A finite element solution of the time-dependent incompressible Navier–Stokes equations using a modified velocity correction method

A finite element solution of the two-dimensional incompressible Navier–Stokes equations has been developed. The present method is a modified velocity correction approach. First an intermediate velocity is calculated, and then this is corrected by the pressure gradient which is the solution of a Poisson equation derived from the continuity equation. The novelty, in this paper, is that a second-order Runge–Kutta method for time integration has been used. Discretization in space is carried out by the Galerkin weighted residual method. The solution is in terms of primitive variables, which are approximated by polynomial basis functions defined on three-noded, isoparametric triangular elements. To demonstrate the present method, two examples are provided. Results from the first example, the driven cavity flow problem, are compared with previous works. Results from the second example, uniform flow past a cylinder, are compared with experimental data.     

The partition‐of‐unity method for linear diffusion and convection problems: accuracy,stabilization and multiscale interpretation

We investigate the effectiveness of the partition‐of‐unity method (PUM) for convection–diffusion problems. We show that for the linear diffusion equation, an exponential enrichment function based on an approximation of the analytic solution leads to improved accuracy compared to the standard finite‐element method. It is illustrated that this approach can be more efficient than using polynomial enrichment to increase the order of the scheme. We argue that the PUM enrichment, can be interpreted as a subgrid‐scale model in a multiscale framework, and that the choice of enrichment function has consequences for the stabilization properties of the method. The exponential enrichment is shown to function as a near optimal subgrid‐scale model for linear convection. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Finite element solution of three‐dimensional turbulent flows applied to mold‐filling problems

This paper presents a finite element solution algorithm for three‐dimensional isothermal turbulent flows for mold‐filling applications. The problems of interest present unusual challenges for both the physical modelling and the solution algorithm. High‐Reynolds number transient turbulent flows with free surfaces have to be computed on complex three‐dimensional geometries. In this work, a segregated algorithm is used to solve the Navier–Stokes, turbulence and front‐tracking equations. The streamline–upwind/Petrov–Galerkin method is used to obtain stable solutions to convection‐dominated problems. Turbulence is modelled using either a one‐equation turbulence model or the κ–ε two‐equation model with wall functions. Turbulence equations are solved for the natural logarithm of the turbulence variables. The change of dependent variables allows for a robust solution algorithm and good predictions even on coarse meshes. This is very important in the case of large three‐dimensional applications for which highly refined meshes result in untreatable large numbers of elements. The position of the flow front in the mold cavity is computed using a level set approach. Finally, equations are integrated in time using an implicit Euler scheme. The methodology presents the robustness and cost effectiveness needed to tackle complex industrial applications. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Singular finite elements for the sudden-expansion and the die-swell problems

The singular finite element method is used to solve the sudden-expansion and the die-swell problems in order to improve the accuracy of the solution in the vicinity of the singularity and to speed up the convergence. The method requires minor modifications to standard finite element schemes, and even coarse meshes give more accurate results than refined ordinary finite element meshes. Improved normal stress results for the sudden-expansion problem have been obtained for various Reynolds numbers up to 100 using the singular elements constructed for the creeping flow problem. In addition, the normal stresses at the walls appear to be insensitive to the singularity powers used in the construction of the singular basis functions. The die-swell problem is solved using the singular elements constructed for the stick–slip problem. The singular elements accelerate the convergence of the free surface dramatically.     

A fractional-step method for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations related to a predictor–multicorrector algorithm

An implicit fractional-step method for the numerical solution of the time-dependent incompressible Navier–Stokes equations in primitive variables is studied in this paper. The method, which is first-order-accurate in the time step, is shown to converge to an exact solution of the equations. By adequately splitting the viscous term, it allows the enforcement of full Dirichlet boundary conditions on the velocity in all substeps of the scheme, unlike standard projection methods. The consideration of this method was actually motivated by the study of a well-known predictor–multicorrector algorithm, when this is applied to the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. A new derivation of the algorithm in a general setting is provided, showing in what sense it can also be understood as a fractional-step method; this justifies, in particular, why the original boundary conditions of the problem can be enforced in this algorithm. Two different finite element interpolations are considered for the space discretization, and numerical results obtained with them for standard benchmark cases are presented. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一类指数矩阵函数及其应用

研究了一阶常微分方程组特解的精细积分方法. 针对非齐次项为多项式、指数函数以及二者的乘积的情况,在Duhamel积分形式特解的基础上,引入了一类指数矩阵函数. 通过该类函数的线性组合即可表达出非齐次方程的特解. 建立了该类指数矩阵函数的一种高效递推算法,并在此基础上实现了特解的精细积分. 由于特解的积分过程能充分利用通解精细积分过程的中间量,因此两个精细积分过程能有机地结合起来,形成了一种高效、统一的广义精细积分法. 对上述递推算法做了进一步优化,并给出了通用的计算公式.算例结果证明了该方法的有效性.      

MIXED TRANSFORM FINITE ELEMENT METHOD FOR SOLVING THE NON-LINEAR EQUATION FOR FLOW IN VARIABLY SATURATED POROUS MEDIA

A new computational method is developed for numerical solution of the Richards equation for flow in variably saturated porous media. The new method, referred to as the mixed transform finite element method, employs the mixed formulation of the Richards equation but expressed in terms of a partitioned transform. An iterative finite element algorithm is derived using a Newton–Galerkin weak statement. Specific advantages of the new method are demonstrated with applications to a set of one— dimensional test problems. Comparisons with the modified Picard method show that the new method produces more robust solutions for a broad range of soil– moisture regimes, including flow in desiccated soils, in heterogeneous media and in layered soils with formation of perched water zones. In addition, the mixed transform finite element method is shown to converge faster than the modified Picard method in a number of cases and to accurately represent pressure head and moisture content profiles with very steep fronts. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of boundary representation on viscous,separated flows in a discontinuous-Galerkin Navier–Stokes solver

The effect of curved-boundary representation on the physics of the separated flow over a NACA 65(1)-412 airfoil is thoroughly investigated. A method is presented to approximate curved boundaries with a high-order discontinuous-Galerkin spectral element method for the solution of the Navier–Stokes equations. Multiblock quadrilateral element meshes are constructed with the grid generation software GridPro. The boundary of a NACA 65(1)-412 airfoil, defined by a cubic natural spline, is piecewise-approximated by isoparametric polynomial interpolants that represent the edges of boundary-fitted elements. Direct numerical simulation of the airfoil is performed on a coarse mesh and fine mesh with polynomial orders ranging from four to twelve. The accuracy of the curve fitting is investigated by comparing the flows computed on curved-sided meshes with those given by straight-sided meshes. Straight-sided meshes yield irregular wakes, whereas curved-sided meshes produce a regular Karman street wake. Straight-sided meshes also produce lower lift and higher viscous drag as compared with curved-sided meshes. When the mesh is refined by reducing the sizes of the elements, the lift decrease and viscous drag increase are less pronounced. The differences in the aerodynamic performance between the straight-sided meshes and the curved-sided meshes are concluded to be the result of artificial surface roughness introduced by the piecewise-linear boundary approximation provided by the straight-sided meshes.     

ADAPTIVE LINEARIZATION AND GRID ITERATIONS WITH THE TRI-TREE MULTIGRID REFINEMENT–RECOARSEMENT ALGORITHM FOR THE NAVIER–STOKES EQUATIONS

The tri-tree algorithm for refinements and recoarsements of finite element grids is explored. The refinement–recoarsement algorithm not only provides an accurate solution in certain parts of the grid but also has a major influence on the finite element equation system itself. The refinements of the grid lead to a more symmetric and linear equation matrix. The recoarsements will ensure that the grid is not finer than is necessary for preventing divergence in an iterative solution procedure. The refinement–recoarsement algorithm is a dynamic procedure and the grid is adapted to the instant solution. In the tri-tree multigrid algorithm the solution from a coarser grid is scaled relatively to the increase in velocity boundary condition for the finer grid. In order to have a good start vector for the solution of the finer grid, the global Reynolds number or velocity boundary condition should not be subject to large changes. For each grid and velocity solution the element Reynolds number is computed and used as the grid adaption indicator during the refinement–recoarsement procedure. The iterative tri-tree multigrid method includes iterations with respect to the grid. At each Reynolds number the same boundary condition s are applied and the grid is adapted to the solution iteratively until the number of unknowns and elements in the grid becomes constant. In the present paper the following properties of the tri-tree algorithm are explored: the influence of the increase in boundary velocities and the size of the grid adaption indicator on the amount of work for solving the equations, the number of linear iterations and the solution error estimate between grid levels. The present work indicates that in addition to the linear and non-linear iterations, attention should also be given to grid adaption iterations. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于观点法的谱随机有限元分析——随机响应面法

提出了一种基于配点法的谱随机有限元分析方法-随机响应面法(SRSM),这种方法与已有的谱随机有限元方法(SSFEM)类似,都用Karhunen-Loeve级数扩展式表示输入随机场而计算结果的输出用多项式混沌展式表达。然而这两种方法采用了不同的方法确定多项式混沌展式中的系数:SRSM利用概率最小二乘配点法而SSFEM利用概率Galerkin法。与解析的SSFEM相比,SRSM的优势在于有限元计算和随机分析计算不耦合,即可把通用有限元程序作为黑箱进行求解。与黑箱版的SSFEM相比,SRSM需要的样本计算更少。SRSM中的各配点来自高概率的区域并使均方差最小化,从而可用少量的样本计算获得较高的计算精度。算例突出了本文提出的方法的特点并显示此方法是有效的且有较高的计算精度。     

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.     

The stationary solution of a random dynamical model

This paper studies the stationary probability density function (PDF) solution of a nonlinear business cycle model subjected to random shocks of Gaussian white-noise type. The PDF solution is controlled by a Fokker–Planck–Kolmogorov (FPK) equation, and we use exponential polynomial closure (EPC) method to derive an approximate solution for the FPK equation. Numerical results obtained from EPC method, better than those from Gaussian closure method, show good agreement with the probability distribution obtained with Monte Carlo simulation including the tail regions.     

A time-domain high-order spectral finite element for the simulation of symmetric and anti-symmetric guided waves in laminated composite strips

A time domain spectral finite element is developed for improving the efficiency of numerical simulations of guided waves in laminated composite strips. The finite element relies on a new generalized laminate mechanics model formulated to represent symmetric and anti-symmetric Lamb waves. The laminate mechanics incorporate third-order polynomial terms for the approximation of axial and transverse displacement fields through the thickness and consider the displacements of the upper and lower surfaces as degrees of freedom. The laminate theory formulation is easily expanded to a high-order layerwise model. Based on the resultant governing equations of the laminate section, a new finite element with 8 nodal degrees of freedom is formulated; its nodes are collocated with Gauss–Lobatto–Legendre integration points in order to improve computational efficiency. Stiffness and mass matrices are assembled and the transient response is predicted using the explicit central differences time integration scheme. The transient response of Aluminum, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer laminated and sandwich strips is investigated. Numerical results are validated against a semi-analytical solution. The accuracy and computational efficiency of the introduced element regarding the prediction of symmetric and anti-symmetric wave propagation is also quantified.     

An algebraic factorisation scheme for spectral element solution of incompressible flow and scalar transport

A spectral element algorithm for solution of the unsteady incompressible Navier–Stokes and scalar (species/heat) transport equations is developed using the algebraic factorisation scheme. The new algorithm utilises Nth order Gauss–Lobatto–Legendre points for velocity and the scalar, while (N-2)th order Gauss–Legendre points are used for pressure. As a result, the algorithm does not require inter-element continuity for pressure and pressure boundary conditions on solid surfaces. Implementations of the algorithm are performed for conforming and non-conforming grids. The latter is accomplished using both the point-wise matching and integral projection methods, and applied for grids with both polynomial and geometric non-conformities. Code validation cases include the unsteady scalar convection equation, and Kovasznay flow in two- and three-dimensional domains. Using cases with analytical solutions, the algorithm is shown to achieve spectral accuracy in space and second-order accuracy in time. The results for the Boussinesq approximation for buoyancy-driven flows, and the species mixing in a continuous flow micro-mixer are also included as examples of applications that require long-time integration of the scalar transport equations.     

一维区间B样条小波单元的构造研究

基于区间B样条小波及小波有限元理论,提出了一种区间B样条小波有限元方法。传统有限元多项式插值被一维区间B样条小波尺度函数取代,进而构造形状函数和单元。与小波Galer-kin方法不同,本文构造的区间B样条小波单元通过转换矩阵将无明确物理意义的小波插值系数转换到物理空间。转换矩阵在小波单元构造过程中起到关键作用,为了保证求解的稳定性,转换矩阵必须非奇异。构造了以区间B样条尺度函数为插值函数的一系列一维区间B样条小波单元。数值算例表明,本文构造的区间B样条小波单元与传统有限元方法相比,在求解变截面,变载荷等问题时具有收敛快和精度高等优势;有效地丰富了小波有限元法单元库。     

自由单元法及其在结构分析中的应用

通过吸收有限元与无网格法的优点,提出了一种新的数值方法------自由单元法.此方法在离散方面,采用有限元法中的等参单元,表征几何形状和进行物理量的插值;在算法方面,采用单元配点技术,逐点产生系统方程.主要特点是,在每个配置点只需要一个和周围自由选择的节点而形成的一个独立的等参单元,因而不需要考虑物理量在单元之间的相互连接关系与导数连续性问题. 本文介绍强形式与弱形式两种自由单元法,前者直接由控制方程和边界条件直接产生系统方程,后者通过在自由单元上建立控制方程的加权余量式产生弱形式积分式,并通过像传统有限元法中的积分过程建立系统方程组.本文提出的方法是一种单元配点法,对于域内点为了获得较高的导数精度,需要采用至少具有一个内部点的等参单元,为此除了可使用各阶次的拉格朗日四边形单元外, 还 给出了七节点三角形等参单元,用于模拟较为复杂的几何形状问题.      

基于重叠划分的自由网格四边形单元计算方法

提出了一种基于重叠划分的自由网格四边形单元计算方法。这一方法将四边形单元引入到自由网格计算方法中，不仅提高了计算的精度，同时还保留了自由网格计算方法的特点。方法首先对分析域内自动生成的每一个节点建立一套临时三角形单元，利用这些临时三角形单元组合生成四边形单元，以节点为单位进行计算。由于各矩阵的计算与组集均以节点为中心进行处理，因而特别适合于并行计算环境。在详细介绍自由网格四边形单元计算方法的基础上，利用数值算例证实了这一方法改善计算精度方面的有效性。     

汽车覆盖件工具曲面有限元网格自适应转换方法

提出一种适用于汽车覆盖件曲面有限元网格转化和在单元水平上提高模拟精度的方法,将平面下通过合并三角形单元成四边形单元的有限元网格转换方法的应用范围扩展到曲面,并且降低了对初始网格形状的要求。算法的关键在于增加了对曲面相邻单元不同夹角情况下的处理和优化规则,以使其能够更好地拟合原始CAD曲面。     

PEGASE: A NAVIER–STOKES SOLVER FOR DIRECT NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOWS

A hybrid conservative finite difference/finite element scheme is proposed for the solution of the unsteady incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Using velocity–pressure variables on a non-staggeredgrid system, the solution is obtained with a projection method basedon the resolution of a pressure Poisson equation. The new proposed scheme is derived from the finite element spatial discretization using the Galerkin method with piecewise bilinear polynomial basis functions defined on quadrilateral elements. It is applied to the pressure gradient term and to the non-linear convection term as in the so-called group finite element method. It ensures strong coupling between spatial directions, inhibiting the development of oscillations during long-term computations, as demonstrated by the validation studies. Two- and three-dimensional unsteady separated flows with open boundaries have been simulated with the proposed method using Cartesian uniform mesh grids. Several examples of calculations on the backward-facing step configuration are reported and the results obtained are compared with those given by other methods. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Int. j. numer. methods fluids 24: 833–861, 1997.     

Finite element modified method of characteristics for the Navier–Stokes equations

An algorithm based on the finite element modified method of characteristics (FEMMC) is presented to solve convection–diffusion, Burgers and unsteady incompressible Navier–Stokes equations for laminar flow. Solutions for these progressively more involved problems are presented so as to give numerical evidence for the robustness, good error characteristics and accuracy of our method. To solve the Navier–Stokes equations, an approach that can be conceived as a fractional step method is used. The innovative first stage of our method is a backward search and interpolation at the foot of the characteristics, which we identify as the convective step. In this particular work, this step is followed by a conjugate gradient solution of the remaining Stokes problem. Numerical results are presented for:

• a Convection–diffusion equation. Gaussian hill in a uniform rotating field.
• b Burgers equations with viscosity.
• c Navier–Stokes solution of lid‐driven cavity flow at relatively high Reynolds numbers.
• d Navier–Stokes solution of flow around a circular cylinder at Re=100.

Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.