Permeability Studies on Soft Open‐Cell Foams

The behaviour of fluid‐saturated solid foams can be very well described using multiphasic continuum mechanical models [4]. Concerning permeable soft foams, like e. g. gas‐filled open‐cell polyurethane (PU) foams, the transient compressive response is strongly influenced by the outstreaming pore‐fluid. Following this, it is the objective of the present contribution to point out the macroscopic permeability properties of soft foams including non‐linear phenomena influenced by the pore space deformation at varying flow rates. In particular, based on experimental investigations, an appropriate constitutive setting is presented considering the dependency of the permeability on the deformation state and on the seepage velocity in the sense of a modified Forchheimer ansatz. The constitutive equations are embedded into the macroscopic Theory of Porous Media (TPM), where the numerical treatment of the strongly coupled problem can effciently be performed with the finite element method (FEM). Finally, a numerical example shows the applicability of the presented approach.     

Coupling methods for heat transfer and heat flow: Operator splitting and the parareal algorithm

We propose an operator splitting method for coupling heat transfer and heat flow equations. This work is motivated by the need to couple independent industrial heat transfer solvers (e.g., the Aura-Fluid software package) and heat flow solvers (e.g., Openfoam). Such packages are often used to simulate the influence of solar heat in car bodies and are coupled by A-B splitting techniques. The main goal of this work is the acceleration of the coupled software system by iterative operator splitting methods and additional time-parallelism using the parareal algorithm. We present these new splitting techniques along with some novel convergence results and test the splitting-parareal combination on various numerical problems.     

Spatially-dependent and nonlinear fluid transport: coupling framework

We introduce a solver method for spatially dependent and nonlinear fluid transport. The motivation is from transport processes in porous media (e.g., waste disposal and chemical deposition processes). We analyze the coupled transport-reaction equation with mobile and immobile areas.     

Mathematical and numerical modelling of a circular cross-flow filtration module

We present a computational modelling framework to assess the fluid dynamic behaviour of a circular cross-flow filtration module for water purification. We study two modelling approaches, namely, the Navier-Stokes-Darcy and the one-domain models, that provide a different characterization of the flow in the interfacial region between the feed domain and the membrane surface. Extensive comparison of the numerical results obtained by the two approaches highlights significant differences in the predicted fluid tangential velocity on the membrane surface. Numerical modelling permits to gain a deeper understanding of the flow behaviour than the sole experimental work, e.g., by identifying Dean vortices inside the feed domain and by relating them to geometrical and flow characteristics. This study lays the basis for the optimization of the circular cross-flow filtration module.     

Robust numerical methods for contingent claims under jump diffusion processes

An implicit method is developed for the numerical solution ofoption pricing models where it is assumed that the underlyingprocess is a jump diffusion. This method can be applied to avariety of contingent claim valuations, including American options,various kinds of exotic options, and models with uncertain volatilityor transaction costs. Proofs of timestepping stability and convergenceof a fixed-point iteration scheme are presented. For typicalmodel parameters, it is shown the error is reduced by two ordersof magnitude at each iteration. The correlation integral iscomputed using a fast Fourier transform method. Numerical testsof convergence for a variety of options are presented.     

A fluid system with coupled input and output,and its application to bottlenecks in ad hoc networks

This paper studies a fluid queue with coupled input and output. Flows arrive according to a Poisson process, and when n flows are present, each of them transmits traffic into the queue at a rate c/(n+1), where the remaining c/(n+1) is used to serve the queue. We assume exponentially distributed flow sizes, so that the queue under consideration can be regarded as a system with Markov fluid input. The rationale behind studying this queue lies in ad hoc networks: bottleneck links have roughly this type of sharing policy. We consider four performance metrics: (i) the stationary workload of the queue, (ii) the queueing delay, i.e., the delay of a ‘packet’ (a fluid particle) that arrives at the queue at an arbitrary point in time, (iii) the flow transfer delay, i.e., the time elapsed between arrival of a flow and the epoch that all its traffic has been put into the queue, and (iv) the sojourn time, i.e., the flow transfer time increased by the time it takes before the last fluid particle of the flow is served. For each of these random variables we compute the Laplace transform. The corresponding tail probabilities decay exponentially, as is shown by a large-deviations analysis. F. Roijers’ work has been carried out partly in the SENTER-NOVEM funded project Easy Wireless.     

A continuum-mechanical analysis of the influence of mechanical stimuli on biological tissue

Mechanical stimuli play a crucial role in the differentiation process of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). The resulting mechanical signals are important in the regulation of various cell functions and maintenance of many tissues. The underlying molecular and biophysical mechanisms of the differentiation process are poorly understood. Present remodelling and growth models are purely phenomenological without linkage to cell mechanisms. The presented macroscopic model of MSC mechanics is based on a multiphasic-multicomponent formulation within the framework of Theory of Porous Media (TPM), where a single cell is considered as a mixture of interacting constituents. In particular, the constituents are the solid cytoskeleton saturated by a fluid phase (cytoplasm), which itself consists of a liquid solvent and mobile components, e. g., chemical messengers, proteins, etc. To demonstrate the capabilities of the developed model, first qualitative numerical simulations of the impact of external forces on MSC are presented. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On Symmetric Boundary Conditions in the Context of Viscoelastic Fluid Flows

In order to reduce the numerical cost of three dimensional flow problems with geometrical symmetry, the use of symmetric boundary conditions is standard. For Newtonian fluid flow problems this approximation is usually appropriate, particularly when the Reynolds number is small. In the case of viscoelastic fluid flow simulations with stabilization techniques, such as the so-called DEVSS and/or Log-Conformation tensor methods, at high Deborah number flows this implementation is not straightforward, as in the Newtonian case. It is well known that viscoelastic models (e.g. Maxwellian models), show (purely) elastic flow instabilities when the Deborah number is increased above a critical value, even under creeping flow conditions. In this work we present numerical simulations with different stabilization techniques and different differential viscoelastic models at high Deborah number flows. As a test-case, we compare the flow in a full two-dimensional cross-slot geometry to show the asymmetrical behavior of the viscoelastic fluid flow. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Lattice Boltzmann simulation for high-speed compressible viscous flows with a boundary layer

In this study, the lattice Boltzmann method is employed for simulating high-speed compressible viscous flows with a boundary layer. The coupled double-distribution-function lattice Boltzmann method proposed by Li et al. (2007) is employed because of its good numerical stability and non-free-parameter feature. The non-uniform mesh construction near the wall boundary in fine grids is combined with an appropriate wall boundary treatment for the finite difference method in order to obtain accurate spatial resolution in the boundary layer problem. Three typical problems in high-speed viscous flows are solved in the lattice Boltzmann simulation, i.e., the compressible boundary layer problem, shock wave problem, and shock boundary layer interaction problem. In addition, in-depth comparisons are made with the non-oscillatory and non-free-parameter dissipation (NND) scheme and second order upwind scheme in the present lattice Boltzmann model. Our simulation results indicate the great potential of the lattice Boltzmann method for simulating high-speed compressible viscous flows with a boundary layer. Further research is needed (e.g., better numerical models and appropriate finite difference schemes) because the lattice Boltzmann method is still immature for high-speed compressible viscous flow applications.     

An ODE traffic network model

We are interested in models for vehicular traffic flow based on partial differential equations and their extensions to networks of roads. In this paper, we simplify a fluidodynamic traffic model and derive a new traffic flow model based on ordinary differential equations (ODEs). This is obtained by spatial discretization of an averaged density evolution and a suitable approximation of the coupling conditions at junctions of the network. We show that the new model inherits similar features of the full model, e.g., traffic jam propagation. We consider optimal control problems controlled by the ODE model and derive the optimality system. We present numerical results on the simulation and optimization of traffic flow in sample networks.     

Effects of chemical reaction and variable viscosity on hydromagnetic mixed convection heat and mass transfer for Hiemenz flow through porous media with radiation

The effect of chemical reaction and variable viscosity on hydromagnetic mixed convection heat and mass transfer for Hiemenz flow through porous media has been studied in the presence of radiation and magnetic field. The plate surface is embedded in a uniform Darcian porous medium in order to allow for possible fluid wall suction or blowing and has a power-law variation of both the wall temperature and concentration. The similarity solution is used to transform the system of partial differential equations, describing the problem under consideration, into a boundary value problem of coupled ordinary differential equations, and an efficient numerical technique is implemented to solve the reduced system. Numerical calculations are carried out, for various values of the dimensionless parameters of the problem, which include a variable viscosity, chemical reactions, radiation, magnetic field, porous medium and power index of the wall temperature parameters. Comparisons with previously published works are performed and excellent agreement between the results is obtained. The results are presented graphically and the conclusion is drawn that the flow field and other quantities of physical interest are significantly influenced by these parameters.     

Degree of cure-dependent modelling for polymer curing processes at small strains

In this paper, a thermodynamically consistent small strain constitutive model is formulated that is directly based on the degree of cure, a key parameter in the curing (reaction) kinetics. The new formulation is also in line with the earlier proposed hypoelastic approach, cf. Hossain et al., 2010. The curing process of polymers is a complex phenomenon involving a series of chemical reactions which transform a viscoelastic fluid into a viscoelastic solid during which the temperature, the chemistry and the mechanics are coupled. Some representative numerical examples conclude the paper and show the capability of the newly proposed constitutive formulation to capture major phenomena observed during the curing processes of polymers. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A numerical method for a nonlinear structured population model with an indefinite growth rate coupled with the environment

A numerical method is developed for a general structured population model coupled with the environment dynamics over a bounded domain where the individual growth rate changes sign. Sign changes notably exhibit nonlocal dependence on the population density and environmental factors (e.g., resource availability and other habitat variables). This leads to a highly nonlinear PDE describing the time‐evolution of the population density coupled with a nonlinear‐nonlocal system of ODEs describing the environmental time‐dynamics. Stability of the finite‐difference numerical scheme and its convergence to the unique weak solution are proved. Numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the performance of the finite difference scheme and to illustrate a range of biologically relevant potential applications.     

Coupling nonlinear Stokes and Darcy flow using mortar finite elements

We study a system composed of a nonlinear Stokes flow in one subdomain coupled with a nonlinear porous medium flow in another subdomain. Special attention is paid to the mathematical consequence of the shear-dependent fluid viscosity for the Stokes flow and the velocity-dependent effective viscosity for the Darcy flow. Motivated by the physical setting, we consider the case where only flow rates are specified on the inflow and outflow boundaries in both subdomains. We recast the coupled Stokes–Darcy system as a reduced matching problem on the interface using a mortar space approach. We prove a number of properties of the nonlinear interface operator associated with the reduced problem, which directly yield the existence, uniqueness and regularity of a variational solution to the system. We further propose and analyze a numerical algorithm based on mortar finite elements for the interface problem and conforming finite elements for the subdomain problems. Optimal a priori error estimates are established for the interface and subdomain problems, and a number of compatibility conditions for the finite element spaces used are discussed. Numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the algorithm and to compare two treatments of the defective boundary conditions.     

Effect of errors in the spatial geometry for temperature dependent Stokes flow

A priori bounds are established for the solution to the problem of Stokes flow in a bounded domain, for a viscous, heat conducting, incompressible fluid, when changes in the spatial geometry are admitted. These bounds demonstrate how the velocity field and the temperature field depend on changes in the spatial geometry and also yield a convergence theorem in terms of boundary perturbations. The results have a direct bearing on an error analysis for a numerical approximation to non-isothermal Stokes flow when the boundary of a complicated domain is approximated by a simpler one, e.g., in the procedure of triangulation combined with finite elements.     

Instability of spikes in the presence of conservation laws

We show that spikes are unstable in a class of scalar reaction–diffusion equations coupled to a general conservation law. Our class includes the Keller–Segel model for chemotaxis, phase-field models and models for chemical reactions in closed chemical reactors.     

Fluid-structure interaction in porous media for loaded filter pleats

Currently, the known simulation efforts with respect to fluid-structure interaction (FSI) are mainly restricted to the study of flow interacting with deformable solid bodies. On the other hand, there is extensive literature on simulation of flow through porous media. In particular, algorithms and software for CFD simulations of filtration processes in the case of rigid filtration medium were presented earlier by Fraunhofer ITWM, see, e.g., [1, 2]. In these papers the deformation of the solid skeleton is neglected. In many cases of water filtration, filtration for hydraulic applications, and even in certain air filtration regimes, the fluid pressure can be quite high, and the deformation of the pleats can be an issue. The deflection of pleats and its effect on the filtration process merits examination because under operating conditions (and especially after a partial loading of the media) the pleats often cannot be anymore considered as rigid porous media. Therefore, in this paper, the deflection is considered for clean media, as well as for partially loaded media. A new model describing the coupled flow and deformation, and corresponding numerical results are presented. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)