Efficient and stable spectral element methods for predicting the flow of an XPP fluid past a cylinder

Stable and accurate spectral element methods for predicting the flow of branched polymer melts past a confined cylinder are presented. The fluid is modelled using a modification of the pom–pom model known as the extended pom–pom (XPP) model. Steady and transient flows are considered in this paper. The operator integration factor splitting technique is used to discretize the governing equations in time, while the spectral element method is used in space. An iterative solution algorithm that decouples the computation of velocity and pressure from that of stress is used to solve the discrete equations. Appropriate preconditioners are developed for the efficient solution of these problems. Local upwinding factors are used to stabilize the computations. Numerical results are presented demonstrating the performance of the algorithm and the predictions of the model. The influence of the model parameters on the solution is described and, in particular, the dependence of the drag on the cylinder as function of the Weissenberg number.     

Numerical prediction of extrudate swell of branched polymer melts

This paper is concerned with the numerical prediction of the extrudate swell behaviour of branched polymer melts in a planar configuration. The multi-mode extended pom-pom (XPP) model is used to describe the polymer dynamics. A second-order operator-integration-factor splitting scheme is used for the temporal discretisation of the problem, whilst a spectral element scheme is used in space. The free surface is evolved in a Lagrangian manner using the third-order conditionally stable Adams–Bashforth method. A thorough mesh convergence study is performed with respect to the temporal and spatial discretisation parameters. The influence of the nature of the discrete relaxation spectrum on the swelling ratio and as an indicator of polydispersity is investigated. The predictions of numerical simulations are also compared with a selection of experimental results from the literature. The parameters in the XPP model are determined from rheological data. Good agreement is obtained for branched low-density polyethylenes. The ability to model a melt with a high molecular weight tail using a discrete relaxation spectrum for which the largest relaxation time is isolated from the others is also investigated.     

Numerical solution of the eXtended Pom-Pom model for viscoelastic free surface flows

In this paper we present a finite difference method for solving two-dimensional viscoelastic unsteady free surface flows governed by the single equation version of the eXtended Pom-Pom (XPP) model. The momentum equations are solved by a projection method which uncouples the velocity and pressure fields. We are interested in low Reynolds number flows and, to enhance the stability of the numerical method, an implicit technique for computing the pressure condition on the free surface is employed. This strategy is invoked to solve the governing equations within a Marker-and-Cell type approach while simultaneously calculating the correct normal stress condition on the free surface. The numerical code is validated by performing mesh refinement on a two-dimensional channel flow. Numerical results include an investigation of the influence of the parameters of the XPP equation on the extrudate swelling ratio and the simulation of the Barus effect for XPP fluids.     

SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS AND OPTIMIZATION OF COUPLED THERMAL AND FLOW PROBLEMS WITH APPLICATIONS TO CONTRACTION DESIGN

The finite element method and the Newton–Raphson solution algorithm are combined to solve the momentum, mass and energy conservation equations for coupled flow problems. Design sensitivities for a generalised response function with respect to design parameters which describe shape, material property and load data are evaluated via the direct differentiation method. The efficiently computed sensitivities are verified by comparison with computationally intensive, finite difference sensitivity approximations. The design sensitivities are then used in a numerical optimization algorithm to minimize the pressure drop in flow through contractions. Both laminar and turbulent flows are considered. In the turbulent flow problems the time-averaged momentum and mass conservati on equations are solved using a mixing length turbulence model.     

液浮转子微陀螺筒间流动阻力矩参数影响

建立简化计算模型,将一种具有空间指数收敛特性的谱元-Fourier法引入复杂的液浮转子微陀螺筒间流动的直接数值模拟。对于柱坐标系下不可压缩Navier-Stokes方程,在子午面的径向和轴向采用Galerkin谱元法,进行标准化的Gauss-Lobatto-Legendre节点展开,在周向采用Fourier级数展开法。设定基准算例,计算分析了高径比、旋转速度和黏性系数等参数对内筒侧面和内筒端面阻力矩的影响。结果表明,两种阻力矩都随这些参数的增大而增大,且对总阻力矩的贡献量级相当。     

Three dimensional finite element analysis of the flow of polymer melts

The finite element simulation of a selection of two- and three-dimensional flow problems is presented, based upon the use of four different constitutive models for polymer melts (Oldroyd-B, Rolie-Poly, Pom-Pom and XPP). The mathematical and computational models are first introduced, before their application to a range of visco-elastic flows is described. Results demonstrate that the finite element models used here are able to re-produce predictions made by other published numerical simulations and, significantly, by carefully conducted physical experiments using a commercial-grade polystyrene melt in a three-dimensional contraction geometry. The paper also presents a systematic comparison and evaluation of the differences between two- and three-dimensional simulations of two different flow regimes: flow of an Oldroyd-B fluid around a cylinder and flow of a Rolie-Poly fluid into the contraction geometry. This comparison allows new observations to be made concerning the relatively poor quality of two-dimensional simulations for flows in even quite deep channels.     

Nonlinear transient transfinite element thermal analysis of thick-walled FGM cylinders with temperature-dependent material properties

An algorithm for investigation of nonlinear systems by the transfinite element method is presented. Basically, the transformation techniques have been developed for linear systems. Nonlinear transient heat transfer of a thick FGM cylinder with temperature-dependent material properties is investigated in the present paper to clarify the proposed algorithm. Two main novelties of the present research are: (1) incorporating the temperature-dependency of the material properties in the thermal analysis which lead to highly non-linear governing equations and (2) proposing an updating numerical transfinite element procedure to solve the resulted highly nonlinear governing equations. To reduce the effect of the artificial local heat source generation at the mutual boundaries of the elements, second order elements are used. Influences of various boundary conditions, geometric parameters, and volume fraction indices on the temperature distribution are investigated. Results of the proposed transfinite element technique show a good agreement with those obtained using the iterative time integration or analytical method. Furthermore, results reveal the significant effect of the temperature-dependency of the material properties. The present solution algorithm prevents numerical oscillations and damping, and accumulated time integration errors. The present technique may be used to obtain relatively accurate and stable results in a less computational time.     

Viscoelastic flow past confined objects using a micro–macro approach

This paper is concerned with the numerical prediction of viscoelastic flow past a cylinder in a channel and a sphere in a cylinder using molecular-based models. The basis of the numerical method employed is a micro–macro model in which the polymer dynamics is described by the evolution of an ensemble of Brownian configuration fields. The spectral element method is used to discretize the equations in space. Comparisons are made between the macroscopic simulations based on the Oldroyd B constitutive model and microscopic simulations based on Hookean dumbbells, and excellent agreement is found. The micro–macro approach can be used to simulate models, such as the finitely extensible nonlinear elastic (FENE) dumbbell model, which do not possess a closed-form constitutive equation. Numerical simulations are performed for the FENE model. The influence of the model parameters on the flow is described and, in particular, the dependence of the drag as a function of the Weissenberg number.     

比例边界坐标插值方法在谱元法中的应用——无穷域Euler方程的数值模拟

将比例边界坐标插值方法引入谱元法, 构成比例边界谱单元, 对无穷域Euler方程进行数值模拟.阐述了比例边界谱单元的基本使用方法以及基于比例边界谱元的Runge-Kutta间断Galerkin方法求解Euler方程的过程;计算了无穷域圆柱和NACA0012翼型绕流问题, 并与已有结果进行了比较, 显示了计算结果的正确性.用基于比例边界谱元的间断Galerkin方法求解无穷域Euler方程时, 最多只需将求解域划分为2个子域, 避免了一般谱方法将求解域划分为9个或者27个子域的麻烦. 比例边界谱单元为无穷域Euler方程的直接求解提供了一个可供参考的方法.     

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.     

Parallel domain decomposition method for finite element approximation of 3D steady state non‐Newtonian fluids

We introduce a stabilized finite element method for the 3D non‐Newtonian Navier–Stokes equations and a parallel domain decomposition method for solving the sparse system of nonlinear equations arising from the discretization. Non‐Newtonian flow problems are, generally speaking, more challenging than Newtonian flows because the nonlinearities are not only in the convection term but also in the viscosity term, which depends on the shear rate. Many good iterative methods and preconditioning techniques that work well for the Newtonian flows do not work well for the non‐Newtonian flows. We employ a Galerkin/least squares finite element method, with stabilization parameters adjusted to count the non‐Newtonian effect, to discretize the equations, and the resulting highly nonlinear system of equations is solved by a Newton–Krylov–Schwarz algorithm. In this study, we apply the proposed method to some inelastic power‐law fluid flows through the eccentric annuli with inner cylinder rotation and investigate the robustness of the method with respect to some physical parameters, including the power‐law index and the Reynolds number ratios. We then report the superlinear speedup achieved by the domain decomposition algorithm on a computer with up to 512 processors. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A numerical study of constitutive models endowed with Pom-Pom molecular attributes

The branched polymer melts are modeled respectively in this investigation by the existing XPP and PTT–XPP models, along with the proposed S-MDCPP (Single/Simplified Modified Double Convected Pom-Pom) model developed on the basis of the existing MDCPP model. A pressure stabilized mass equation is formulated with the finite increment calculus (FIC) process to restrain and further eliminate spurious oscillations of pressure field due to the incompressibility of fluids. The discrete elastic viscous stress splitting (DEVSS) technique is employed, in order to retain an elliptic contribution in the weak form of the momentum equation. An inconsistent streamline-upwind (SU) method is applied to spatially discretize the constitutive equations. The mass, momentum conservation and constitutive equations are discretized and solved by the iterative stabilized fractional step algorithm along with the Crank–Nicolson implicit difference scheme. Thus the finite elements with equal low-order interpolation approximations for velocity–pressure–stress variables can be devised to numerically simulate the viscoelastic contraction flows for branched LDPE melts. The influences of the three viscoelastic constitutive models and the branched arms at the end of the Pom-Pom molecule on the rheological behaviors occurring in this complex flow are discussed. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed S-MDCPP model is capable of reproducing some properties similar to those predicted by the XPP model in high shear flow and, on the other hand, reproducing some properties similar to those predicted by the PTT–XPP model in high elongational flow. Furthermore, the proposed S-MDCPP model is capable of well identifying the macromolecule topological structures of branched polymer melts.     

Spectral element-FCT method for scalar hyperbolic conservation laws

A new algorithm based on spectral element discretizations and flux-corrected transport (FCT) ideas is developed for the solution of discontinuous hyperbolic problems. A conservative formulation is proposed, based on cell averaging and reconstruction procedures, that employs a staggered grid of Gauss–Chebyshev and Gauss–Lobatto–Chebyshev discretizations. In addition, high-order time-differencing schemes, a flux limiter and a general spectral filter are employed to improve the quality of the solution. It is demonstrated through model problems of linear advection and examples of one-dimensional shock formation that the proposed algorithm leads to stable, non-oscillatory solutions of high accuracy away from discontinuities. Typically, spectral or spectral element methods perform very poorly in the presence of even weak discontinuities, although they produce only exponentialy small errors for smooth solutions. Spectral element–FCT methods can provide spectral properties (i.e. minimum dispersion and diffusion errors) as well as great flexibility in the discretization, since a variable number of macroelements or collocation points per element can be employed to accommodate both accuracy and geometric requirements.     

Stabilized finite element method for simulation of freeway traffic

The modeling of traffic flow is a key tool to simulate and predict the behavior of traffic systems. Macroscopic traffic simulation models are based on advection dominated coupled non-linear partial differential equations. The solution of such advection dominated equations with the method of finite elements is leading to the development of stabilization techniques. The choice of suitable stabilization parameters is often application-dependent. A stabilized finite element procedure on the basis of a Galerkin/least-square approximation is presented for systems of transient advection-dominated equations. A general rule for computing suitable element stabilization parameters is outlined which uses the spectral radius of the differential operators and the specific element expansion. The application of this approximation to a macroscopic traffic model shows the applicability of this approach. Simulation results of typical phenomena of jam formation in freeway traffic are presented.     

Natural frequency analysis of 2D-FGM thick hollow cylinder based on three-dimensional elasticity equations

In this paper, natural frequencies characteristics of a thick hollow cylinder with finite length made of two-dimensional functionally graded material (2D-FGM) based on three-dimensional equations of elasticity is considered. The axisymmetric conditions are assumed for the 2D-FGM cylinder. The material properties of the cylinder are varied in the radial and axial directions with power law functions. Effects of volume fraction distribution and FGM configuration on the natural frequencies of a simply supported cylinder are analyzed. Also, the effects of length and thickness of the cylinder are considered for different material distribution profiles. Three-dimensional equations of motion are used and the eigen value problem is developed based on direct variational method. Finite element method with graded material characteristics within each element of the structure is used for solution. The study shows that the 2D-FGM cylinder exhibit interesting frequency characteristics when the constituent volume fractions and its configuration are varied.     

计算不确定结构系统静态响应的一种可靠方法

不确定性广泛存在于工程结构分析和设计过程之中，不能简单地予以忽略。目前，概率方法、模糊方法和区间方法是不确定性建模的三种主要方法。本文把具有不确定性的结构材料参数、几何参数和所受外力用区间数描述，通过求解线性区间方程组准确地计算了结构静态响应。计算结果易于扩张是区间计算的一个主要缺陷，本文提出了一种有效避免这一问题的方法。该方法把区间函数的计算和区间线性方程组的求解转化为相应的全局优化问题，来确定解中的每个区间元素的边界值，并采用一种智能性算法(实数编码遗传算法)来求解这些全局优化问题。本文首先采用数学和结构分析算例对该方法的正确性和有效性进行了验证，然后把该方法与有限元方法相结合计算不确定结构系统的响应范围，并和求解同类问题的方法进行了比较。     

Finite element model updating using variable separation

In the field of structural dynamics, reliable finite element response predictions are becoming increasingly important to industry and there is a genuine interest to improve these in the light of measured frequency response functions. Unlike modal-based model updating formulations, response-based methods have been applied only with limited success due to incomplete measurements and numerical ill-conditioning problems. The least squares approximation method is one of the methods used but often poses a problem of pseudo inverse due to the number of incomplete measurements. The proposed algorithm is a modification and extension of a previously-developed nonlinear least squares method for damage detection and finite element model updating. The paper derives explicit expressions for the first and second order partial derivatives with respect to the correction parameters and for the Jacobian matrix used in the Newton–Raphson solution of the nonlinear set of equations in order to avoid the pseudo inverse and to build a symmetrical system. The proposed method, assigned to a frequency parameterization which considers the minimum distance to be minimized, shows a good numerical stability. The performance of the method in localizing structural damage and updating model is examined using simulated measurements.     

A combined parametric quadratic programming and precise integration method based dynamic analysis of elastic-plastic hardening/softening problems

The objective of the paper is to develop a new algorithm for numerical solution of dynamic elastic-plastic strain hardening/softening problems. The gradient dependent model is adopted in the numerical model to overcome the result mesh-sensitivity problem in the dynamic strain softening or strain localization analysis. The equations for the dynamic elastic-plastic problems are derived in terms of the parametric variational principle, which is valid for associated, non-associated and strain softening plastic constitutive models in the finite element analysis. The precise integration method, which has been widely used for discretization in time domain of the linear problems, is introduced for the solution of dynamic nonlinear equations. The new algorithm proposed is based on the combination of the parametric quadratic programming method and the precise integration method and has all the advantages in both of the algorithms. Results of numerical examples demonstrate not only the validity, but also the advantages of the algorithm proposed for the numerical solution of nonlinear dynamic problems. The project supported by the National Key Basic Research Special Foundation (G1999032805), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19872016, 50178016, 19832010) and the Foundation for University Key Teacher by the Ministry of Education of China     

Spectral/hp penalty least‐squares finite element formulation for unsteady incompressible flows

In this paper, we present spectral/hp penalty least‐squares finite element formulation for the numerical solution of unsteady incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Pressure is eliminated from Navier–Stokes equations using penalty method, and finite element model is developed in terms of velocity, vorticity and dilatation. High‐order element expansions are used to construct discrete form. Unlike other penalty finite element formulations, equal‐order Gauss integration is used for both viscous and penalty terms of the coefficient matrix. For time integration, space–time decoupled schemes are implemented. Second‐order accuracy of the time integration scheme is established using the method of manufactured solution. Numerical results are presented for impulsively started lid‐driven cavity flow at Reynolds number of 5000 and transient flow over a backward‐facing step. The effect of penalty parameter on the accuracy is investigated thoroughly in this paper and results are presented for a range of penalty parameter. Present formulation produces very accurate results for even very low penalty parameters (10–50). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A spectral collocation method for compressible,non-similar boundary layers

An efficient and highly accurate algorithm based on a spectral collocation method is developed for numerical solution of the compressible, two-dimensional and axisymmetric boundary layer equations. The numerical method incorporates a fifth-order, fully implicit marching scheme in the streamwise (timelike) dimension and a spectral collocation method based on Chebyshev polynomial expansions in the wall-normal (spacelike) dimension. The discrete governing equations are cast in residual form and the residuals are minimized at each marching step by a preconditioned Richardson iteration scheme which fully couples energy, momentum and continuity equations. Preconditioning on the basis of the finite difference analogues of the governing equations results in a computationally efficient iteration with acceptable convergence properties. A practical application of the algorithm arises in the area of compressible linear stability theory, in the investigation of the effects of transverse curvature on the stability of flows over axisymmetric bodies. The spectral collocation algorithm is used to derive the non-similar mean velocity and temperature profiles in the boundary layer of a ‘fuselage’ (cylinder) in a high-speed (Mach 5) flow parallel to its axis. The stability of the flow is shown to be sensitive to the gradual streamwise evolution of the mean flow and it is concluded that the effects of transverse curvature on stability should not be ignored routinely.