On the quadrilateral Q2–P1 element for the Stokes problem

The Q₂ – P₁ approximation is one of the most popular Stokes elements. Two possible choices are given for the definition of the pressure space: one can either use a global pressure approximation (that is on each quadrilateral the finite element space is spanned by 1 and by the global co‐ordinates x and y) or a local approach (consisting in generating the local space by means of the constants and the local curvilinear co‐ordinates on each quadrilateral ξ and η). The former choice is known to provide optimal error estimates on general meshes. This has been shown, as it is standard, by proving a discrete inf–sup condition. In the present paper we check that the latter approach satisfies the inf–sup condition as well. However, recent results on quadrilateral finite elements bring to light a lack in the approximation properties for the space coming out from the local pressure approach. Numerical results actually show that the second choice (local or mapped pressure approximation) is suboptimally convergent. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the stability of bubble functions and a stabilized mixed finite element formulation for the Stokes problem

In this paper we investigate the relationship between stabilized and enriched finite element formulations for the Stokes problem. We also present a new stabilized mixed formulation for which the stability parameter is derived purely by the method of weighted residuals. This new formulation allows equal‐order interpolation for the velocity and pressure fields. Finally, we show by counterexample that a direct equivalence between subgrid‐based stabilized finite element methods and Galerkin methods enriched by bubble functions cannot be constructed for quadrilateral and hexahedral elements using standard bubble functions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Augmented mixed finite element methods for a vorticity‐based velocity–pressure–stress formulation of the Stokes problem in 2D

In this paper, we consider an augmented velocity–pressure–stress formulation of the 2D Stokes problem, in which the stress is defined in terms of the vorticity and the pressure, and then we introduce and analyze stable mixed finite element methods to solve the associated Galerkin scheme. In this way, we further extend similar procedures applied recently to linear elasticity and to other mixed formulations for incompressible fluid flows. Indeed, our approach is based on the introduction of the Galerkin least‐squares‐type terms arising from the corresponding constitutive and equilibrium equations, and from the Dirichlet boundary condition for the velocity, all of them multiplied by stabilization parameters. Then, we show that these parameters can be suitably chosen so that the resulting operator equation induces a strongly coercive bilinear form, whence the associated Galerkin scheme becomes well posed for any choice of finite element subspaces. In particular, we can use continuous piecewise linear velocities, piecewise constant pressures, and rotated Raviart–Thomas elements for the stresses. Next, we derive reliable and efficient residual‐based a posteriori error estimators for the augmented mixed finite element schemes. In addition, several numerical experiments illustrating the performance of the augmented mixed finite element methods, confirming the properties of the a posteriori estimators, and showing the behavior of the associated adaptive algorithms are reported. The present work should be considered as a first step aiming finally to derive augmented mixed finite element methods for vorticity‐based formulations of the 3D Stokes problem. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adaptive finite element method for an optimal control problem of Stokes flow with L2‐norm state constraint

An adaptive finite element approximation for an optimal control problem of the Stokes flow with an L²‐norm state constraint is proposed. To produce good adaptive meshes, the a posteriori error estimates are discussed. The equivalent residual‐type a posteriori error estimators of the H ¹‐error of state and L²‐error of control are given, which are suitable to carry out the adaptive multi‐mesh finite element approximation. Some numerical experiments are performed to illustrate the efficiency of the a posteriori estimators. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Some fast 3D finite element solvers for the generalized Stokes problem

This paper is devoted to a comparison of various iterative solvers for the Stokes problem, based on the preconditioned Uzawa approach. In the first section the basic equations and general results of gradient-like methods are recalled. Then a new class of preconditioners, whose optimality will be shown, is introduced. In the last section numerical experiments and comparisons with multigrid methods prove the quality of these schemes, whose discretization is detailed.     

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.     

A posteriori bounds for linear functional outputs of Crouzeix–Raviart finite element discretizations of the incompressible Stokes problem

A finite element technique is presented for the efficient generation of lower and upper bounds to outputs which are linear functionals of the solutions to the incompressible Stokes equations in two space dimensions. The finite element discretization is effected by Crouzeix–Raviart elements, the discontinuous pressure approximation of which is central to this approach. The bounds are based upon the construction of an augmented Lagrangian: the objective is a quadratic ‘energy’ reformulation of the desired output, the constraints are the finite element equilibrium equations (including the incompressibility constraint), and the inter‐sub‐domain continuity conditions on velocity. Appealing to the dual max–min problem for appropriately chosen candidate Lagrange multipliers then yields inexpensive bounds for the output associated with a fine‐mesh discretization. The Lagrange multipliers are generated by exploiting an associated coarse‐mesh approximation. In addition to the requisite coarse‐mesh calculations, the bound technique requires the solution of only local sub‐domain Stokes problems on the fine mesh. The method is illustrated for the Stokes equations, in which the outputs of interest are the flow rate past and the lift force on a body immersed in a channel. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two-level stabilized finite element method for Stokes eigenvalue problem

A two-level stabilized finite element method for the Stokes eigenvalue problem based on the local Gauss integration is considered.This method involves solving a Stokes eigenvalue problem on a coarse mesh with mesh size H and a Stokes problem on a fine mesh with mesh size h = O(H 2),which can still maintain the asymptotically optimal accuracy.It provides an approximate solution with the convergence rate of the same order as the usual stabilized finite element solution,which involves solving a Stokes eigenvalue problem on a fine mesh with mesh size h.Hence,the two-level stabilized finite element method can save a large amount of computational time.Moreover,numerical tests confirm the theoretical results of the present method.     

Adaptive mixed least squares Galerkin/Petrov finite element method for stationary conduction convection problems

An adaptive mixed least squares Galerkin/Petrov finite element method (FEM) is developed for stationary conduction convection problems. The mixed least squares Galerkin/Petrov FEM is consistent and stable for any combination of discrete velocity and pressure spaces without requiring the Babuska-Brezzi stability condition. Using the general theory of Verfürth, the posteriori error estimates of the residual type are derived. Finally, numerical tests are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the method.     

Approximation of generalized Stokes problems using dual‐mixed finite elements without enrichment

In this work a finite element method for a dual‐mixed approximation of generalized Stokes problems in two or three space dimensions is studied. A variational formulation of the generalized Stokes problems is accomplished through the introduction of the pseudostress and the trace‐free velocity gradient as unknowns, yielding a twofold saddle point problem. The method avoids the explicit computation of the pressure, which can be recovered through a simple post‐processing technique. Compared with an existing approach for the same problem, the method presented here reduces the global number of degrees of freedom by up to one‐third in two space dimensions. The method presented here also represents a connection between existing dual‐mixed and pseudostress methods for Stokes problems. Existence, uniqueness, and error results for the generalized Stokes problems are given, and numerical experiments that illustrate the theoretical results are presented. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An all-at-once algebraic multigrid method for finite element discretizations of Stokes problem

We consider numerical solution of finite element discretizations of the Stokes problem. We focus on the transform-then-solve approach, which amounts to first apply a specific algebraic transformation to the linear system of equations arising from the discretization, and then solve the transformed system with an algebraic multigrid method. The approach has recently been applied to finite difference discretizations of the Stokes problem with constant viscosity, and has recommended itself as a robust and competitive solution method. In this work, we examine the extension of the approach to standard finite element discretizations of the Stokes problem, including problems with variable viscosity. The extension relies, on one hand, on the use of the successive over-relaxation method as a multigrid smoother for some finite element schemes. On the other hand, we present strategies that allow us to limit the complexity increase induced by the transformation. Numerical experiments show that for stationary problems our method is competitive compared to a reference solver based on a block diagonal preconditioner and MINRES, and suggest that the transform-then-solve approach is also more robust. In particular, for problems with variable viscosity, the transform-then-solve approach demonstrates significant speed-up with respect to the block diagonal preconditioner. The method is also particularly robust for time-dependent problems whatever the time step size.     

Adaptive mixed least squares Galerkin/Petrov finite element method for stationary conduction convection problems

An adaptive mixed least squares Galerkin/Petrov finite element method (FEM) is developed for stationary conduction convection problems. The mixed least squares Galerkin/Petrov FEM is consistent and stable for any combination of discrete velocity and pressure spaces without requiring the Babuska-Brezzi stability condition. Using the general theory of Verfürth, the posteriori error estimates of the residual type are derived. Finally, numerical tests are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the method.     

Penalty finite element method for Navier–Stokes equations with nonlinear slip boundary conditions

The penalty finite element method for Navier–Stokes equations with nonlinear slip boundary conditions is investigated in this paper. Since this class of nonlinear slip boundary conditions include the subdifferential property, the weak variational formulation is a variational inequality problem of the second kind. Using the penalty finite element approximation, we obtain optimal error estimates between the exact solution and the finite element approximation solution. Finally, we show the numerical results which are in full agreement with the theoretical results. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new streamline diffusion finite element method for the generalized Oseen problem

This paper aims to present a new streamline diffusion method with low order rectangular Bernardi-Raugel elements to solve the generalized Oseen equations. With the help of the Bramble-Hilbert lemma, the optimal errors of the velocity and pressure are estimated, which are independent of the considered parameter ε. With an interpolation postprocessing approach, the superconvergent error of the pressure is obtained. Finally,a numerical experiment is carried out to confirm the theoretical results.     

A NONLINEAR GALERKIN MIXED ELEMENT METHOD AND A POSTERIORI ERROR ESTIMATOR FOR THE STATIONARY NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS

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A least square extrapolation method for the a posteriori error estimate of the incompressible Navier Stokes problem

A posteriori error estimators are fundamental tools for providing confidence in the numerical computation of PDEs. To date, the main theories of a posteriori estimators have been developed largely in the finite element framework, for either linear elliptic operators or non‐linear PDEs in the absence of disparate length scales. On the other hand, there is a strong interest in using grid refinement combined with Richardson extrapolation to produce CFD solutions with improved accuracy and, therefore, a posteriori error estimates. But in practice, the effective order of a numerical method often depends on space location and is not uniform, rendering the Richardson extrapolation method unreliable. We have recently introduced (Garbey, 13th International Conference on Domain Decomposition, Barcelona, 2002; 379–386; Garbey and Shyy, J. Comput. Phys. 2003; 186 :1–23) a new method which estimates the order of convergence of a computation as the solution of a least square minimization problem on the residual. This method, called least square extrapolation, introduces a framework facilitating multi‐level extrapolation, improves accuracy and provides a posteriori error estimate. This method can accommodate different grid arrangements. The goal of this paper is to investigate the power and limits of this method via incompressible Navier Stokes flow computations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A nonconforming finite element method for the Stokes equations using the Crouzeix‐Raviart element for the velocity and the standard linear element for the pressure

We present a finite element method for Stokes equations using the Crouzeix‐Raviart element for the velocity and the continuous linear element for the pressure. We show that the inf‐sup condition is satisfied for this pair. Two numerical experiments are presented to support the theoretical results. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

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.     

Reduced finite difference scheme and error estimates based on POD method for non-stationary Stokes equation

The proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is a model reduction technique for the simulation of physical processes governed by partial differential equations (e.g.,fluid flows). It has been successfully used in the reduced-order modeling of complex systems. In this paper, the applications of the POD method are extended, i.e., the POD method is applied to a classical finite difference (FD) scheme for the non-stationary Stokes equation with a real practical applied background. A reduced FD scheme is established with lower dimensions and sufficiently high accuracy, and the error estimates are provided between the reduced and the classical FD solutions. Some numerical examples illustrate that the numerical results are consistent with theoretical conclusions. Moreover, it is shown that the reduced FD scheme based on the POD method is feasible and efficient in solving the FD scheme for the non-stationary Stokes equation.