Analysis and convergence of the MAC scheme. II. Navier-Stokes equations

The MAC discretization scheme for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is interpreted as a covolume approximation to the equations. Using some results from earlier papers dealing with covolume error estimates for div-curl equation systems, and under certain conditions on the data and the solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations, we obtain first-order error estimates for both the vorticity and the pressure.

     

A robust iterative scheme for finite volume discretization of diffusive flux on highly skewed meshes

A new approach for diffusive flux discretization on a nonorthogonal mesh for finite volume method is proposed. This approach is based on an iterative method, Deferred correction introduced by M. Peric [J.H. Fergizer, M. Peric, Computational Methods for Fluid Dynamics, Springer, 2002]. It converges on highly skewed meshes where the former approach diverges. A convergence proof of our method is given on arbitrary quadrilateral control volumes. This proof is founded on the analysis of the spectral radius of the iteration matrix. This new approach is applied successfully to the solution of a Poisson equation in quadrangular domains, meshed with highly skewed control volumes. The precision order of used schemes is not affected by increasing skewness of the grid. Some numerical tests are performed to show the accuracy of the new approach.     

High order finite difference methods on non-uniform meshes for space fractional operators

In the past decades, the finite difference methods for space fractional operators develop rapidly; to the best of our knowledge, all the existing finite difference schemes, including the first and high order ones, just work on uniform meshes. The nonlocal property of space fractional operator makes it difficult to design the finite difference scheme on non-uniform meshes. This paper provides a basic strategy to derive the first and high order discretization schemes on non-uniform meshes for fractional operators. And the obtained first and second schemes on non-uniform meshes are used to solve space fractional diffusion equations. The error estimates and stability analysis are detailedly performed; and extensive numerical experiments confirm the theoretical analysis or verify the convergence orders.     

Finite Volume Methods for Multi-Symplectic PDES

We investigate the application of a cell-vertex finite volume discretization to multi-symplectic PDEs. The investigated discretization reduces to the Preissman box scheme when used on a rectangular grid. Concerning arbitrary quadrilateral grids, we show that only methods with parallelogram-like finite volume cells lead to a multi-symplectic discretization; i.e., to a method that preserves a discrete conservation law of symplecticity. One of the advantages of finite volume methods is that they can be easily adjusted to variable meshes. But, although the implementation of moving mesh finite volume methods for multi-symplectic PDEs is rather straightforward, the restriction to parallelogram-like cells implies that only meshes moving with a constant speed are multi-symplectic. To overcome this restriction, we suggest the implementation of reversible moving mesh methods based on a semi-Lagrangian approach. Numerical experiments are presented for a one dimensional dispersive shallow-water system.     

An expanded mixed covolume method for sobolev equation with convection term on triangular grids

The expanded mixed covolume method for the two‐dimensional Sobolev equation with convection term is developed and studied. This method uses the lowest‐order Raviart‐Thomas mixed finite element space as the trial function space. By introducing a transfer operator γ_h which maps the trial function space into the test function space and combining expanded mixed finite element with mixed covolume method, the continuous‐in‐time, discrete‐in‐time expanded mixed covolume schemes are constructed, and optimal error estimates for these schemes are obtained. Numerical results are given to examine the validity and effectiveness of the proposed schemes.© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2013     

四阶强阻尼波动方程的混合控制体积法

本文利用混合控制体积方法在三角网格剖分下求解四阶强阻尼波动方程.通过使用最低阶Raviart-Thomas混合有限元空间和引入迁移算子把解函数空间映射成试探函数空间,构造了半离散和全离散的混合控制体积格式,得到了最优阶误差估计.     

An upwinding cell‐centered method with piecewise constant velocity over covolumes

We analyze as a covolume method an upwinding cell‐centered method derived from a mixed formulation of the convection–diffusion equation. The covolume method uses primal and dual partitions of the problem domain to assign degrees of freedom and is a natural generalization of the well known MAC (Marker and Cell) method. The concentration is cell‐centered (piecewise constant with respect to the primal partition), and the velocity is covolume‐ or co‐cell centered (piecewise constant with respect to the dual partition). Convergence results are demonstrated in the L² norm. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 15: 49–62, 1999     

An Improved Linearity-Preserving Cell-Centered Scheme for Nonlinear Diffusion Problems on General Meshes

In this paper, we suggest a new vertex interpolation algorithm to improve an existing cell-centered finite volume scheme for nonlinear diffusion problems on general meshes. The new vertex interpolation algorithm is derived by applying a special limit procedure to the well-known MPFA-O method. Since the MPFA-O method for 3D cases has been addressed in some studies, the new vertex interpolation algorithm can be extended to 3D cases naturally. More interesting is that the solvability of the corresponding local system is proved under some assumptions. Additionally, we modify the edge flux approximation by an edge-based discretization of diffusion coefficient, and thus the improved scheme is free of the so-called numerical heat-barrier issue suffered by many existing cell-centered or hybrid schemes. The final scheme allows arbitrary continuous or discontinuous diffusion coefficients and can be applicable to arbitrary star-shaped polygonal meshes. A second-order convergence rate for the approximate solution and a first-order accuracy for the flux are observed in numerical experiments. In the comparative experiments with some existing vertex interpolation algorithms, the new algorithm shows obvious improvement on highly distorted meshes.     

Computational magneto-hydrodynamic modeling of hypersonic flows with resolved shock wave diffusion

The present model describes magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) effects on diffusing shock waves in compressible flows. The accurateness and the robustness of these new density-based numerical algorithm in his ideal form was tested on a series of benchmark numerical experiments like the present MHD shock tube [1]. Interpolation schemes are used for interpolation of density, temperature, velocity and the magnetic field. For the discretization of laplacian terms with diffusion coefficient for polyhedral meshes, we make use of the Gauss linear uncorrected schemes to deal with the case that the consecutive cell faces are non-orthogonal. The approach described above and developed in the present project has been coupled with semi-discrete central schemes (e.g. Greenshields et al. [2]). All computational results are validated with verified data and analytical results. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Modeling 2D transient heat conduction problems by the numerical manifold method on Wachspress polygonal elements

Due to the use of dual cover systems, i.e., the mathematical cover and the physical cover, the numerical manifold method (NMM) is able to solve physical problems with boundary-inconsistent meshes. Meanwhile, n-gons (n>4) are very impressive, due to their greater flexibility in discretization, less sensitivity to volumetric and shear locking, and better suitability for complex microstructures simulation. In this paper, the NMM, combined with Wachspress-type hexagonal elements, is developed to solve 2D transient heat conduction problems. Based on the governing equations, the NMM temperature approximation and the modified variational principle, the NMM discrete formulations are deduced. The solution strategy to time-dependent global equations and the spatial integration scheme are presented. The advantages of the proposed approach in both discretization and accuracy are demonstrated through several typical examples with increasing complexity. The extension of polygonal elements in unsteady thermal analysis within the NMM is realized.     

Distributionally robust optimization with matrix moment constraints: Lagrange duality and cutting plane methods

A key step in solving minimax distributionally robust optimization (DRO) problems is to reformulate the inner maximization w.r.t. probability measure as a semiinfinite programming problem through Lagrange dual. Slater type conditions have been widely used for strong duality (zero dual gap) when the ambiguity set is defined through moments. In this paper, we investigate effective ways for verifying the Slater type conditions and introduce other conditions which are based on lower semicontinuity of the optimal value function of the inner maximization problem. Moreover, we propose two discretization schemes for solving the DRO with one for the dualized DRO and the other directly through the ambiguity set of the DRO. In the absence of strong duality, the discretization scheme via Lagrange duality may provide an upper bound for the optimal value of the DRO whereas the direct discretization approach provides a lower bound. Two cutting plane schemes are consequently proposed: one for the discretized dualized DRO and the other for the minimax DRO with discretized ambiguity set. Convergence analysis is presented for the approximation schemes in terms of the optimal value, optimal solutions and stationary points. Comparative numerical results are reported for the resulting algorithms.

     

Formulation of wall boundary conditions in turbulent flow computations on unstructured meshes

Features of the formulation and numerical implementation of wall boundary conditions in turbulent flow computations on unstructured meshes are discussed. A method is proposed for implementing weak wall boundary conditions for a finite-volume discretization of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations on unstructured meshes. The capabilities of the approach are demonstrated in several gasdynamic simulations in comparison with the method of near-wall functions. The influence of the near-wall resolution on the accuracy of the computations is analyzed, and the grid dependence of the solution is compared in the case of the near-wall function method and weak boundary conditions.     

A discontinuous mixed covolume method for elliptic problems

We develop a discontinuous mixed covolume method for elliptic problems on triangular meshes. An optimal error estimate for the approximation of velocity is obtained in a mesh-dependent norm. First-order L²-error estimates are derived for the approximations of both velocity and pressure.     

Exponential splitting time integration for pseudospectral methods on moving meshes

Moving meshes are successfully used in many fields. Here we investigate how a recently proposed approach to combine the Strang splitting method for time integration with pseudospectral spatial discretization by orthogonal polynomials can be extended to include moving meshes. A double representation of a function (by coefficients of polynomial expansion and by values at the mesh nodes associated with a suitable quadrature formula) is an essential part of the numerical integration. Before numerical implementation the original PDE is transformed into a suitable form. The approach is illustrated on the linear heat transfer equation.     

A vertex‐centered and positivity‐preserving scheme for anisotropic diffusion equations on general polyhedral meshes

We propose a new nonlinear positivity‐preserving finite volume scheme for anisotropic diffusion problems on general polyhedral meshes with possibly nonplanar faces. The scheme is a vertex‐centered one where the edge‐centered, face‐centered, and cell‐centered unknowns are treated as auxiliary ones that can be computed by simple second‐order and positivity‐preserving interpolation algorithms. Different from most existing positivity‐preserving schemes, the presented scheme is based on a special nonlinear two‐point flux approximation that has a fixed stencil and does not require the convex decomposition of the co‐normal. More interesting is that the flux discretization is actually performed on a fixed tetrahedral subcell of the primary cell, which makes the scheme very easy to be implemented on polyhedral meshes with star‐shaped cells. Moreover, it is suitable for polyhedral meshes with nonplanar faces, and it does not suffer the so‐called numerical heat‐barrier issue. The truncation error is analyzed rigorously, while the Picard method and its Anderson acceleration are used for the solution of the resulting nonlinear system. Numerical experiments are also provided to demonstrate the second‐order accuracy and well positivity of the numerical solution for heterogeneous and anisotropic diffusion problems on severely distorted grids.     

Convergence analysis of virtual element methods for semilinear parabolic problems on polygonal meshes

In this article, we discuss and analyze new conforming virtual element methods (VEMs) for the approximation of semilinear parabolic problems on convex polygonal meshes in two spatial dimension. The spatial discretization is based on polynomial and suitable nonpolynomial functions, and a Euler backward scheme is employed for time discretization. The discrete formulation of both the proposed schemes—semidiscrete and fully discrete (with time discretization) is discussed in detail, and the unique solvability of the resulted schemes is discussed. A priori error estimates for the proposed schemes (semidiscrete and fully discrete) in H¹‐ and L²‐norms are derived under the assumption that the source term f is Lipschitz continuous. Some numerical experiments are conducted to illustrate the performance of the proposed scheme and to confirm the theoretical convergence rates.     

Multigrid techniques as applied to gasdynamic simulation on unstructured meshes

A multigrid method is proposed for solving the system of difference equations obtained via the finite-volume discretization of the Euler or Navier-Stokes equations on an unstructured mesh. A sequence of nested unstructured grids is generated via collapsing faces that take into account the features of the problem (inviscid/viscous). The capabilities of the approach are demonstrated by computing inviscid and viscous compressible uniform flows around an airfoil on structured, unstructured, and hybrid meshes. The topology of grids of different levels is described. Their quality and the influence of the grid structure on the convergence factor of the multigrid method are discussed.     

A control reduced primal interior point method for a class of control constrained optimal control problems

A primal interior point method for control constrained optimal control problems with PDE constraints is considered. Pointwise elimination of the control leads to a homotopy in the remaining state and dual variables, which is addressed by a short step pathfollowing method. The algorithm is applied to the continuous, infinite dimensional problem, where discretization is performed only in the innermost loop when solving linear equations. The a priori elimination of the least regular control permits to obtain the required accuracy with comparatively coarse meshes. Convergence of the method and discretization errors are studied, and the method is illustrated at two numerical examples. Supported by the DFG Research Center Matheon “Mathematics for key technologies” in Berlin. This paper appeared as ZIB Report 04-38.     

On MAC schemes on triangular delaunay meshes,their convergence and application to coupled flow problems

We study the convergence of two generalized marker‐and‐cell covolume schemes for the incompressible Stokes and Navier–Stokes equations introduced by Cavendish, Hall, Nicolaides, and Porsching. The schemes are defined on unstructured triangular Delaunay meshes and exploit the Delaunay–Voronoi duality. The study is motivated by the fact that the related discrete incompressibility condition allows to obtain a discrete maximum principle for the finite volume solution of an advection–diffusion problem coupled to the flow. The convergence theory uses discrete functional analysis and compactness arguments based on recent results for finite volume discretizations for the biharmonic equation. For both schemes, we prove the strong convergence in L² for the velocities and the discrete rotations of the velocities for the Stokes and the Navier–Stokes problem. Further, for one of the schemes, we also prove the strong convergence of the pressure in L². These predictions are confirmed by numerical examples presented in the article. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 30: 1397–1424, 2014     

A posteriori error estimation and adaptivity for degenerate parabolic problems

Two explicit error representation formulas are derived for degenerate parabolic PDEs, which are based on evaluating a parabolic residual in negative norms. The resulting upper bounds are valid for any numerical method, and rely on regularity properties of solutions of a dual parabolic problem in nondivergence form with vanishing diffusion coefficient. They are applied to a practical space-time discretization consisting of piecewise linear finite elements over highly graded unstructured meshes, and backward finite differences with varying time-steps. Two rigorous a posteriori error estimates are derived for this scheme, and used in designing an efficient adaptive algorithm, which equidistributes space and time discretization errors via refinement/coarsening. A simulation finally compares the behavior of the rigorous a posteriori error estimators with a heuristic approach, and hints at the potentials and reliability of the proposed method.