Combined adaptive meshing technique and characteristic-based split algorithm for viscous incompressible flow analysis

A combined characteristic-based split algorithm and an adaptive meshing technique for analyzing two-dimensional viscous incompressible flow are presented.The method uses the three-node triangular element with equal-order interpolation functions for all variables of the velocity components and pressure.The main advantage of the combined method is that it improves the solution accuracy by coupling an error estima- tion procedure to an adaptive meshing technique that generates small elements in regions with a large change in solution gradients,and at the same time,larger elements in the other regions.The performance of the combined procedure is evaluated by analyzing one test case of the flow past a cylinder,for their transient and steady-state flow behaviors.