A one-dimensional moving grid solution for the coupled non-linear equations governing multiphase flow in porous media. 1: Model development

A straightforward moving grid finite element method is developed to solve the one-dimensional coupled system of non-linear partial differential equations (PDEs) governing two- and three-phase flow in porous media. The method combines features from a number of self-adaptive grid techniques. These techniques are the equidistribution, the moving grid finite element and the local grid refinement/coarsening methods. Two equidistribution criteria, based on solution gradient and curvature, are employed and nodal distributions are computed iterativcly. Using the developed approach, an intermingle-free nodal distribution is guaranteed. The method involves examination of a single representative gradient to facilitate the application of moving grid algorithms to solve a non-linear coupled set of PDEs and includes a feature to limit mass balance error during nodal redistribution. The finite element part of the developed algorithm is verified against an existing finite difference model. A numerical simulation example involving a single-front two-phase flow problem is presented to illustrate model performance. Additional simulation examples are given in Part 2 of this paper. These examples include single and double moving fronts in two- and three-phase flow systems incorporating source/sink terms. Simulation sensitivity to the moving grid parameters is also explored in Part 2.     

Highly elastic solutions for Oldroyd-B and Phan-Thien/Tanner fluids with a finite volume/element method: planar contraction flows

A hybrid finite volume/element method is analysed through the computation of creeping flows of viscoelastic fluids in plane 4:1 sharp and rounded-corner contraction geometries. Simulations are presented for three models: a constant viscosity Oldroyd-B fluid, and Phan-Thien/Tanner (PTT) shear thinning fluids of exponential and linear approximation form. A Taylor–Galerkin/pressure-correction scheme is implemented as the base time-stepping framework. The momentum equations are solved by a finite element method, whilst the constitutive equations are solved by a finite volume approach. Mesh convergence is analysed via refinement around the contraction to capture boundary layers and flow structure. Pressure drop is shown to increase with flow rate for a fixed fluid. For the Oldroyd-B model, singular behaviour is reported in the main stress component as one approaches the corner in the rounded, as with the sharp geometry. Velocity components display an asymptotic trend with a positive slope. Higher values of Weissenberg numbers (We) are reached with these finite volume schemes compared to their finite element counterparts, attributing this to superior accuracy properties.     

Finite element solution of the equations governing the flow of electrolyte in charged microporous membranes

Electrical double-layer effects are unimportant in flows through porous media except when the Debye length k^?1 is comparable in magnitude with the pore radius a. Under these conditions the equations governing the flow of electrolyte are those of Stokes, Nernst-Planck and Poisson. These equations are non-linear and require numerical solution. The finite element method provides a useful basis for solution and various algorithms are investigated. The numerical stability and errors of each scheme are analysed together with the development of an appropriate finite element mesh. The electro-osmotic flow of a typical electrolyte (barium chloride) through a uniformly charged cylindrical membrane pore is investigated and the ion fluxes are post-computed from the numerical solutions. The ion flux is shown to be strongly dependent on both zeta potential and pore radius, ka, indicating the effects of overlapping electrical double layers.     

Coupled Groundwater Flow and Transport in Porous Media. A Conservative or Non-conservative Form?

A new formulation for the modeling of density coupled flow and transport in porous media is presented. This formulation is based on the development of the mass balance equation by using the conservative form. The system of equations obtained by coupling the flow and transport equations using a state equation is solved by a combination of the mixed hybrid finite element method (MHFEM) and the discontinuous finite element method (DFEM). The former is applied in order to solve the flow equation and the dispersive part of the transport equation, whilst the latter is used to solve the advective part of the transport equation. Although the advantages of the MHFEM are known (efficiency calculation of velocity field and continuity of fluxes from one element to an adjacent one), its application in a classical development form (volumetric fluxes as unknowns) leads to the non-conservative version of the mass balance equation. The associated matrix of the system of equations obtained by hybridization is positive definite but non-symmetrical. By using a new approach (mass fluxes as unknowns) the conservative form of the continuity equation is preserved and the associated matrix of the system of equations obtained by hybridization becomes symmetrical. When applied to Elder's problem involving a strong density contrast, this new approach, with a lower calculation cost, leads to similar or identical results to those found in the specialized literature. The comparison between the conservative and non-conservative formulations solved with the same MHFEM and DFEM combination emphasizes the rigor and the pertinence of this new approach. Furthermore, we show the existence of a limit refinement defining the stability of the numerical solution for Elder's problem.     

Is the steady viscous incompressible two-dimensional flow over a backward-facing step at Re = 800 stable?

A detailed case study is made of one particular solution of the 2D incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Careful mesh refinement studies were made using four different methods (and computer codes): (1) a high-order finite-element method solving the unsteady equations by time-marching; (2) a high-order finite-element method solving both the steady equations and the associated linear-stability problem; (3) a second-order finite difference method solving the unsteady equations in streamfunction form by time-marching; and (4) a spectral-element method solving the unsteady equations by time-marching. The unanimous conclusion is that the correct solution for flow over the backward-facing step at Re = 800 is steady—and it is stable, to both small and large perturbations.     

Implementation of the Lagrange-Galerkin method for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations

This paper is concerned with the implementation of Lagrange-Galerkin finite element methods for the Navier-Stokes equations. A scheme is developed to efficiently handle unstructed meshes with local refinement, using a quad-tree-based algorithm for the geometric search. Several difficulties that arise in the construction of the right-hand side are discussed in detail and some useful tricks are proposed. The resulting method is tested on the lid-driven square cavity and the vortex shedding behind a rectangular cylinder and is found to give satisfactory agreement with previous works. A detailed analysis of the effect of time discretization is included.     

A two‐phase flow interface capturing finite element method

A new interface capturing algorithm is proposed for the finite element simulation of two‐phase flows. It relies on the solution of an advection equation for the interface between the two phases by a streamline upwind Petrov–Galerkin (SUPG) scheme combined with an adaptive mesh refinement procedure and a filtering technique. This method is illustrated in the case of a Rayleigh–Taylor two‐phase flow problem governed by the Stokes equations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical simulations of the steady Navier–Stokes equations using adaptive meshing schemes

In this paper, we consider an adaptive meshing scheme for solution of the steady incompressible Navier–Stokes equations by finite element discretization. The mesh refinement and optimization are performed based on an algorithm that combines the so‐called conforming centroidal Voronoi Delaunay triangulations (CfCVDTs) and residual‐type local a posteriori error estimators. Numerical experiments in the two‐dimensional space for various examples are presented with quadratic finite elements used for the velocity field and linear finite elements for the pressure. The results show that our meshing scheme can equally distribute the errors over all elements in some optimal way and keep the triangles very well shaped as well at all levels of refinement. In addition, the convergence rates achieved are close to the best obtainable. Extension of this approach to three‐dimensional cases is also discussed and the main challenge is the efficient implementation of three‐dimensional CfCVDT generation that is still under development. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Finite element implementation of boundary conditions for the pressure Poisson equation of incompressible flow

In this paper we address the problem of the implementation of boundary conditions for the derived pressure Poisson equation of incompressible flow. It is shown that the direct Galerkin finite element formulation of the pressure Poisson equation automatically satisfies the inhomogeneous Neumann boundary conditions, thus avoiding the difficulty in specifying boundary conditions for pressure. This ensures that only physically meaningful pressure boundary conditions consistent with the Navier-Stokes equations are imposed. Since second derivatives appear in this formulation, the conforming finite element method requires C¹ continuity. However, for many problems of practical interest (i.e. high Reynolds numbers) the second derivatives need not be included, thus allowing the use of more conventional C⁰ elements. Numerical results using this approach for a wall-driven contained flow within a square cavity verify the validity of the approach. Although the results were obtained for a two-dimensional problem using the p-version of the finite element method, the approach presented here is general and remains valid for the conventional h-version as well as three-dimensional problems.     

Two-equation (k, ϵ) turbulence computations by the use of a finite element model

A finite element technique is presented and applied to some one- and two-dimensional turbulent flow problems. The basic equations are the Reynolds averaged momentum equations in conjunction with a two-equation (k, ?) turbulence model. The equations are written in time-dependent form and stationary problems are solved by a time iteration procedure. The advection parts of the equations are treated by the use of a method of characteristics, while the continuity requirement is satisfied by a penalty function approach. The general numerical formulation is based on Galerkin's method. Computational results are presented for one-dimensional steady-state and oscillatory channel flow problems and for steady-state flow over a two-dimensional backward-facing step.     

Boundary element analysis of three-dimensional mixing flow of Newtonian and viscoelastic fluids

The boundary element method (BEM) is implemented for the simulation of three-dimensional transient flows of typical relevance to mixing. Creeping Newtonian and viscoelastic fluids of the Maxwell type are examined. A boundary-only formulation in the time domain is proposed for linear viscoelastic flows. Special emphasis is placed on cavity flows involving simple- and multiple-connected moving domains. The BEM becomes particularly suited in multiple-connected flows, where part of the boundary (stirrer or rotor) is moving, and the remaining outer part (cavity or barrel) is at rest. In this case, conventional methods, such as the finite element method (FEM), generally require remeshing or mesh refinement of the three-dimensional fluid volume as the flow evolves and the domain of computation changes with time. The BEM is shown to be much easier to implement since the kinematics of the elements bounding the fluid is known (imposed). It is found that, for simple cavity flow induced by a rotating vane at constant angular velocity, the tractions at the vane tip and cavity face exhibit non-linear periodic dynamical behavior with time for fluids obeying linear constitutive equations. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multiphase flow in heterogeneous porous media: A classical finite element method versus an implicit pressure–explicit saturation‐based mixed finite element–finite volume approach

Various discretization methods exist for the numerical simulation of multiphase flow in porous media. In this paper, two methods are introduced and analyzed—a full‐upwind Galerkin method which belongs to the classical finite element methods, and a mixed‐hybrid finite element method based on an implicit pressure–explicit saturation (IMPES) approach. Both methods are derived from the governing equations of two‐phase flow. Their discretization concepts are compared in detail. Their efficiency is discussed using several examples. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hybrid-Trefftz displacement element for spectral analysis of bounded and unbounded media

The hybrid-Trefftz displacement element is applied to the elastodynamic analysis of bounded and unbounded media in the frequency domain. The displacements are approximated in the domain of the element using local solutions of the wave equation, the Neumann conditions are enforced directly and the surface forces are approximated on the Dirichlet and inter-element boundaries of the finite element mesh. Two alternative elements are developed to model unbounded media, namely a finite element with absorbing boundaries and an unbounded element that satisfies explicitly the Sommerfeld condition. The finite element equations are derived from the fundamental relations of elastodynamics written in the frequency domain. The numerical implementation of these equations is discussed and numerical tests are presented to assess the performance of the formulation.     

Uncoupled finite element solution of biharmonic problems for vector potentials

A method for the uncoupled solution of three-dimensional biharmonic problems for the vector potential in viscous incompressible flow is presented. The strategy applied in a previous work on vector Poisson equations is employed to reduce the vector fourth-order problem to a sequence of scalar biharmonic problems. A finite element aimed at the implementation of the method in a discrete version is considered. A conjugate gradient algorithm which is particularly efficient for the uncoupled solution method is also described.     

Finite element approximation of field dislocation mechanics

A tool for studying links between continuum plasticity and dislocation theory within a field framework is presented. A finite element implementation of the geometrically linear version of a recently proposed theory of field dislocation mechanics (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 49 (2001) 761; Proc. Roy. Soc. 459 (2003) 1343; J. Mech. Phys. Solids 52 (2004) 301) represents the main idea behind the tool. The constitutive ingredients of the theory under consideration are simply elasticity and a specification of dislocation velocity and nucleation. The set of equations to be approximated are non-standard in the context of solid mechanics applications. It comprises the standard second-order equilibrium equations, a first-order div-curl system for the elastic incompatibility, and a first-order, wave-propagative system for the evolution of dislocation density. The latter two sets of equations require special treatment as the standard Galerkin method is not adequate, and are solved utilizing a least-squares finite element strategy. The implementation is validated against analytical results of the classical elastic theory of dislocations and analytical results of the theory itself. Elastic stress fields of dislocation distributions in generally anisotropic media of finite extent, deviation from elastic response, yield-drop, and back-stress are shown to be natural consequences of the model. The development of inhomogeneity, from homogeneous initial conditions and boundary conditions corresponding to homogeneous deformation in conventional plasticity, is also demonstrated. To our knowledge, this work represents the first computational implementation of a theory of dislocation mechanics where no analytical results, singular solutions in particular, are required to formulate the implementation. In particular, a part of the work is the first finite element implementation of Kröner's linear elastic theory of continuously distributed dislocations in its full generality.     

Modeling of in-situ biorestoration of organic compounds in groundwater

A convergent numerical method for modeling in situ biorestoration of contaminated groundwater is outlined. This method treats systems of transport-biodegradation equations by operator splitting in time. Transport is approximated by a finite element modified method of characteristics. The biodegradation terms are split from the transport terms and treated as a system of ordinary differential equations. Numerical results for vertical cross-sectional flow are presented. The effects of variable hydraulic conductivity and variable linear adsorption are studied.     

Modeling quasi-static crack growth with the extended finite element method Part I: Computer implementation

The extended finite element method (X-FEM) is a numerical method for modeling strong (displacement) as well as weak (strain) discontinuities within a standard finite element framework. In the X-FEM, special functions are added to the finite element approximation using the framework of partition of unity. For crack modeling in isotropic linear elasticity, a discontinuous function and the two-dimensional asymptotic crack-tip displacement fields are used to account for the crack. This enables the domain to be modeled by finite elements without explicitly meshing the crack surfaces, and hence quasi-static crack propagation simulations can be carried out without remeshing. In this paper, we discuss some of the key issues in the X-FEM and describe its implementation within a general-purpose finite element code. The finite element program Dynaflow™ is considered in this study and the implementation for modeling 2-d cracks in isotropic and bimaterial media is described. In particular, the array-allocation for enriched degrees of freedom, use of geometric-based queries for carrying out nodal enrichment and mesh partitioning, and the assembly procedure for the discrete equations are presented. We place particular emphasis on the design of a computer code to enable the modeling of discontinuous phenomena within a finite element framework.     

简化Navier—Stokes方程的IFT理论的各向异性张力有限元法

本文首先讨论简化Navier-Stokes IFT方程组的有限元离散方式,然后对其广义解进行分析,并从而利用与之相匹配的各向异性张力单元对流函数—涡量方程进行计算。通过平板层流和台阶绕流两个算例的分析,证明这种与IFT理论相匹配的有限单元算法是成功的。     

An ‘assumed deviatoric stress–pressure–velocity’ mixed finite element method for unsteady,convective, incompressible viscous flow: Part I: Theoretical development

A formulation of a mixed finite element method for the analysis of unsteady, convective, incompressible viscous flow is presented in which: (i) the deviatoric-stress, pressure, and velocity are discretized in each element, (ii) the deviatoric stress and pressure are subject to the constraint of the homogeneous momentum balance condition in each element, a priori, (iii) the convective acceleration is treated by the conventional Galerkin approach, (iv) the finite element system of equations involves only the constant term of the pressure field (which can otherwise be an arbitrary polynomial) in each element, in addition to the nodal velocities, and (v) all integrations are performed by the necessary order quadrature rules. A fundamental analysis of the stability of the numerical scheme is presented. The method is easily applicable to 3-dimensional problems. However, solutions to several problems of 2-dimensional Navier-Stokes' flow, and their comparisons with available solutions in terms of accuracy and efficiency, are discussed in detail in Part II of this paper.