On accuracy and efficiency of constrained reinitialization

The reinitialization, which is required to regularize the level set function, can be computationally expensive and hence is a determining factor for the overall efficiency of a level set method. However, it often has a significantly adverse impact on the accuracy of the level set solution. This short note is meant to shed light on the efficiency and accuracy issues of the reinitialization process. Using just one clearly defined level set propagation test case with an analytical solution the solutions obtained using a recently proposed efficient lower‐order constrained reinitialization (CR) scheme and standard low‐ and high‐order reinitialization schemes are juxtaposed to evidence the superiority of the novel CR formulation. It is shown that maintaining the location of the zero level set during the reinitialization is crucial for the accuracy and that the displacement caused by standard high‐order reinitialization schemes clearly outweighs the benefit of the high‐order smoothing of the level set function. Finally, results of a three‐dimensional problem are concisely reported to demonstrate the general applicability of the CR scheme. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An improved third-order finite difference weighted essentially nonoscillatory scheme for hyperbolic conservation laws

In this article, we present an improved third-order finite difference weighted essentially nonoscillatory (WENO) scheme to promote the order of convergence at critical points for the hyperbolic conservation laws. The improved WENO scheme is an extension of WENO-ZQ scheme. However, the global smoothness indicator has a little different from WENO-ZQ scheme. In this follow-up article, a convex combination of a second-degree polynomial with two linear polynomials in a traditional WENO fashion is used to compute the numerical flux at cell boundary. Although the same three-point information is adopted by the improved third-order WENO scheme, the truncation errors are smaller than some other third-order WENO schemes in L_∞ and L₂ norms. Especially, the convergence order is not declined at critical points, where the first and second derivatives vanish but not the third derivative. At last, the behavior of improved scheme is proved on a variety of one- and two-dimensional standard numerical examples. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed scheme gives better performance in comparison with other third-order WENO schemes.     

Interface‐preserving level‐set reinitialization for DG‐FEM

This paper presents a contribution to level‐set reinitialization in the context of discontinuous Galerkin finite element methods. We focus on high‐order polynomials for the discretization and level set geometries, which are comparable to the element size. In contrast to hyperbolic and geometric reinitialization techniques, our method relies on solving a nonlinear elliptic PDE iteratively. We critically compare two different variants of the algorithm experimentally in numerical studies. The results demonstrate that the method is stable for nontrivial test cases and shows high‐order accuracy. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An improved ghost‐cell immersed boundary method for compressible flow simulations

This study presents an improved ghost‐cell immersed boundary approach to represent a solid body in compressible flow simulations. In contrast to the commonly used approaches, in the present work, ghost cells are mirrored through the boundary described using a level‐set method to farther image points, incorporating a higher‐order extra/interpolation scheme for the ghost‐cell values. A sensor is introduced to deal with image points near the discontinuities in the flow field. Adaptive mesh refinement is used to improve the representation of the geometry efficiently in the Cartesian grid system. The improved ghost‐cell method is validated against four test cases: (a) double Mach reflections on a ramp, (b) smooth Prandtl–Meyer expansion flows, (c) supersonic flows in a wind tunnel with a forward‐facing step, and (d) supersonic flows over a circular cylinder. It is demonstrated that the improved ghost‐cell method can reach the accuracy of second order in L¹ norm and higher than first order in L^∞ norm. Direct comparisons against the cut‐cell method demonstrate that the improved ghost‐cell method is almost equally accurate with better efficiency for boundary representation in high‐fidelity compressible flow simulations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A three-level time-split MacCormack method for two-dimensional nonlinear reaction-diffusion equations

A three-level explicit time-split MacCormack method is proposed for solving the two-dimensional nonlinear reaction-diffusion equations. The computational cost is reduced thank to the splitting and the explicit MacCormack scheme. Under the well-known condition of Courant-Friedrich-Lewy (CFL) for stability of explicit numerical schemes applied to linear parabolic partial differential equations, we prove the stability and convergence of the method in L^∞(0,T;L²)-norm. A wide set of numerical evidences which provide the convergence rate of the new algorithm are presented and critically discussed.     

Convergence Rates in <Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis><Superscript>2</Superscript> for Elliptic Homogenization Problems

We study rates of convergence of solutions in L ² and H ^1/2 for a family of elliptic systems {L_e}{\{\mathcal{L}_\varepsilon\}} with rapidly oscillating coefficients in Lipschitz domains with Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions. As a consequence, we obtain convergence rates for Dirichlet, Neumann, and Steklov eigenvalues of {L_e}{\{\mathcal{L}_\varepsilon\}} . Most of our results, which rely on the recently established uniform estimates for the L ² Dirichlet and Neumann problems in Kenig and Shen (Math Ann 350:867–917, 2011; Commun Pure Appl Math 64:1–44, 2011) are new even for smooth domains.     

Strongly singular and hypersingular integrals for aeroacoustic incident fields

Using the Burton and Miller formulation to predict the scattering of flow‐induced noise by a body immersed in the flow requires the near‐field pressure and pressure gradient incident on the body. In this paper, Lighthill's acoustic analogy is used to derive formulations for the near‐field pressure and pressure gradient at any point within the flow noise source region, including points on the body. These near‐field formulations involve strongly singular and hypersingular volume and surface integrals. To evaluate these singular integrals, an effective singularity regularization technique is derived. An analytical source distribution is used to demonstrate the accuracy of the method. A cell‐averaged representation of this analytical source distribution, similar to the data stored by computational fluid dynamics solvers, is also created. A piecewise linear, continuous source distribution is generated from these cell‐average values, producing a C⁰ distribution. A k‐exact reconstruction technique is then used to create high‐order polynomials of the solution variables for each volume cell. These high‐order polynomials are constructed from its cell average value and the average values of the nearby cells. The source distribution created using the k‐exact reconstruction is discontinuous across cell boundaries but exhibits a smooth polynomial distribution within each cell. The near‐field pressure and pressure gradient predicted using these reconstructed source distributions are compared with the results obtained using the analytical distribution. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Decay and Continuity of the Boltzmann Equation in Bounded Domains

Boundaries occur naturally in kinetic equations, and boundary effects are crucial for dynamics of dilute gases governed by the Boltzmann equation. We develop a mathematical theory to study the time decay and continuity of Boltzmann solutions for four basic types of boundary conditions: in-flow, bounce-back reflection, specular reflection and diffuse reflection. We establish exponential decay in the L ^∞ norm for hard potentials for general classes of smooth domains near an absolute Maxwellian. Moreover, in convex domains, we also establish continuity for these Boltzmann solutions away from the grazing set at the boundary. Our contribution is based on a new L ² decay theory and its interplay with delicate L ^∞ decay analysis for the linearized Boltzmann equation in the presence of many repeated interactions with the boundary.     

A stable least-squares finite element method for non-linear hyperbolic problems

A class of stable least-square finite element methods for non-linear hyperbolic problems is developed and some exploratory studies made. The methods are based on modifying the L²-norm of the. residual and a related approximation to the H¹-norm of the residual. The effect of the additional terms in these residual functionals is to introduce a dissipative effect proportional to the solution gradient. This acts to stabilize the solution for non-linear hyperbolic problems which generate shocks. Numerical results for a one-dimensional nozzle and shock tube problem demonstrate the accuracy and stability of the method. Results are for an implicit scheme and calculations for linear, quadratic and cubic elements are given.     

Enablers for high‐order level set methods in fluid mechanics

In the context of numerical simulations of multiphysics flows, accurate tracking of an interface and consistent computation of its geometric properties are crucial. In this paper, we investigate a level set technique that satisfies these requirements and ensures local third‐order accuracy on the level set function (near the interface) and first‐order accuracy on the curvature, even for long‐time computations. The method is developed in a finite differences framework on Cartesian grids. As in usual level set strategies, reinitialization steps are involved. Several reinitialization algorithms are reviewed and mixed to design an accurate and fast reinitialization procedure. When coupled with a time evolution of the interface, the reinitialization procedure is performed only when there are too large deformations of the isocontours. This strategy limits the number of reinitialization steps and shows a good balance between accuracy and computational cost. Numerical results compare well with usual level set strategies and confirm the necessity of the reinitialization procedure, together with a limited number of reinitialization steps. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A locally DIV‐free projection scheme for incompressible flows based on non‐conforming finite elements

We present a projection scheme whose end‐of‐step velocity is locally pointwise divergence free, using a continuous ?₁ approximation for the velocity in the momentum equation, a first‐order Crouzeix–Raviart approximation at the projection step, and a ?₀ approximation for the pressure in both steps. The analysis of the scheme is done only for grids that guarantee the existence of a divergence free conforming ?₁ interpolant for the velocity. Optimal estimates for the velocity error in L²‐ and H¹‐norms are deduced. The numerical results demonstrate that these estimates should also hold on grids on which the continuous ?₁ approximation for the velocity locks. Since the end‐of‐step velocity is locally solenoidal, the scheme is recommendable for problems requiring good mass conservation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Free convection from one thermal and solute source in a confined porous medium

This paper reports a numerical study of double diffusive natural convection in a vertical porous enclosure with localized heating and salting from one side. The physical model for the momentum conservation equation makes use of the Darcy equation, and the set of coupled equations is solved using the finite-volume methodology together with the deferred central difference scheme. An extensive series of numerical simulations is conducted in the range of −10 ⩽ N ⩽ + 10, 0 ⩽ R _t ⩽ 200, 10⁻² ⩽ Le ⩽ 200, and 0.125 ⩽ L ⩽ 0.875, where N, R _t , Le, and L are the buoyancy ratio, Darcy-modified thermal Rayleigh number, Lewis number, and the segment location. Streamlines, heatlines, masslines, isotherms, and iso-concentrations are produced for several segment locations to illustrate the flow structure transition from solutal-dominated opposing to thermal dominated and solutal-dominated aiding flows, respectively. The segment location combining with thermal Rayleigh number and Lewis number is found to influence the buoyancy ratio at which flow transition and flow reversal occurs. The computed average Nusselt and Sherwood numbers provide guidance for locating the heating and salting segment.     

L2Roe: a low dissipation version of Roe's approximate Riemann solver for low Mach numbers

A modification of the Roe scheme called L²Roe for low dissipation low Mach Roe is presented. It reduces the dissipation of kinetic energy at the highest resolved wave numbers in a low Mach number test case of decaying isotropic turbulence. This is achieved by scaling the jumps in all discrete velocity components within the numerical flux function. An asymptotic analysis is used to show the correct pressure scaling at low Mach numbers and to identify the reduced numerical dissipation in that regime. Furthermore, the analysis allows a comparison with two other schemes that employ different scaling of discrete velocity jumps, namely, LMRoe and a method of Thornber et al. To this end, we present for the first time an asymptotic analysis of the last method. Numerical tests on cases ranging from low Mach number (M_∞=0.001) to hypersonic (M_∞=5) viscous flows are used to illustrate the differences between the methods and to show the correct behavior of L²Roe. No conflict is observed between the reduced numerical dissipation and the accuracy or stability of the scheme in any of the investigated test cases. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new general-purpose least-squares finite element model for steady incompressible low-viscosity laminar flow using isoparametric C1-continuous Hermite elements

This paper deals with a critical evaluation of various finite element models for low-viscosity laminar incompressible flow in geometrically complex domains. These models use Galerkin weighted residuals UVP, continuous penalty, discrete penalty and least-squares procedures. The model evaluations are based on the use of appropriate tensor product Lagrange and simplex quadratic triangular elements and a newly developed isoparametric Hermite element. All of the described models produce very accurate results for horizontal flows. In vertical flow domains, however, two different cases can be recognized. Downward flows, i.e. when the gravitational force is in the direction of the flow, usually do not present any special problem. In contrast, laminar flow of low-viscosity Newtonian fluids where the gravitational force is acting in the direction opposite to the flow presents a difficult case. We show that only by using the least-squares method in conjunction with C¹-continuous Hermite elements can this type of laminar flow be modelled accurately. The problem of smooth isoparametric mapping of C¹ Hermite elements, which is necessary in dealing with geometrically complicated domains, is tackled by means of an auxiliary optimization procedure. We conclude that the least-squares method in combination with isoparmetric Hermite elements offers a new general-purpose modelling technique which can accurately simulate all types of low-viscosity incompressible laminar flow in complex domains.     

Saturated control design for linear differential inclusions subject to disturbance

In this paper, saturated control design method is presented for robust stabilization of linear differential inclusions subject to disturbance. Convex hull quadratic Lyapunov functions are used to construct nonlinear state feedback laws. By the state feedbacks, stabilization, disturbance rejection with minimal reachable set and least L ₂ gain are achieved simultaneously. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed scheme is illustrated by a simulative example.     

Consistently ordered extended thermodynamics - a proposal for an alternative method

Ordinary Thermodynamics provides reliable results for problems with fairly smooth and slowly varying fields. For rapidly changing fields or steep gradients Extended Thermodynamics (ET) [1] provides better results. The new version of ET, the so-called Consistently Ordered Extended Thermodynamics [2], assigns an order of magnitude in steepness to the variables. In [2] the authors use as variables the moments G, constructed from the irreducible parts of Hermite polynomials in the components c _i of the atomic velocity. With this choice of variables the closure is automatic once an order is assigned to a process. But, in terms of the Gs, the equations look complicated and it is quite difficult to derive them. In this paper we consider the equations in terms of the usual F-moments, constructed with simple polynomials in c _i . By assigning an order to the variables, we derive the field equations appropriate to two different one-dimensional processes: heat conduction in a gas at rest and heat conduction with one-dimensional motion. Comparison with [2] shows that the sets of the field equations coincide, but, in terms of the Fs, the equations are less complicated and they may be obtained easily.Received: 25 May 2004, Accepted: 19 August 2004, Published online: 22 February 2005     

Two-Dimensional Elastic Herglotz Functions and Their Applications in Inverse Scattering

In this work solutions of the spectral Navier equation that satisfy the Herglotz boundedness condition in two-dimensional linear elasticity are presented. Navier eigenvectors in polar coordinates are introduced and it is established that they form a linearly independent and complete set in the L ²-sense on every smooth curve. It is also proved that the classical solutions of the spectral Navier equation are expressed via Navier eigenvectors, and this expansion converges uniformly over compact subsets of R ². Two far-field patterns, the longitudinal and the transverse one corresponding to the displacement field are introduced, and the Herglotz norm is expressed as the sum of the L ²-norms of these patterns over the unit circle. It is also established that the space of elastic Herglotz functions is dense in the space of the classical solutions of the spectral Navier equation. Finally, connection to inverse elasticity scattering is established and reconstructions of rigid bodies are presented. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A three‐dimensional Cartesian cut cell method for incompressible viscous flow with irregular domains

A three‐dimensional Cartesion cut cell method is presented for the simulations of incompressible viscous flows with irregular domains. A new model (referred to as ‘6+N’ model) is proposed to describe arbitrarily shaped cut cells and treat all the cells as polyhedrons with 6+N faces. The finite volume discretization of the Navier–Stokes equation is then implemented by using the ‘6+N’ model to separate the surface flux integrals into two parts, that is, the fluxes through the basic face of the hexahedron and those through the cutting surfaces. The previously proposed Kitta Cube algorithm and volume computer‐aided design platform (J. Comput. Aided. Des. 2005; 37(4): 1509–1520. Doi:10.1016/j.cad.2005.03.006) are adopted to generate cut cells and provide shape data and physical attributes for the numerical analysis. A modified SIMPLE‐based smoothing pressure correction scheme is applied to suppress checkerboard pressure oscillations caused by the collocated arrangement of velocities and pressure. The calculation accuracy of the numerical method expressed by L₁ and L _∞ norm errors is first demonstrated by the simulation of a pipe flow. Then its feasibility, efficiency, and potential in engineering applications are verified by applying it to solve natural convections between concentric spheres and between eccentric spheres. The heat transfer patterns in eccentric spheres are also obtained by using the numerical method. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High order schemes for the scalar transport equation

A finite volume hybrid scheme for the spatial discretization that combines a fixed stencil and a stencil determined by the classical essentially non‐oscillatory (ENO) scheme is presented. Evolution equations are obtained for the mean values of each cell by means of piecewise interpolation. Time discretization is accomplished by a classical fourth‐order Runge–Kutta. Interpolation polynomials are determined using information of adjacent cells. While smooth regions are interpolated by means of a fixed molecule, discontinuous or sharp regions are interpolated by the classical ENO algorithm. The algorithm estimates the interpolation error at each time step by means of two interpolants of order q and q+1. The main computational load of the resultant scheme is in the interpolation, which is performed by the divided differences table. This table involves O(qN) operations, where q is the interpolation order and N is the number of cells. Finally, linear test cases of continuous and discontinuous initial conditions are integrated to see the goodness of the hybrid scheme. It is well known that, for some particular initial conditions, the classical ENO scheme does not perform properly, not attaining the truncation error of the scheme. It is shown that, for the smooth initial condition, sin⁴(x), the classical ENO scheme does not preserve the character of stability of the initial value problem, giving rise to unstable eigenvalues. The proposed hybrid scheme solves this problem, choosing a fixed stencil over the whole computational domain. The resultant schemes are equivalent to the classical finite difference schemes, which preserve the character of stability. It is also known that the same degeneracy of the error can be encountered for discontinuous solutions. It is shown for the initial discontinuous solution, e^−x, that the classical ENO algorithm does not perform properly due to the conflict between the selection of the stencil to smoother regions (downwind region) and the hyperbolic character of the problem, which obliges us to take information from downwind. The proposed hybrid scheme solves this problem by choosing a fixed stencil over the whole computational domain except at the discontinuity. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isolated Singularity for the Stationary Navier—Stokes System

In this paper the classical method to prove a removable singularity theorem for harmonic functions near an isolated singular point is extended to solutions to the stationary Stokes and Navier—Stokes system. Finding series expansion of solutions in terms of homogeneous harmonic polynomials, we establish some known results and new theorems concerning the behavior of solutions near an isolated singular point. In particular, we prove that if (u, p) is a solution to the Navier—Stokes system in B_R \{0} B_R \setminus \{0\} , n 3 3 n \geq 3 and |u(x)| = o (|x|^{-(n - 1)/2}) |u(x)| = o\,(|x|^{-(n - 1)/2}) as |x| ? 0 |x| \to 0 or u ? L^{2n/(n - 1)}(B_R) u \in L^{2n/(n - 1)}(B_R) , then (u, p) is a distribution solution and if in addition, u ? L^b(B_R) u \in L^{\beta}(B_R) for some b > n \beta > n then ( u, p) is smooth in BR.