Development of the generalized MacCormack scheme and its extension to low Mach number flows

The low Mach number performance of the MacCormack scheme is examined. The inherent dissipation in the scheme is found to suffer from the degradation in accuracy observed with traditional, density‐based methods for compressible flows. Two specific modifications are proposed, leading to the formation of the generalized MacCormack scheme within a dual‐time framework (called GMC‐PC). The first modification involves reformulating the flux by splitting it into particle convection and acoustic parts, with the former terms treated using the traditional MacCormack discretization and the latter terms augmented by the addition of a pressure‐based artificial dissipation. The second modification involves a reformulation of the traditional nonlinear fix introduced by MacCormack in 1971, which is found to be necessary to suppress pressure oscillations at low Mach numbers. The new scheme is demonstrated to have superior performance, independent of Mach number, compared with standard MacCormack implementations using several canonical test problems. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparative study of high‐order variable‐property segregated algorithms for unsteady low Mach number flows

In this paper, five different algorithms are presented for the simulation of low Mach flows with large temperature variations, based on second‐order central‐difference or fourth‐order compact spatial discretization and a pressure projection‐type method. A semi‐implicit three‐step Runge–Kutta/Crank–Nicolson or second‐order iterative scheme is used for time integration. The different algorithms solve the coupled set of governing scalar equations in a decoupled segregate manner. In the first algorithm, a temperature equation is solved and density is calculated from the equation of state, while the second algorithm advances the density using the differential form of the equation of state. The third algorithm solves the continuity equation and the fourth algorithm solves both the continuity and enthalpy equation in conservative form. An iterative decoupled algorithm is also proposed, which allows the computation of the fully coupled solution. All five algorithms solve the momentum equation in conservative form and use a constant‐ or variable‐coefficient Poisson equation for the pressure. The efficiency of the fourth‐order compact scheme and the performances of the decoupling algorithms are demonstrated in three flow problems with large temperature variations: non‐Boussinesq natural convection, channel flow instability, flame–vortex interaction. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A high‐order discontinuous Galerkin solver for low Mach number flows

In this work, we present a high‐order discontinuous Galerkin method (DGM) for simulating variable density flows at low Mach numbers. The corresponding low Mach number equations are an approximation of the compressible Navier–Stokes equations in the limit of zero Mach number. To the best of the authors'y knowledge, it is the first time that the DGM is applied to the low Mach number equations. The mixed‐order formulation is applied for spatial discretization. For steady cases, we apply the semi‐implicit method for pressure‐linked equation (SIMPLE) algorithm to solve the non‐linear system in a segregated manner. For unsteady cases, the solver is implicit in time using backward differentiation formulae, and the SIMPLE algorithm is applied to solve the non‐linear system in each time step. Numerical results for the following three test cases are shown: Couette flow with a vertical temperature gradient, natural convection in a square cavity, and unsteady natural convection in a tall cavity. Considering a fixed number of degrees of freedom, the results demonstrate the benefits of using higher approximation orders. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A high‐resolution scheme for low Mach number flows

A method for computing low Mach number flows using high‐resolution interpolation and difference formulas, within the framework of the Marker and Cell (MAC) scheme, is presented. This increases the range of wavenumbers that are properly resolved on a given grid so that a sufficiently accurate solution can be obtained without extensive grid refinement. Results using this scheme are presented for three problems. The first is the two‐dimensional Taylor–Green flow which has a closed form solution. The second is the evolution of perturbations to constant‐density, plane channel flow for which linear stability solutions are known. The third is the oscillatory instability of a variable density plane jet. In this case, unless the sharp density gradients are resolved, the calculations would breakdown. Under‐resolved calculations gave solutions containing vortices which grew in place rather than being convected out. With the present scheme, regular oscillations of this instability were obtained and vortices were convected out regularly. Stable computations were possible over a wider range of sensitive parameters such as density ratio and co‐flow velocity ratio. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.     

An efficient approach for calculation of pitching moment in nonlinear reduced frequency method at low Mach number transonic flows

In this research, an efficient methodology for calculation of pitching moment coefficient at low Mach number transonic flows by using the perturbed nonlinear reduced frequency approach is presented. The proposed approach uses the perturbation technique in the nonlinear frequency domain (NLFD) method to estimate the solution at high harmonics. In this approach, the density and velocity fields at high harmonics are perturbed about those at low harmonics. Perturbing the density and velocity fields, the semi‐linear form of the governing equations is obtained. The resulting solution vector and spatial operator are then approximated by discrete form of Fourier transformation and governing equations are solved by using the pseudo‐spectral approach. Numerical results show that the proposed approach predicts good pitching moment coefficient at low Mach number transonic flows with up to 50% savings in computational time. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Recent developments in the computation of compressible low Mach number flows

The computation of low speed flows can usualy be performed by incompressible models or various Low Mach number approximations (Boussinesq, Anelastic, etc). However, there is a large number of flows where although the velocities are small, compressible effects cannot be ignored and the use of full compressible models is required.Unfortunately, standard finite element or finite volume method experiences various difficulties in the computation of these low Mach number flows. This talk will explain the origin of these difficulties and describe some techniques to circumvent them.     

Linearized and non‐linear acoustic/viscous splitting techniques for low Mach number flows

Computation of the acoustic disturbances generated by unsteady low‐speed flow fields including vortices and shear layers is considered. The equations governing the generation and propagation of acoustic fluctuations are derived from a two‐step acoustic/viscous splitting technique. An optimized high order dispersion–relation–preserving scheme is used for the solution of the acoustic field. The acoustic field generated by a corotating vortex pair is obtained using the above technique. The computed sound field is compared with the existing analytic solution. Results are in good agreement with the analytic solution except near the centre of the vortices where the acoustic pressure becomes singular. The governing equations for acoustic fluctuations are then linearized and solved for the same model problem. The difference between non‐linear and linearized solutions falls below the numerical error of the simulation. However, a considerable saving in CPU time usage is achieved in solving the linearized equations. The results indicate that the linearized acoustic/viscous splitting technique for the simulation of acoustic fluctuations generation and propagation by low Mach number flow fields seems to be very promising for three‐dimensional problems involving complex geometries. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A collocated grid,projection method for time‐accurate calculation of low‐Mach number variable density flows in general curvilinear coordinates

A time‐accurate algorithm is proposed for low‐Mach number, variable density flows on curvilinear grids. Spatial discretization is performed on collocated grid that offers computational simplicity in curvilinear coordinates. The flux interpolation technique is used to avoid the pressure odd–even decoupling of the collocated grid arrangement. To increase the stability of the method, a two‐step predictor–corrector time integration scheme is employed. At each step, the projection method is used to calculate the hydrodynamic pressure and to satisfy the continuity equation. The robustness and accuracy of the method is illustrated with a series of numerical experiments including thermally driven cavity, polar cavity, three‐dimensional cavity, and direct numerical simulation of non‐isothermal turbulent channel flow. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A conservative unstructured scheme for rapidly varied flows

This article introduces a new semi‐implicit, staggered finite volume scheme on unstructured meshes for the modelling of rapidly varied shallow water flows. Rapidly varied flows occur in the inundation of dry land during flooding situations. They typically involve bores and hydraulic jumps after obstacles such as road banks. Near such sudden flow transitions, the grid resolution is often low compared with the gradients of the bathymetry. Locally the hydrostatic pressure assumption may become invalid. In these situations, it is crucial to apply the correct conservation properties to obtain accurate results. An important feature of this scheme is therefore its ability to conserve momentum locally or, by choice, preserve constant energy head along a streamline. This is achieved using a special interpolation method and control volumes for momentum. The efficiency of inundation calculations with locally very high velocities, and in the case of unstructured meshes locally very small grid distances, is severely hampered by the Courant condition. This article provides a solution in the form of a locally implicit time integration for the advective terms that allows for an explicit calculation in most of the domain, while maintaining unconditional stability by implicit calculations only where necessary. The complex geometry of flooded urban areas asks for the flexibility of unstructured meshes. The efficient calculation of the pressure gradient in this, and other semi‐implicit staggered schemes, requires, however, an orthogonality condition to be put on the grid. In this article a simple method is introduced to generate unstructured hybrid meshes that fulfil this requirement. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical predictions of low Reynolds number flows over two tandem circular cylinders

Flows over two tandem cylinders were analysed using the newly developed collocated unstructured computational fluid dynamics (CUCFD) code, which is capable of handling complex geometries. A Reynolds number of 100, based on cylinder diameter, was used to ensure that the flow remained laminar. The validity of the code was tested through comparisons with benchmark solutions for flow in a lid‐friven cavity and flow around a single cylinder. For the tandem cylinder flow, also mesh convergence was demonstrated, to within a couple of percent for the RMS lift coefficient. The mean and fluctuating lift and drag coefficients were recorded for centre‐to‐centre cylinder spacings between 2 and 10 diameters. A critical cylinder spacing was found between 3.75 and 4 diameters. The fluctuating forces jumped appreciably at the critical spacing. It was found that there exists only one reattachment and one separation point on the downstream cylinder for spacings greater than the critical spacing. The mean and the fluctuating surface pressure distributions were compared as a function of the cylinder spacing. The mean and the fluctuating pressures were significantly different between the upstream and the downstream cylinders. These pressures also differed with the cylinder spacing. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Generalized lattice‐BGK concept for thermal and chemically reacting flows at low Mach numbers

The lattice‐BGK method has been extended by introducing additional, free parameters in the original formulation of the lattice‐BGK methods. The relationship between these parameters and the macroscopic moment equations is analysed by Taylor series and Chapman–Enskog expansion. The parameters are determined from the macroscopic moment equations by comparisons with the governing equations to be modelled. Extensions are presented for the Navier–Stokes equations at low Mach numbers in Cartesian or axisymmetric coordinates with constant or variable density, for scalar convection–diffusion equations and for equations of Poisson type. The generalized lattice‐BGK concept is demonstrated by two applications of chemical engineering. These are the computation of chemically reacting flow through an axisymmetric reactor and of the transport and deposition of particles to filters under the action of different forces. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A time‐accurate scheme for the calculations of unsteady reactive flows at low Mach number

The artificial compressibility method is extended to the case of unsteady turbulent reacting flows at low Mach number. The resulting scheme is applied to the calculation of a propagating one‐dimensional (1D) planar turbulent flame with a realistic heat release parameter. An eddy break‐up‐like approach, with a conventional gradient expression for the turbulent fluxes, is retained to model this reacting turbulent flow. A quenched form of the mean reaction rate is used to ensure the existence of a steady regime of propagation, for which the present results are compared with those obtained by a steady analysis of the mean flame brush structure, with excellent agreement. A sensitivity analysis of the convergence rate to the values of the artificial compressibility factor and the pseudo‐time is carried out. It is shown that a reduced artificial compressibility factor of 5–10, combined with a pseudo‐Courant number of ≈1000, represents a good compromise to optimize the convergence rate. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improvements to compressible Euler methods for low‐Mach number flows

In the present study improvements to numerical algorithms for the solution of the compressible Euler equations at low Mach numbers are investigated. To solve flow problems for a wide range of Mach numbers, from the incompressible limit to supersonic speeds, preconditioning techniques are frequently employed. On the other hand, one can achieve the same aim by using a suitably modified acoustic damping method. The solution algorithm presently under consideration is based on Roe's approximate Riemann solver [Roe PL. Approximate Riemann solvers, parameter vectors and difference schemes. Journal of Computational Physics 1981; 43 : 357–372] for non‐structured meshes. The numerical flux functions are modified by using Turkel's preconditioning technique proposed by Viozat [Implicit upwind schemes for low Mach number compressible flows. INRIA, Rapport de Recherche No. 3084, January 1997] for compressible Euler equations and by using a modified acoustic damping of the stabilization term proposed in the present study. These methods allow the compressible Euler equations at low‐Mach number flows to be solved, and they are consistent in time. The efficiency and accuracy of the proposed modifications have been assessed by comparison with experimental data and other numerical results in the literature. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An aeroacoustic hybrid approach for non‐isothermal flows at low Mach number

This paper presents an aeroacoustic hybrid technique for the study of non‐isothermal flows at low Mach number. The flow dynamics and the acoustic production and propagation are computed separately. The fully compressible Navier–Stokes equations are modified through an expansion of the physical quantities using a low Mach number approximation. Compressibility effects are thus removed in the CFD while inhomogeneities of the flow related to heat transfer are preserved. One advantage is a reduction of the time step constraint. Another advantage is that the Mach number does not appear explicitly and a simple rescaling allows a study over a relatively wide band of subsonic Mach number flows with a single dynamic simulation. Compatible acoustic source terms for LEE based propagation have been defined and the procedure is implemented in the case of a temporal mixing layer. Compressible simulations for Mach numbers of 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 are compared with the numerical results obtained using the proposed method. Very good agreement is obtained even at relatively high subsonic Mach number demonstrating the efficiency of the proposed technique. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Developing implicit pressure‐weighted upwinding scheme to calculate steady and unsteady flows on unstructured grids

The finite‐volume methods normally utilize either simple or complicated mathematical expressions to interpolate the fluxes at the cell faces of their unstructured volumes. Alternatively, we benefit from the advantages of both finite‐volume and finite‐element methods and estimate the advection terms on the cell faces using an inclusive pressure‐weighted upwinding scheme extended on unstructured grids. The present pressure‐based method treats the steady and unsteady flows on a collocated grid arrangement. However, to avoid a non‐physical spurious pressure field pattern, two mass flux per volume expressions are derived at the cell interfaces. The dual advantages of using an unstructured‐based discretization and a pressure‐weighted upwinding scheme result in obtaining high accurate solutions with noticeable progress in the performance of the primitive method extended on the structured grids. The accuracy and performance of the extended formulations are demonstrated by solving different standard and benchmark problems. The results show that there are excellent agreements with both benchmark and analytical solutions as well as experimental data. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Accuracy of high‐order density‐based compressible methods in low Mach vortical flows

At low Mach numbers, Godunov‐type approaches, based on the method of lines, suffer from an accuracy problem. This paper shows the importance of using the low Mach number correction in Godunov‐type methods for simulations involving low Mach numbers by utilising a new, well‐posed, two‐dimensional, two‐mode Kelvin–Helmholtz test case. Four independent codes have been used, enabling the examination of several numerical schemes. The second‐order and fifth‐order accurate Godunov‐type methods show that the vortex‐pairing process can be captured on a low resolution with the low Mach number correction applied down to 0.002. The results are compared without the low Mach number correction and also three other methods, a Lagrange‐remap method, a fifth‐order accurate in space and time finite difference type method based on the wave propagation algorithm, and fifth‐order spatial and third‐order temporal accurate finite volume Monotone Upwind Scheme for Conservation Laws (MUSCL) approach based on the Godunov method and Simple Low Dissipation Advection Upstream Splitting Method (SLAU) numerical flux with low Mach capture property. The ability of the compressible flow solver of the commercial software, ANSYS FLUENT , in solving low Mach flows is also demonstrated for the two time‐stepping methods provided in the compressible flow solver, implicit and explicit. Results demonstrate clearly that a low Mach correction is required for all algorithms except the Lagrange‐remap approach, where dissipation is independent of Mach number. © 2013 Crown copyright. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of adaptive mesh refinement and coarsening for the computation of compressible flows on unstructured meshes

The compressible gas flows of interest to aerospace applications often involve situations where shock and expansion waves are present. Decreasing the characteristic dimension of the computational cells in the vicinity of shock waves improves the quality of the computed flows. This reduction in size may be accomplished by the use of mesh adaption procedures. In this paper an analysis is presented of an adaptive mesh scheme developed for an unstructured mesh finite volume upwind computer code. This scheme is tailored to refine or coarsen the computational mesh where gradients of the flow properties are respectively high or low. The refinement and coarsening procedures are applied to the classical gas dynamic problems of the stabilization of shock waves by solid bodies. In particular, situations where oblique shock waves interact with an expansion fan and where bow shocks arise around solid bodies are considered. The effectiveness of the scheme in reducing the computational time, while increasing the solution accuracy, is assessed. It is shown that the refinement procedure alone leads to a number of computational cells which is 20% larger than when alternate passes of refinement and coarsening are used. Accordingly, a reduction of computational time of the same order of magnitude is obtained. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Low‐cost implicit schemes for all‐speed flows on unstructured meshes

Matrix‐free implicit treatments are now commonly used for computing compressible flow problems: a reduced cost per iteration and low‐memory requirements are their most attractive features. This paper explains how it is possible to preserve these features for all‐speed flows, in spite of the use of a low‐Mach preconditioning matrix. The proposed approach exploits a particular property of a widely used low‐Mach preconditioner proposed by Turkel. Its efficiency is demonstrated on some steady and unsteady applications. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

非结构混合网格高超声速绕流与磁场干扰数值模拟

对均匀磁场干扰下的二维钝头体无粘高超声速流场进行了基于非结构混合网格的数值模拟.受磁流体力学方程组高度非线性的影响及考虑到数值模拟格式的精度,目前在此类流场的数值模拟中大多使用结构网格及有限差分方法,因而在三维复杂外形及复杂流场方面的研究受到限制.本文主要探索使用非结构网格(含混合网格)技术时的数值模拟方法.控制方程为耦合了Maxwell方程及无粘流体力学方程的磁流体力学方程组,数值离散格式采用Jameson有限体积格心格式,5步Runge-Kutta显式时间推进.计算模型为二维钝头体,初始磁场均匀分布.对不同磁感应强度影响下的高超声速流场进行了数值模拟,并与有限的资料进行了对比,得到了较符合的结果.