradient method.

Computations are performed for the flow about a sphere at Reynolds numbers 50 and 100, and comparisons are made with available measurements.     

A non‐conforming least‐squares finite element method for incompressible fluid flow problems

In this paper, we develop least‐squares finite element methods (LSFEMs) for incompressible fluid flows with improved mass conservation. Specifically, we formulate a new locally conservative LSFEM for the velocity–vorticity–pressure Stokes system, which uses a piecewise divergence‐free basis for the velocity and standard C⁰ elements for the vorticity and the pressure. The new method, which we term dV‐VP improves upon our previous discontinuous stream‐function formulation in several ways. The use of a velocity basis, instead of a stream function, simplifies the imposition and implementation of the velocity boundary condition, and eliminates second‐order terms from the least‐squares functional. Moreover, the size of the resulting discrete problem is reduced because the piecewise solenoidal velocity element is approximately one‐half of the dimension of a stream‐function element of equal accuracy. In two dimensions, the discontinuous stream‐function LSFEM [1] motivates modification of our functional, which further improves the conservation of mass. We briefly discuss the extension of this modification to three dimensions. Computational studies demonstrate that the new formulation achieves optimal convergence rates and yields high conservation of mass. We also propose a simple diagonal preconditioner for the dV‐VP formulation, which significantly reduces the condition number of the LSFEM problem. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

Self-adaptive hierarchic finite element solution of the one-dimensional unsaturated flow equation

The advantages associated with the use of self-adaptive methods for the solution of problems which require the prediction of a frontal position in time are well known. In this paper a self-adaptive finite element solution for the non-linear unsaturated flow equation is developed using hierarchic p-version enrichment of the interpolating space. Additional computational advantages are demonstrated for an iteration scheme in which iterations after enrichment are performed only over a subdomain. Numerical solutions are presented for a one-dimensional infiltration scenario.     

An advanced higher-order theory for laminated composite plates with general lamination angles

This paper proposes a higher-order shear deformation theory to predict the bending response of the laminated composite and sandwich plates with general lamination configurations.The proposed theory a priori satisfies the continuity conditions of transverse shear stresses at interfaces.Moreover,the number of unknown variables is independent of the number of layers.The first derivatives of transverse displacements have been taken out from the inplane displacement fields,so that the C 0 shape functions are only required during its finite element implementation.Due to C 0 continuity requirements,the proposed model can be conveniently extended for implementation in commercial finite element codes.To verify the proposed theory,the fournode C 0 quadrilateral element is employed for the interpolation of all the displacement parameters defined at each nodal point on the composite plate.Numerical results show that following the proposed theory,simple C 0 finite elements could accurately predict the interlaminar stresses of laminated composite and sandwich plates directly from a constitutive equation,which has caused difficulty for the other global higher order theories.     

On accurate boundary conditions for a shape sensitivity equation method

This paper studies the application of the continuous sensitivity equation method (CSEM) for the Navier–Stokes equations in the particular case of shape parameters. Boundary conditions for shape parameters involve flow derivatives at the boundary. Thus, accurate flow gradients are critical to the success of the CSEM. A new approach is presented to extract accurate flow derivatives at the boundary. High order Taylor series expansions are used on layered patches in conjunction with a constrained least‐squares procedure to evaluate accurate first and second derivatives of the flow variables at the boundary, required for Dirichlet and Neumann sensitivity boundary conditions. The flow and sensitivity fields are solved using an adaptive finite‐element method. The proposed methodology is first verified on a problem with a closed form solution obtained by the Method of Manufactured Solutions. The ability of the proposed method to provide accurate sensitivity fields for realistic problems is then demonstrated. The flow and sensitivity fields for a NACA 0012 airfoil are used for fast evaluation of the nearby flow over an airfoil of different thickness (NACA 0015). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.