A coupled pressure-based computational method for incompressible/compressible flows

Pressure-based flow solvers couple continuity and linearized truncated momentum equations to derive a Poisson type pressure correction equation and use the well known SIMPLE algorithm. Momentum equations and the pressure correction equation are typically solved sequentially. In many cases this method results in slow and often difficult convergence. The current paper proposes a novel computational algorithm, solving for pressure and velocity simultaneously within a pressure-correction coupled solution approach using finite volume method on structured and unstructured meshes. The method can be applied to both incompressible and subsonic compressible flows. For subsonic compressible flows, the energy equation is also coupled with flow field and the density of fluid is obtained by equation of state. The procedure eliminates the pressure correction step, the most expensive component of the SIMPLE-like algorithms. The proposed coupled continuity-momentum-energy equation method can be used to simulate steady state or transient flow problems. The method has been tested on several CFD benchmark cases with excellent results showing dramatically improved numerical convergence and significant reduction in computational time.     

A bubble-stabilized least-squares finite element method for steady MHD duct flow problems at high Hartmann numbers

In this paper we devise a stabilized least-squares finite element method using the residual-free bubbles for solving the governing equations of steady magnetohydrodynamic duct flow. We convert the original system of second-order partial differential equations into a first-order system formulation by introducing two additional variables. Then the least-squares finite element method using C⁰$C^0$ linear elements enriched with the residual-free bubble functions for all unknowns is applied to obtain approximations to the first-order system. The most advantageous features of this approach are that the resulting linear system is symmetric and positive definite, and it is capable of resolving high gradients near the layer regions without refining the mesh. Thus, this approach is possible to obtain approximations consistent with the physical configuration of the problem even for high values of the Hartmann number. Before incoorperating the bubble functions into the global problem, we apply the Galerkin least-squares method to approximate the bubble functions that are exact solutions of the corresponding local problems on elements. Therefore, we indeed introduce a two-level finite element method consisting of a mesh for discretization and a submesh for approximating the computations of the residual-free bubble functions. Numerical results confirming theoretical findings are presented for several examples including the Shercliff problem.     

Identical motion in relativistic quantum and classical mechanics

The Klein-Gordon equation for the stationary state of a charged particle in a spherically symmetric scalar field is partitioned into a continuity equation and an equation similar to the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. There exists a class of potentials for which the Hamilton-Jacobi equation is exactly obtained and examples of these potentials are given. The partitionAnsatz is then applied to the Dirac equation, where an exact partition into a continuity equation and a Hamilton-Jacobi equation is obtained.     

Weak solutions for partial differential equations with source terms: Application to the shallow water equations

Weak solutions of problems with m equations with source terms are proposed using an augmented Riemann solver defined by m + 1 states instead of increasing the number of involved equations. These weak solutions use propagating jump discontinuities connecting the m + 1 states to approximate the Riemann solution. The average of the propagated waves in the computational cell leads to a reinterpretation of the Roe’s approach and in the upwind treatment of the source term of Vázquez-Cendón. It is derived that the numerical scheme can not be formulated evaluating the physical flux function at the position of the initial discontinuities, as usually done in the homogeneous case. Positivity requirements over the values of the intermediate states are the only way to control the global stability of the method. Also it is shown that the definition of well-balanced equilibrium in trivial cases is not sufficient to provide correct results: it is necessary to provide discrete evaluations of the source term that ensure energy dissipating solutions when demanded. The one and two dimensional shallow water equations with source terms due to the bottom topography and friction are presented as case study. The stability region is shown to differ from the one defined for the case without source terms, and it can be derived that the appearance of negative values of the thickness of the water layer in the proximity of the wet/dry front is a particular case, of the wet/wet fronts. The consequence is a severe reduction in the magnitude of the allowable time step size if compared with the one obtained for the homogeneous case. Starting from this result, 1D and 2D numerical schemes are developed for both quadrilateral and triangular grids, enforcing conservation and positivity over the solution, allowing computationally efficient simulations by means of a reconstruction technique for the inner states of the weak solution that allows a recovery of the time step size.     

A high order kinetic flux-vector splitting method for the reduced five-equation model of compressible two-fluid flows

We present a high order kinetic flux-vector splitting (KFVS) scheme for the numerical solution of a conservative interface-capturing five-equation model of compressible two-fluid flows. This model was initially introduced by Wackers and Koren (2004) [21]. The flow equations are the bulk equations, combined with mass and energy equations for one of the two fluids. The latter equation contains a source term in order to account for the energy exchange. We numerically investigate both one- and two-dimensional flow models. The proposed numerical scheme is based on the direct splitting of macroscopic flux functions of the system of equations. In two space dimensions the scheme is derived in a usual dimensionally split manner. The second order accuracy of the scheme is achieved by using MUSCL-type initial reconstruction and Runge–Kutta time stepping method. For validation, the results of our scheme are compared with those from the high resolution central scheme of Nessyahu and Tadmor [14]. The accuracy, efficiency and simplicity of the KFVS scheme demonstrate its potential for modeling two-phase flows.     

An accurate and efficient method for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations using the projection method as a preconditioner

The projection method is a widely used fractional-step algorithm for solving the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Despite numerous improvements to the methodology, however, imposing physical boundary conditions with projection-based fluid solvers remains difficult, and obtaining high-order accuracy may not be possible for some choices of boundary conditions. In this work, we present an unsplit, linearly-implicit discretization of the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations on a staggered grid along with an efficient solution method for the resulting system of linear equations. Since our scheme is not a fractional-step algorithm, it is straightforward to specify general physical boundary conditions accurately; however, this capability comes at the price of having to solve the time-dependent incompressible Stokes equations at each timestep. To solve this linear system efficiently, we employ a Krylov subspace method preconditioned by the projection method. In our implementation, the subdomain solvers required by the projection preconditioner employ the conjugate gradient method with geometric multigrid preconditioning. The accuracy of the scheme is demonstrated for several problems, including forced and unforced analytic test cases and lid-driven cavity flows. These tests consider a variety of physical boundary conditions with Reynolds numbers ranging from 1 to 30000. The effectiveness of the projection preconditioner is compared to an alternative preconditioning strategy based on an approximation to the Schur complement for the time-dependent incompressible Stokes operator. The projection method is found to be a more efficient preconditioner in most cases considered in the present work.     

Effective Action for Scalar Fields in Two-Dimensional Gravity

We consider a general two-dimensional gravity model minimally or nonminimally coupled to a scalar field. The canonical form of the model is elucidated, and a general solution of the equations of motion in the massless case is reviewed. In the presence of a scalar field all geometric fields (zweibein and Lorentz connection) are excluded from the model by solving exactly their Hamiltonian equations of motion. In this way the effective equations of motion and the corresponding effective action for a scalar field are obtained. It is written in a Minkowskian space-time and does not include any geometric variables. The effective action arises as a boundary term and is nontrivial both for open and closed universes. The reason is that unphysical degrees of freedom cannot be compactly supported because they must satisfy the constraint equation. As an example we consider spherically reduced gravity minimally coupled to a massless scalar field. The effective action is used to reproduce the Fisher and Roberts solutions.     

A high-order cell-centered Lagrangian scheme for compressible fluid flows in two-dimensional cylindrical geometry

The goal of this paper is to present high-order cell-centered schemes for solving the equations of Lagrangian gas dynamics written in cylindrical geometry. A node-based discretization of the numerical fluxes is obtained through the computation of the time rate of change of the cell volume. It allows to derive finite volume numerical schemes that are compatible with the geometric conservation law (GCL). Two discretizations of the momentum equations are proposed depending on the form of the discrete gradient operator. The first one corresponds to the control volume scheme while the second one corresponds to the so-called area-weighted scheme. Both formulations share the same discretization for the total energy equation. In both schemes, fluxes are computed using the same nodal solver which can be viewed as a two-dimensional extension of an approximate Riemann solver. The control volume scheme is conservative for momentum, total energy and satisfies a local entropy inequality in its first-order semi-discrete form. However, it does not preserve spherical symmetry. On the other hand, the area-weighted scheme is conservative for total energy and preserves spherical symmetry for one-dimensional spherical flow on equi-angular polar grid. The two-dimensional high-order extensions of these two schemes are constructed employing the generalized Riemann problem (GRP) in the acoustic approximation. Many numerical tests are presented in order to assess these new schemes. The results obtained for various representative configurations of one and two-dimensional compressible fluid flows show the robustness and the accuracy of our new schemes.     

Hyperbolic conservation laws on the sphere. A geometry-compatible finite volume scheme

We consider entropy solutions to the initial value problem associated with scalar nonlinear hyperbolic conservation laws posed on the two-dimensional sphere. We propose a finite volume scheme which relies on a web-like mesh made of segments of longitude and latitude lines. The structure of the mesh allows for a discrete version of a natural geometric compatibility condition, which arose earlier in the well-posedness theory established by Ben-Artzi and LeFloch. We study here several classes of flux vectors which define the conservation law under consideration. They are based on prescribing a suitable vector field in the Euclidean three-dimensional space and then suitably projecting it on the sphere’s tangent plane; even when the flux vector in the ambient space is constant, the corresponding flux vector is a non-trivial vector field on the sphere. In particular, we construct here “equatorial periodic solutions”, analogous to one-dimensional periodic solutions to one-dimensional conservation laws, as well as a wide variety of stationary (steady state) solutions. We also construct “confined solutions”, which are time-dependent solutions supported in an arbitrarily specified subdomain of the sphere. Finally, representative numerical examples and test cases are presented.     

A high-order low-dispersion symmetry-preserving finite-volume method for compressible flow on curvilinear grids

A new high-order finite-volume method is presented that preserves the skew symmetry of convection for the compressible flow equations. The method is intended for Large-Eddy Simulations (LES) of compressible turbulent flows, in particular in the context of hybrid RANS–LES computations. The method is fourth-order accurate and has low numerical dissipation and dispersion. Due to the finite-volume approach, mass, momentum, and total energy are locally conserved. Furthermore, the skew-symmetry preservation implies that kinetic energy, sound-velocity, and internal energy are all locally conserved by convection as well. The method is unique in that all these properties hold on non-uniform, curvilinear, structured grids. Due to the conservation of kinetic energy, there is no spurious production or dissipation of kinetic energy stemming from the discretization of convection. This enhances the numerical stability and reduces the possible interference of numerical errors with the subgrid-scale model. By minimizing the numerical dispersion, the numerical errors are reduced by an order of magnitude compared to a standard fourth-order finite-volume method.     

Splitting multisymplectic integrators for Maxwell’s equations

In the paper, we describe a novel kind of multisymplectic method for three-dimensional (3-D) Maxwell’s equations. Splitting the 3-D Maxwell’s equations into three local one-dimensional (LOD) equations, then applying a pair of symplectic Runge–Kutta methods to discretize each resulting LOD equation, it leads to splitting multisymplectic integrators. We say this kind of schemes to be LOD multisymplectic scheme (LOD-MS). The discrete conservation laws, convergence, dispersive relation, dissipation and stability are investigated for the schemes. Theoretical analysis shows that the schemes are unconditionally stable, non-dissipative, and of first order accuracy in time and second order accuracy in space. As a reduction, we also consider the application of LOD-MS to 2-D Maxwell’s equations. Numerical experiments match the theoretical results well. They illustrate that LOD-MS is not only efficient and simple in coding, but also has almost all the nature of multisymplectic integrators.     

A roe-average algorithm for a granular-gas model with non-conservative terms

A Roe-average algorithm has been derived for a granular-gas model, proposed by Goldshtein and Shapiro [Goldshtein, Shapiro, Mechanics of collisional motion of granular materials: Part 1. General hydrodynamic equations, J. Fluid Mech. 282 (1995) 75–114], which contains non-conservative terms in the Euler-like hyperbolic governing equations apart from sink terms, which arise from inelastic collision of granules and are present only in the energy equation. The non-conservative terms introduce non-isentropic effects in acoustic-wave propagation within granular media and they also contribute to the Rankine–Hugoniot relations across a discontinuity. A Roe-average algorithm, based on the same granular-gas model, was derived in the literature [V. Kamenetsky, A. Goldshtein, M. Shapiro, D. Degani, Evolution of a shock wave in a granular gas, Phys. Fluids, 12 (2000) 3036–3049] which then required the implementation of a shock-fitting technique at a discontinuity. In the present work, Roe-averaged variables have been obtained from the Rankine–Hugoniot jump relations and the non-conservative terms have been incorporated in the numerical flux formula consistent with upwind principles associated with the granular speed of sound. Results for unsteady one-dimensional granular flows, colliding with a wall, demonstrate the capability of the proposed algorithm to capture strong shocks in addition to flow features not found in molecular gases, such as a fluidized region downstream of the shock and a compacted solid-block region adjacent to the wall.     

Non-LTE Argon Plasma Composition at Atmospheric Pressure

The knowledge of plasma composition is very important for various plasma applications and the prediction of other plasma properties. Most of the plasma currently used in plasma-aided processing is in the non-LTE (Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium) state. In this paper, the Saha equations, Debye-length equation, lowering-of-ionization-energy equation and pressure-correction equation, used to calculated the non-LTE plasma composition, are analyzed. The recently published theoretical results are compared with experimental data.     

Electrostatic solution and rayleigh approximation for small nonspherical particles in a spheroidal basis

The electrostatic problem for the case of axially symmetric particles is analyzed in a spheroidal basis. In this case, the wavenumber is zero and Maxwell’s equations are reduced to the Laplace equation for scalar potentials. An alternative approach involves solving integral equations that are similar to those obtained within the framework of the extended boundary conditions method. The scalar potentials are represented as expansions in terms of eigenfunctions of the Laplace equation in a spheroidal frame of reference, and unknown expansion coefficients are determined from an infinite set of linear algebraic equations (the separation of variables method). These two approaches yield exact solutions of the problem in the case of axially symmetric particles, which coincide with known solutions in particular cases. Investigation of infinite systems allowed finding the boundaries where these algorithms are valid. Numerical calculations showed that, for spheroidal Chebyshev particles (i.e., perturbed spheroids), the Rayleigh approximation based on the electrostatic solution is applicable in a wide range of the problem parameters and is in fair agreement with the results obtained using the discrete dipole approximation.     

The finite element method for the coupled Schrödinger-KdV equations

In this Letter, we employ finite element method to study a periodic initial value problem for the coupled Schrödinger-KdV equations. For the case of one dimension, this problem is reduced to a system of ordinary differential equations by using a semi-discrete scheme. The conservation properties of this scheme, the existence and uniqueness of the discrete solutions, and error estimates are presented. In numerical experiments, the resulting system of ordinary differential equations are solved by Runge-Kutta method at each time level. The superior accuracy of this scheme is shown by comparing the numerical solutions with the exact solutions.     

An interface treating technique for compressible multi-medium flow with Runge–Kutta discontinuous Galerkin method

The high-order accurate Runge–Kutta discontinuous Galerkin (RKDG) method is applied to the simulation of compressible multi-medium flow, generalizing the interface treating method given in Chertock et al. (2008) [9]. In mixed cells, where the interface is located, Riemann problems are solved to define the states on both sides of the interface. The input states to the Riemann problem are obtained by extrapolation to the cell boundary from solution polynomials in the neighbors of the mixed cell. The level set equation is solved by using a high-order accurate RKDG method for Hamilton–Jacobi equations, resulting in a unified DG solver for the coupled problem. The method is conservative if we include the states in the mixed cells, which are however not used in the updating of the numerical solution in other cells. The states in the mixed cells are plotted to better evaluate the conservation errors, manifested by overshoots/undershoots when compared with states in neighboring cells. These overshoots/undershoots in mixed cells are problem dependent and change with time. Numerical examples show that the results of our scheme compare well with other methods for one and two-dimensional problems. In particular, the algorithm can capture well complex flow features of the one-dimensional shock entropy wave interaction problem and two-dimensional shock–bubble interaction problem.     

Exact Solutions of the Klein–Gordon Equation with Position-Dependent Mass for Mixed Vector and Scalar Kink-Like Potentials

The relativistic problem of spinless particles with position-dependent mass subject to kink-like potentials (~tanh αx) is investigated. By using the basic concepts of the supersymmetric quantum mechanics formalism and the functional analysis method, we solve exactly the position-dependent effective mass Klein–Gordon equation with the vector and scalar kink-like potential coupling, and obtain the bound state solutions in the closed form. It is found that in the presence of position-dependent mass there exists the symmetry that the discrete positive energy spectra and negative energy spectra are symmetric about zero energy for the case of a mixed vector and scalar kink-like potential coupling, and in the presence of constant mass this symmetry only appears for the cases of a pure scalar kink-like potential coupling or massless particles.     

Solution-limited time stepping to enhance reliability in CFD applications

A method for enhancing the reliability of implicit computational algorithms and decreasing their sensitivity to initial conditions without adversely impacting their efficiency is investigated. Efficient convergence is maintained by specifying a large global Courant (CFL) number while reliability is improved by limiting the local CFL number such that the solution change in any cell is less than a specified tolerance. The method requires control over two key issues: obtaining a reliable estimate of the magnitude of the solution change and defining a realistic limit for its allowable variation. The magnitude of the solution change is estimated from the calculated residual in a manner that requires negligible computational time. An upper limit on the local solution change is attained by a proper non-dimensionalization of variables in different flow regimes within a single problem or across different problems. The method precludes unphysical excursions in Newton-like iterations in highly non-linear regions where Jacobians are changing rapidly as well as non-physical results such as negative densities, temperatures or species mass fractions during the computation. The method is tested against a series of problems all starting from quiescent initial conditions to identify its characteristics and to verify the approach. The results reveal a substantial improvement in convergence reliability of implicit CFD applications that enables computations starting from simple initial conditions without user intervention.     

Mass,momentum and energy conserving (MaMEC) discretizations on general grids for the compressible Euler and shallow water equations

The paper explains a method by which discretizations of the continuity and momentum equations can be designed, such that they can be combined with an equation of state into a discrete energy equation. The resulting ‘MaMEC’ discretizations conserve mass, momentum as well as energy, although no explicit conservation law for the total energy is present. Essential ingredients are (i) discrete convection that leaves the discrete energy invariant, and (ii) discrete consistency between the thermodynamic terms. Of particular relevance is the way in which finite volume fluxes are related to nodal values. The method is an extension of existing methods based on skew-symmetry of discrete operators, because it allows arbitrary equations of state and a larger class of grids than earlier methods.The method is first illustrated with a one-dimensional example on a highly stretched staggered grid, in which the MaMEC method calculates qualitatively correct results and a non-skew-symmetric finite volume method becomes unstable. A further example is a two-dimensional shallow water calculation on a rectilinear grid as well as on an unstructured grid. The conservation of mass, momentum and energy is checked, and losses are found negligible up to machine accuracy.     

Numerical Simulation of Antennae by Discrete Exterior Calculus

Numerical simulation of antennae is a topic in computational lectromagnetism, which is concerned with the numerical study of Maxwell equations. By discrete exterior calculus and the lattice gauge theory with coefficient R, weobtain the Bianchi identity on prism lattice. By defining an inner product of discrete differential forms, we derive the source equation and continuity equation. Those equations compose the discrete Maxwell equations in vacuum case on discrete manifold, which are implemented on Java development platform to simulate the Gaussian pulse radiation on antennaes.