The boundary element solution of the magnetohydrodynamic flow in an infinite region

We consider the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow which is laminar, steady and incompressible, of a viscous and electrically conducting fluid on the half plane (y≥0)$(y\ge 0)$. The boundary y=0$y=0$ is partly insulated and partly perfectly conducting. An external circuit is connected so that current enters the fluid at discontinuity points through external circuits and moves up on the plane. The flow is driven by the interaction of imposed electric currents and a uniform, transverse magnetic field applied perpendicular to the wall, y=0$y=0$. The MHD equations are coupled in terms of the velocity and the induced magnetic field. The boundary element method (BEM) is applied here by using a fundamental solution which enables treating the MHD equations in coupled form with general wall conditions. Constant elements are used for the discretization of the boundary y=0$y=0$ only since the boundary integral equation is restricted to this boundary due to the regularity conditions at infinity. The solution is presented for the values of the Hartmann number up to M=700$M=700$ in terms of equivelocity and induced magnetic field contours which show the well-known characteristics of the MHD flow. Also, the thickness of the parabolic boundary layer propagating in the field from the discontinuity points in the boundary conditions, is calculated.     

Finite element method solution of electrically driven magnetohydrodynamic flow

The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow in a rectangular duct is investigated for the case when the flow is driven by the current produced by electrodes, placed one in each of the walls of the duct where the applied magnetic field is perpendicular. The flow is steady, laminar and the fluid is incompressible, viscous and electrically conducting. A stabilized finite element with the residual-free bubble (RFB) functions is used for solving the governing equations. The finite element method employing the RFB functions is capable of resolving high gradients near the layer regions without refining the mesh. Thus, it is possible to obtain solutions consistent with the physical configuration of the problem even for high values of the Hartmann number. Before employing the bubble functions in the global problem, we have to find them inside each element by means of a local problem. This is achieved by approximating the bubble functions by a nonstandard finite element method based on the local problem. Equivelocity and current lines are drawn to show the well-known behaviours of the MHD flow. Those are the boundary layer formation close to the insulated walls for increasing values of the Hartmann number and the layers emanating from the endpoints of the electrodes. The changes in direction and intensity with respect to the values of wall inductance are also depicted in terms of level curves for both the velocity and the induced magnetic field.     

Heat transfer to magnetohydrodynamic flow in a flat duct

Zusammenfassung Die Untersuchung befasst sich mit der Wärmeübertragung von den Wänden eines flachwandigen Kanals auf eine elektrisch leitende Flüssigkeit bei erzwungener Laminarströmung und in Gegenwart eines quergerichteten Magnetfeldes. Betrachtet wird der Fall konstanter Wandtemperatur mit variierender innerer Wärmeentwicklung durch viskose und elektrische Energiedissipation. Die massgebende Differentialgleichung wird durch eine Differenzengleichung ersetzt und mit der elektronischen Rechenmaschine gelöst. Als Resultat wird die Nusseltzahl angegeben, für die Prandtlzahl 1, die Hartmannzahlen 0, 4, 10 und die Graetzzahlen von 10 bis 10 000, wobei die Kennzahlen für Zähigkeit und elektrische Feldstärke als Parameter auftreten.     

The Galerkin boundary element method for transient Stokes flow

Since the fundamental solution for transient Stokes flow in three dimensions is complicated it is difficult to implement discretization methods for boundary integral formulations. We derive a representation of the Stokeslet and stresslet in terms of incomplete gamma functions and investigate the nature of the singularity of the single- and double layer potentials. Further, we give analytical formulas for the time integration and develop Galerkin schemes with tensor product piecewise polynomial ansatz functions. Numerical results demonstrate optimal convergence rates.     

An application of a boundary element method to natural convection

The direct boundary element method is applied to the numerical modelling of thermal fluid flow in a transient state. The Navier-Stokes equations are considered under the Boussinesq approximation and the viscous thermal flow equations are expressed in terms of stream function, vorticity, and temperature in two dimensions. Boundary integral equations are derived using logarithmic potential and time-dependent heat potential as fundamental solutions. Boundary unknowns are discretized by linear boundary elements and flow domains are divided into a series of triangular cells. Charged points are translated upstream in the numerical evaluation of convective terms. Unknown stream function, vorticity, and temperature are staggered in the computational scheme.

Simple iteration is found to converge to the quasi steady-state flow. Boundary solutions for two-dimensional examples at a Reynolds number 100 and Grashoff number 10⁷ are obtained.     

Perturbation analysis of a magnetohydrodynamic boundary layer flow

This paper presents a perturbation analysis study of the flow of an electrically conducting power-law fluid in the presence of a uniform transverse magnetic field over a stretching sheet. The perturbation solutions for small and large values of the mixed convection parameter are explored. The asymptotic behavior of the solutions was examined for different values of the power-law index and the magnetic parameter.     

Laminar magnetohydrodynamic duct flow in the presence of a magnetic dipole

We study magnetohydrodynamic flow of a liquid metal in a straight duct. The magnetic field is produced by an exterior magnetic dipole. This basic configuration is of fundamental interest for Lorentz force velocimetry (LFV), where the Lorentz force opposing the relative motion of conducting medium and magnetic field is measured to determine the flow velocity. The Lorentz force acts in equal strength but opposite direction on the flow as well as on the dipole. We are interested in the dependence of the velocity on the flow rate and on strength of the magnetic field as well as on geometric parameters such as distance and position of the dipole relative to the duct. To this end, we perform numerical simulations with an accurate finite-difference method in the limit of small magnetic Reynolds number, whereby the induced magnetic field is assumed to be small compared with the external applied field. The hydrodynamic Reynolds number is also assumed to be small so that the flow remains laminar. The simulations allow us to quantify the magnetic obstacle effect as a potential complication for local flow measurement with LFV. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Viscous flow through corrugated tube by boundary element method

Summary The creeping flow of a Newtonian fluid through a sinusoidally-corrugated tube is solved by the Boundary Element Method. Agreement with another numerical method is noted. In addition, it is shown that previous perturbation theory is valid only when the corrugation amplitude is small (<0.3a) and the wavelength of the corrugation is large (>3a), wherea is the mean radius of the tube.

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Zusammenfassung Das Problem der schleichenden Bewegung eines Newton'schen Fluids durch ein Rohr mit sinusförmig gewellter Wand wird mit Hilfe der Boundary Element-Methode gelöst. Übereinstimmung mit einer anderen numerischen Methode wird festestellt. Zudem wird gezeigt, daß eine früher gefundene Störungstheorie nur gültig ist wenn die Wellenamplitude klein (<0.3a) und die Wellenlänge groß (>3a) ist (a=mittlerer Rohrradius).

     

Quadrature formulas for periodic functions and their application to the boundary element method

Two-dimensional and axisymmetric boundary value problems for the Laplace equation in a domain bounded by a closed smooth contour are considered. The problems are reduced to integral equations with a periodic singular kernel, where the period is equal to the length of the contour. Taking into account the periodicity property, high-order accurate quadrature formulas are applied to the integral operator. As a result, the integral equations are reduced to a system of linear algebraic equations. This substantially simplifies the numerical schemes for solving boundary value problems and considerably improves the accuracy of approximation of the integral operator. The boundaries are specified by analytic functions, and the remainder of the quadrature formulas decreases faster than any power of the integration step size. The examples include the two-dimensional potential inviscid circulation flow past a single blade or a grid of blades; the axisymmetric flow past a torus; and free-surface flow problems, such as wave breakdown, standing waves, and the development of Rayleigh-Taylor instability.     

An implementation of stress discontinuity in the boundary element method and application to gear teeth

The boundary element method as it applies to three-dimensional elasto-static problems is implemented using isoparametric quadratic elements. A scheme for resolving the problems of traction vector discontinuity is presented and the required additional equations are derived. Example problems considered, including the stress analysis of a three-dimensional gear tooth, demonstrate that high accuracy may be achieved using a relatively small number of elements if continuity of displacements and discontinuity of tractions are properly implemented.     

A stabilized finite element method for the incompressible magnetohydrodynamic equations

Summary. We propose and analyze a stabilized finite element method for the incompressible magnetohydrodynamic equations. The numerical results that we present show a good behavior of our approximation in experiments which are relevant from an industrial viewpoint. We explain in particular in the proof of our convergence theorem why it may be interesting to stabilize the magnetic equation as soon as the hydrodynamic diffusion is small and even if the magnetic diffusion is large. This observation is confirmed by our numerical tests. Received August 31, 1998 / Revised version received June 16, 1999 / Published online June 21, 2000     

The boundary element method in contiguous domains

As an example of a problem involving two finite contiguous domains, the boundary element method is used to compute the eddy current density in a conductor subjected to a transverse magnetic field.     

The boundary element method with Lagrangian multipliers

On open surfaces, the energy space of hypersingular operators is a fractional order Sobolev space of order 1/2 with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary condition (along the boundary curve of the surface) in a weak sense. We introduce a boundary element Galerkin method where this boundary condition is incorporated via the use of a Lagrangian multiplier. We prove the quasi‐optimal convergence of this method (it is slightly inferior to the standard conforming method) and underline the theory by a numerical experiment. The approach presented in this article is not meant to be a competitive alternative to the conforming method but rather the basis for nonconforming techniques like the mortar method, to be developed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2009     

A finite element method for granular flow through a frictional boundary

A finite element method for the flow of dry granular solids through a domain involving a frictional contact boundary is formulated. The granular material is assumed as a compressible viscous-elastic–plastic continuum. Based on the principles of continuum mechanics, a complete set of equations is developed. The resulting boundary value problem is solved by the finite element method in space and by the finite difference method in time. The derivation of the finite element equations and the mathematical framework of the numerical technique are presented, together with two illustrative examples to demonstrate the validity of the technique.     

Approximation of boundary values in the boundary element method

Various techniques may be applied to the approximation of the unknown boundary functions involved in the boundary element method (BEM). Several techniques have been examined numerically to find the most efficient. Techniques considered were: Lagrangian polynomials of the zeroth, first and second orders; spline functions; and the novel weighted minimization technique used successfully in the finite difference method (FDM) for arbitrarily irregular meshes. All these approaches have been used in the BEM for the numerical analysis of plates with various boundary conditions.Both coarse and fine grids on the boundary have been assumed. Maximal errors of the deflections of each plate and the bending moments have been found and the effective computer CPU times determined.Analysis of the results showed that, for the same computer time, the greatest accuracy was obtained by the weighted FDM approach. In the case of the Lagrange approximation, higher order polynomials have proved more efficient. The spline technique yielded more accurate results, but with a higher CPU time.Two discretization approaches have been investigated: the least-squares technique and the collocation method. Despite the fact that the simultaneous algebraic equations obtained were not symmetric, the collocation approach has been confirmed as clearly superior to the least-squares technique, because of the amount of computation time used.