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.     

A preconditioned alternating inner-outer iterative solution method for the mixed finite element formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations

In the present work a new iterative method for solving the Navier-Stokes equations is designed. In a previous paper a coupled node fill-in preconditioner for iterative solution of the Navier-Stokes equations proved to increase the convergence rate considerably compared with traditional preconditioners. The further development of the present iterative method is based on the same storage scheme for the equation matrix as for the coupled node fill-in preconditioner. This storage scheme separates the velocity, the pressure and the coupling of pressure and velocity coefficients in the equation matrix. The separation storage scheme allows for an ILU factorization of both the velocity and pressure unknowns. With the inner-outer solution scheme the velocity unknowns are eliminated before the resulting equation system for the pressures is solved iteratively. After the pressure unknown has been found, the pressures are substituted into the original equation system and the velocities are also found iteratively. The behaviour of the inner-outer iterative solution algorithm is investigated in order to find optimal convergence criteria for the inner iterations and compared with the solution algorithm for the original equation system. The results show that the coupled node fill-in preconditioner of the original equation system is more efficient than the coupled node fill-in preconditioner of the reduced equation system. However, the solution technique of the reduced equation system revals properties which may be advantageous in future solution algorithms.     

Improving the accuracy of the least-squares finite element approximation of the linearized steady Euler equations by an embedding method

The standard least-squares finite element method for the linearized Euler equations turns out to be inaccurate. This method is studied in detail for a system of composite type, obtained by transformation of the linearized Euler equations. The shortcomings of the method are clarified and an embedding method is constructed. It is shown numerically that this new method is O(h²)-accurate.     

A least squares finite element method for viscoelastic fluid flow problems

Viscoelastic flows remain a demanding class of problems for approximate analysis, particularly at increasing Weissenberg numbers. Part of the difficulty stems from the convective behavior and in the treatment of the stress field as a primary unknown. This latter aspect has led to the use of higher-order piecewise approximations for the stress approximation spaces in recent finite element research. The computational complexity of the discretized problem is increased significantly by this approach but at present it appears the most viable technique for solving these problems. Motivated by recent success in treating mixed systems and convective problems, we formulate here a least squares finite element method for the viscoelastic flow problem. Numerical experiments are conducted to test the method and examine its strengths and limitations. Some difficulties and open issues are identified through the numerical experiments. We consider the use of high degree elements (p refinement) to improve performance and accuracy.     

A new approach to potential flow around axisymmetric bodies

A new method is introduced to solve potential flow problems around axisymmetric bodies. The approach relies on expressing the infinite series expansion of the Laplace equation solution in terms of a finite sum which preserves the Laplace solution for the potential function under a Neumann-type boundary condition. Then the coefficients of the finite sum are calculated in a least squares approximation sense using the Gram-Schmidt orthonormalization method. Sample benchmark problems are presented and discussed in some detail. The solutions are accurate and converged faster when a rather small number of terms were used. The method is simple and can be easily programmed.     

Modified asymptotic Adomian decomposition method for solving Boussinesq equation of groundwater flow

The Adomian decomposition method （ADM） is an approximate analytic method for solving nonlinear equations. Generally, an approximate solution can be ob- tained by using only a few terms. However, in applications, we need to use it flexibly according to the real problem. In this paper, based on the ADM, we give a modified asymptotic Adomian decomposition method and use it to solve the nonlinear Boussinesq equation describing groundwater flows. The example shows effectiveness of the modified asymptotic Adomian decomposition method.     

An efficient method for solving the mixed direct-inverse problem of the transonic rotational flow in plane casades

The method in [1] has been extended to the case of rotational flow in this paper. A new method for dealing with the shock wave is presented. This method has the advantages of both the shock-fitting and the shock capturing methods. The direct problem and the mixed direct-inverse problem of the rotational flow in a transonic plane cascade at both design and off design conditions are solved, and the results show that the present method has rapid convergence rate and high accuracy even for the flow with moderately strong shocks. The calculations have been carried out on the DPS-8 computer, and for the direct problem, only 50–80 iterations are needed, and 50–80 seconds of CPU time are required.     

A least-squares finite element method for incompressible Navier-Stokes problems

A least-squares finite element method based on the velocity–pressure–vorticity formulation was proposed for solving steady incompressible Navier-Stokes problems. This method leads to a minimization problem rather than to the saddle point problem of the classic mixed method and can thus accommodate equal-order interpolations. The method has no parameter to tune. The associated algebraic system is symmetric and positive definite. In order to show the validity of the method for high-Reynolds-number problems, this paper provides numerical results for cavity flow at Reynolds number up to 10 000 and backward-facing step flow at Reynolds number up to 900.     

On the accuracy of least-squares finite elements for a first-order conservation equation

The numerical solution of a single first-order conservation equation by a least-squares finite element method is considered. Isoparametric bilinear quadrilateral elements are used. The accuracy is studied numerically and it is shown that the discrete equations associated with nodal points on the boundaries should be modified in order to obtain an accurate numerical solution.     

Numerical convergence studies of the mixed finite element method for natural convection flow in a fluid-saturated porous medium

This paper describes a numerical approximation scheme for the natural convection (NC) flow in a fluid-saturated porous medium. Our formulation of the problem is based on the mixed finite element method (FEM). Using the so-called consistent splitting scheme, a second-order accuracy in time and in space is verified by the numerical calculation. The resulting flow patterns and heat transfer for different Rayleigh numbers, Darcy numbers and porosities are numerically studied by the proposed scheme.     

A mixed finite element/finite volume approach for solving biodegradation transport in groundwater

A numerical model for the simulation of flow and transport of organic compounds undergoing bacterial oxygen- and nitrate-based respiration is presented. General assumptions regarding microbial population, bacteria metabolism and effects of oxygen, nitrogen and nutrient concentration on organic substrate rate of consumption are briefly described. The numerical solution techniques for solving both the flow and the transport are presented. The saturated flow equation is discretized using a high-order mixed finite element scheme, which provides a highly accurate estimation of the velocity field. The transport equation for a sorbing porous medium is approximated using a finite volume scheme enclosing an upwind TVD shock-capturing technique for capturing concentration-unsteady steep fronts. The performance and capabilities of the present approach in a bio-remediation context are assessed by considering a set of test problems. The reliability of the numerical results concerning solution accuracy and the computational efficiency in terms of cost and memory requirements are also estimated. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A mixed galerkin method for computing the flow between eccentric rotating cylinders

A mixed Galerkin technique with B-spline basis functions is presented to compute two-dimensional incompressible flow in terms of the primitive variable formulation. To circumvent the Babuska–Brezzi stability criterion, the artificial compressibility formulation of the equation of mass conservation is employed. As a result, the diagonal components of the matrix form in the governing equations are not singular. The B-spline basis is used because it is superior to other splines in providing computer solutions to fluid flow problems. One of the advantages of the B-spline basis is that it has excellent approximation properties. Numerical examples of applications of the mixed formulation are presented to demonstrate the convergence characteristics and accuracy of the present formulation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A total linearization method for solving viscous free boundary flow problems by the finite element method

In this paper a total linearization method is derived for solving steady viscous free boundary flow problems (including capillary effects) by the finite element method. It is shown that the influence of the geometrical unknown in the totally linearized weak formulation can be expressed in terms of boundary integrals. This means that the implementation of the method is simple. Numerical experiments show that the iterative method gives accurate results and converges very fast.     

A nonlinear Galerkin/Petrov-least squares mixed element method for the stationary Navier-Stokes equations

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A finite-element approach in stream-tube method for solving fluid and solid mechanics problems

This paper presents a theoretical formulation in which the stream-tube method (STM) is examined through a variational approach for solving solid strain and fluid flow problems with finite elements. The analysis considers a reference domain, used as computational domain, related to the physical domain by an unknown transformation function to be determined numerically. Mass conservation is automatically verified by STM. The variational approach leads to eliminate the pressure in fluid problems and avoids to set up a mixed displacement–pressure procedure in the case of incompressible solids. Examples are given for fluid flows, applications and comparisons are also provided in the bending problem in elasticity.     

A high-order compact scheme for solving the 2D steady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in general curvilinear coordinates

In this paper, a high-order compact finite difference algorithm is established for the stream function-velocity formulation of the two-dimensional steady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in general curvilinear coordinates. Different from the previous work, not only the stream function and its first-order partial derivatives but also the second-order mixed partial derivative is treated as unknown variable in this work. Numerical examples, including a test problem with an analytical solution, three types of lid-driven cavity flow problems with unusual shapes and steady flow past a circular cylinder as well as an elliptic cylinder with angle of attack, are solved numerically by the newly proposed scheme. For two types of the lid-driven trapezoidal cavity flow, we provide the detailed data using the fine grid sizes, which can be considered the benchmark solutions. The results obtained prove that the present numerical method has the ability to solve the incompressible flow for complex geometry in engineering applications, especially by using a nonorthogonal coordinate transformation, with high accuracy.     

Two-phase flow modelling: the closure issue for a two-layer flow

The fully-developed, laminar flow of two fluid layers in a horizontal channel is studied by means of the height-averaged balance equations. The closure issue is addressed and the closure relations for the wall and interfacial shear stresses are given for some particular cases.     

A conservative stabilized finite element method for the magneto‐hydrodynamic equations

This work presents a finite element solution of the 3D magneto‐hydrodynamics equations. The formulation takes explicitly into account the local conservation of the magnetic field, giving rise to a conservative formulation and introducing a new scalar variable. A stabilization technique is used in order to allow equal linear interpolation on tetrahedral elements of all the variables. Numerical tests are performed in order to assess the stability and the accuracy of the resulting methods. The convergence rates are calculated for different stabilization parameters. Well‐known MHD benchmark tests are calculated. Results show good agreement with analytical solutions. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modified method of characteristics for solving population balance equations

This paper presents a new numerical method for solving the population balance equation using the modified method of characteristics. Aggregation and break‐up are neglected but the density function variations in the three‐dimensional space and its dependence on the external fields are accounted for. The method is an interpretation of the Lagrangian approach. Based on a pre‐specified grid, it follows the particles backward in time as opposed to forward in the case of traditional method of characteristics. Unlike the direct marching method, the inverse marching method uses a fixed grid thus, making it compatible with other numerical schemes (e.g. finite‐volume, finite elements) that may be used to solve other coupled equations such as the mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations. The numerical solutions are compared with the exact analytical solutions for simple one‐dimensional flow cases. Very good agreement between the numerical and the theoretical solutions has been obtained confirming the validity of the numerical procedure and the associated computer program. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A deterministic vortex method for solving the Navier-Stokes equations

In this paper, a new 2-D vortex method is developed, which treats the vorticity diffusion in a deterministical way. The Laplacian operator, which describes vorticity diffusion, is approximated by a contour integral. The numerical results of two model problems show that this method has a good accuracy. A primary error estimation is given, and the self-adaptive vortex blob and the boundary conditions are discussed. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China