A computational method for the hydrodynamics of fractured-porous media

A numerical method based on the boundary-fitted finite difference method (BFDM) is presented in this paper. The boundaries are external (the boundary of the physical domain) and internal (which corresponds to the fracture network). The difference between this approach and the usual one lies in the inclusion of discrete fractures in the volume that represents the porous medium. The numerical model has been used in the prediction of the flow pattern in several internationally recognized verification cases and applied to the solution of hypothetical problems of interest to us in the field of nuclear waste repository modelling. The results obtained show that the numerical approach considered gives accurate and reliable predictions of the hydrodynamics of fractured-porous media, thus justifying its use for the above-mentioned studies.     

An operator splitting method with FDM and FEM for the convection- diffusion equation using boundary-fitted coordinate system

An operator splitting method combining finite difference method and finite element method is proposed in this paper by using boundary-fitted coordinate system. The governing equation is split into advection and diffusion equations and solved by finite difference method using boundary-fitted coordinate system and finite element method respectively. An example for which analytic solution is available is used to verified the proposed methods and the agreement is very good. Numerical results show that it is very efficient.     

A comparison of second-order and fourth-order pressure gradient algorithms in a σ-co-ordinate ocean model

In stratified three-dimensional models the use of a boundary-fitted vertical co-ordinate is known to produce errors in the horizontal pressure gradient calculation near steep topography. The error is due to the splitting of the horizontal pressure gradient term in each of the momentum equations into two parts and the subsequent incomplete cancellation of the truncation errors of those parts. In order to minimize these pressure gradient errors, a fourth-order-accurate pressure gradient calculation has been implemented and installed in SPEM, a three-dimensional primitive equation ocean model. The stability and accuracy of the new scheme are compared with those of the original second-order-accurate model in a series of calculations of unforced flow in the vicinity of an isolated seamount. The new scheme is shown to have much smaller pressure gradient errors over a wide range of parameter space as well as a greater parametric domain of numerical stability.     

Prediction of incompressible flow separation with the approximate factorization technique

This paper describes one application of the approximate factorization technique to the solution of incompressible steady viscous flow problems in two dimensions. The velocity-pressure formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations written in curvilinear non-orthogonal co-ordinates is adopted. The continuity equation is replaced with one equation for the pressure by means of the artificial compressibility concept to obtain a system parabolic in time. The resulting equations are discretized in space with centred finite differences, and the steady state solution obtained by a time-marching ADI method requiring to solve 3 x 3 block tridiagonal linear systems. An optimized fourth-order artificial dissipation is introduced to damp the numerical instabilities of the artificial compressibility equation and ensure convergence. The resulting solver is applied to the prediction of a wide variety of internal flows, including both streamlined boundaries and sharp corners, and fast convergence and good results obtained for all the configurations investigated.     

Fractional step algorithm for estuarine mass transport

A successful and economical fractional step algorithm for the convection-dispersion-reaction equation is described. Exact solutions are adopted for the reaction and convection steps, the latter by the introduction of a moving co-ordinate system. The dispersion step uses an optimized finite difference algorithm which specifically accommodates the grid non-uniformity. The excellent performance of the algorithm is confirmed by numerical experiments together with computations of the Fourier response and integrated square error characteristics.     

Application of Boundary-Fitted Coordinate Transformations to groundwater flow modeling

The Boundary-Fitted Coordinate (BFC) Transformation method is a very powerful, efficient and accurate method of modeling heat or fluid flow in two- or three-dimensional domains with complex boundary shapes and abrupt changes in internal properties. Since the late 1970's it has become the modeling method of choice among many aerodynamicists and heat-flow modelers. It is being presented here for the first time as a new approach to modeling groundwater flow, based on successful research results in two dimensions. The BFC transformation method was employed to simulate two hypothetical well-flow scenarios in isotropic and anisotropic domains, and actual groundwater flows in the area of West Lafayette, Indiana. The numerical solutions in those cases were at least as accurate as and/or consistent with those obtained by purely finite difference and finite element methods, but with the added advantage of more accurate representation and implementation of the boundary condition in the region of great sensitivity. The BFC method successfully applied to two-dimensional simulations should be easily extended to simulations of three-dimensional flow and transport and thus, this research is continuing in that direction.     

A shock-capturing model based on flux-vector splitting method in boundary-fitted curvilinear coordinates

In this paper, a robust and accurate high-resolution finite-volume scheme is presented which employs flux-vector splitting (FVS) as the building block for solution of shallow water equations in boundary-fitted curvilinear coordinates. Eddy viscosity approach is used to accommodate shear stresses due to turbulence. Splitting of the convective terms is achieved via flux Jacobians whereas Liou–Steffen Splitting (LSS) technique, but in transformed coordinates, is used to split pressure terms. Limited flux gradients are also used to increase the computational accuracy of evaluation of interface fluxes and decrease the excessive numerical dissipation associated with FVS. This will completely remove spurious oscillations in high-gradient regions without introducing too much numerical dissipations. The method is tested for some classic simulations including hydraulic jump, 1D dam break and 2D dam break problems. The results show very satisfactory agreement with experimental data, analytical solutions and other numerical results.     

A shock-capturing scheme for body-fitted meshes

A finite difference scheme based on flux difference splitting is presented for the solution of the two-dimensional Euler equations of gas dynamics in a generalized co-ordinate system. The scheme is based on numerical characteristic decomposition and solves locally linearized Riemann problems using upwind differencing. The decomposition is for a generalized co-ordinate system and a convex equation of state. This ensures good shock-capturing properties when incorporated with operator splitting and the advantage of using body-fitted co-ordinates. The resulting scheme is applied to supersonic flow of real air' past a circular cylinder.     

An integrated modelling system for coastal area dynamics

Two-dimensional initial-boundary value problems are considered for the shallow water equations and the equation of advection and dispersion of pollutants. The problems are solved in curvilinear boundary fitted co-ordinates. The transformed equations are integrated on a regular grid by the semi-implicit and implicit finite difference methods. Based on the numerical method, the integrated modelling system Cardinal for coastal area dynamics and pollution processes is developed for application on personal computers. Examples of computations are given.     

Three-dimensional surface water modelling using a mesh adaptive technique

Numerical simulation of open water flow in natural courses seems to be doomed to one- or two-dimensional numerical simulations. Investigations of flow hydrodynamics through the application of three-dimensional models actually have very few appearances in the literature. This paper discusses the development and the initial implementation of a general three-dimensional and time-dependent finite volume approach to simulate the hydrodynamics of surface water flow in rivers and lakes. The slightly modified Navier-Stokes equations, together with the continuity and the water depth equations, form the theoretical basis of the model. A body-fitted time-dependent co-ordinate system has been used in the solution process, in order to accommodate the commonly complex and irregular boundary and bathymetry of natural water courses. The proposed adaptive technique allows the mesh to follow the movement of the water boundaries, including the unsteady free-water surface. The primitive variable equations are written in conservative form in the Cartesian co-ordinate system, and the computational procedure is executed in the moveable curvilinear co-ordinate system. Special stabilizing techniques are introduced in order to eliminate the oscillating behaviour associated with the finite volume formulation. Also, a new and comprehensive approximation for the pressure forces at the faces of a control volume is presented. Finally, results of several tests demonstrate the performance of the finite volume approach coupled with the adaptive technique employed in the three-dimensional time-dependent mesh system.