A three-step finite element method for unsteady incompressible flows

This paper describes a three-step finite element method and its applications to unsteady incompressible fluid flows. The stability analysis of the one-dimensional purely convection equation shows that this method has third-order accuracy and an extended numerical stability domain in comparison with the Lax-Wendroff finite element method. The method is cost effective for incompressible flows, because it permits less frequent updates of the pressure field with good accuracy. In contrast with the Taylor-Galerkin method, the present three-step finite element method does not contain any new higher-order derivatives, and is suitable for solving non-linear multi-dimensional problems and flows with complicated outlet boundary conditions. The three-step finite element method has been used to simulate unsteady incompressible flows, such as the vortex pairing in mixing layer. The properties of the flow fields are displayed by the marker and cell technique. The obtained numerical results are in good agreement with the literature.     

Periodic unsteady flows of a non-Newtonian fluid

Summary Exact analytic solutions for the flow of non-Newtonian fluid generated by periodic oscillations of a rigid plate are discussed. Some interesting flows caused by certain special oscillations are also obtained.     

Time marching integral equation method for unsteady transonic flows around airfoils

A time marching integral equation method has been proposed here which does not have the limitation of the time linearized integral equation method in that the latter method can not satisfactorily simulate the shock wave motions. Firstly, a model problem–one dimensional initial and boundary value wave problem is treated to clarify the basic idea of the new method. Then the method is implemented for two dimensional unsteady transonic flow problems. The introduction of the concept of a quasi-velocity-potential simplifies the time marching integral equations and the treatment of trailing vortex sheet condition. The numerical calculations show that the method is reasonable and reliable.     

Parallel computation of unsteady compressible flows with the EDICT

Recently, the Enhanced-Discretization Interface-Capturing Technique (EDICT) was introduced for simulation of unsteady flow problems with interfaces such as two-fluid and free-surface flows. The EDICT yields increased accuracy in representing the interface. Here we extend the EDICT to simulation of unsteady viscous compressible flows with boundary/shear layers and shock/expansion waves. The purpose is to increase the accuracy in selected regions of the computational domain. An error indicator is used to identify these regions that need enhanced discretization. Stabilized finite-element formulations are employed to solve the Navier-Stokes equations in their conservation law form. The finite element functions corresponding to enhanced discretization are designed to have two components, with each component coming from a different level of mesh refinement over the same computational domain. The primary component comes from a base mesh. A subset of the elements in this base mesh are identified for enhanced discretization by utilizing the error indicator. A secondary, more refined, mesh is constructed by patching together the second-level meshes generated over this subset of elements, and the second component of the functions comes from this mesh. The subset of elements in the base mesh that form the secondary mesh may change from one time level to other depending on the distribution of the error in the computations. Using a parallel implementation of this EDICT-based method, we apply it to test problems with shocks and boundary layers, and demonstrate that this method can be used very effectively to increase the accuracy of the base finite element formulation.     

A singular perturbation problem in unsteady groundwater flows with a free surface

Perturbation methods are employed to study the seepage resulting from a heavy, prolonged rainfall over the slopes of a symmetric hill (two dimensions). The emergence of horizontal velocity components in the seepage is an important item of study, since such velocities tend to destabilize soil slopes. The study does establish the development of such outward horizontal components of flow. In addition, the geometry of the descending free-surface (dry-wet soil interface) also forms part of the solution. The perturbations introduced turn out to be of a “singular type”, and the techniques of matched asymptotic expansions are used in the construction of the solution.     

Corrected discrete least-squares meshless method for simulating free surface flows

In this paper, a modified version of discrete least-squares meshless (DLSM) method is used to simulate free surface flows with moving boundaries. DLSM is a newly developed meshless approach in which a least-squares functional of the residuals of the governing differential equations and its boundary conditions at the nodal points is minimized with respect to the unknown nodal parameters. The meshless shape functions are also derived using the Moving Least Squares (MLS) method of function approximation. The method is, therefore, a truly meshless method in which no integration is required in the computations. Since the second order derivative of the MLS shape function are known to contain higher errors compared to the first derivative, a modified version of DLSM method referred to as corrected discrete least-squares meshless (corrected DLSM) is proposed in which the second order derivatives are evaluated more accurately and efficiently by combining the first order derivatives of MLS shape functions with a finite difference approximation of the second derivatives. The governing equations of fluid flow (Navier–Stokes) are solved by the proposed method using a two-step pressure projection method in a Lagrangian form. Three benchmark problems namely; dam break, underwater rigid landslide and Scott Russell wave generator problems are used to test the accuracy of the proposed approach. The results show that proposed corrected DLSM can be employed to simulate complex free surface flows more accurately.     

A numerical method for the analysis of flexible bodies in unsteady viscous flows

A two‐dimensional numerical model for unsteady viscous flow around flexible bodies is developed. Bodies are represented by distributed body forces. The body force density is found at every time‐step so as to adjust the velocity within the computational cells occupied by the body to a prescribed value. The method combines certain ideas from the immersed boundary method and the volume of fluid method. The main advantage of this method is that the computations can be effected on a Cartesian grid, without having to fit the grid to the body surface. This is particularly useful in the case of flexible bodies, in which case the surface of the object changes dynamically, and in the case of multiple bodies moving relatively to each other. The capabilities of the model are demonstrated through the study of the flow around a flapping flexible airfoil. The novelty of this method is that the surface of the airfoil is modelled as an active flexible skin that actually drives the flow. The accuracy and fidelity of the model are validated by reproducing well‐established results for vortex shedding from a stationary as well as oscillating rigid cylinder. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical simulation of confined unsteady aerodynamical flows

A system of algorithms is presented for the computer simulation of confined unsteady flows of a compressible fluid. The methods are valid for a wide range of time scales and are applied to simulate wind tunnel acoustics, flow over a ramp and flow past aircraft cavities.     

Eigenanalysis and reduced-order modelling of unsteady partial cavity flows using the boundary element method

This paper presents an efficient reduced-order modelling approach to predict unsteady behaviour of partial cavity flows (PCROM). The boundary element method (BEM) along with the potential flow is used to analyze unsteady partial cavity flows. Partial cavity flow is modelled based on a new non-iterative approach and the PCROM is based on fluid eigenmodes. To construct fluid eigenmodes the spatial iterative scheme to find cavity extent is removed. The eigenvalue problem of the unsteady flows is defined based on the unknown wake singularities. Eigenanalysis and reduced-order modelling of unsteady flows over a NACA 16-006 section are performed using the PCROM. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method. Comparison between the obtained results of the proposed method and those of other and conventional method indicates that the present algorithm works well with sufficient accuracy. Moreover, it is shown that the PCROM is computationally more efficient than the conventional one for unsteady sheet cavitations analysis on hydrofoils.     

Numerical simulation of unsteady cavitating flows using a homogenous equilibrium model

 Numerical simulations of two-dimensional cavity flows around a flat plate normal to flow and flows through a 90^∘ bent duct are performed to clarify unsteady behavior under various cavitation conditions. A numerical method applying a TVD-MacCormack scheme with a cavitation model based on a homogenous equilibrium model of compressible gas-liquid two-phase media proposed by the present authors, is applied to solve the cavitating flow. This method permits the simple treatment of the whole gas-liquid two-phase flow field including wave propagation and large interface deformation. Numerical results including detailed observations of unsteady cavity flows and comparisons of predicted results with experimental data are provided. Received: 5 August 2002 / Accepted: 6 January 2003     

The discrete element method with deformable particles

This work presents a new original formulation of the discrete element method (DEM) with deformable cylindrical particles. Uniform stress and strain fields are assumed to be induced in the particles under the action of contact forces. Particle deformation obtained by strain integration is taken into account in the evaluation of interparticle contact forces. The deformability of a particle yields a nonlocal contact model, it leads to the formation of new contacts, it changes the distribution of contact forces in the particle assembly, and it affects the macroscopic response of the particulate material. A numerical algorithm for the deformable DEM (DDEM) has been developed and implemented in the DEM program DEMPack. The new formulation implies only small modifications of the standard DEM algorithm. The DDEM algorithm has been verified on simple examples of an unconfined uniaxial compression of a rectangular specimen discretized with regularly spaced equal bonded particles and a square specimen represented with an irregular configuration of nonuniform‐sized bonded particles. The numerical results have been verified by a comparison with equivalent finite element method results and available analytical solutions. The micro‐macro relationships for elastic parameters have been obtained. The results have proved to have enhanced the modeling capabilities of the DDEM with respect to the standard DEM.     

Semianalytical solution of unsteady quasi-one-dimensional cavitating nozzle flows

Unsteady quasi-one-dimensional bubbly cavitating nozzle flows are considered by employing a homogeneous bubbly liquid flow model, where the nonlinear dynamics of cavitating bubbles is described by a modified Rayleigh–Plesset equation. The model equations are uncoupled by scale separation leading to two evolution equations, one for the flow speed and the other for the bubble radius. The initial-boundary value problem of the evolution equations is then formulated and a semianalytical solution is constructed. The solution for the mixture pressure, the mixture density, and the void fraction are then explicitly related to the solution of the evolution equations. In particular, a relation independent of flow dimensionality is established between the mixture pressure, the void fraction, and the flow dilation for unsteady bubbly cavitating flows in the model considered. The steady-state compressible and incompressible limits of the solution are also discussed. The solution algorithm is first validated against the numerical solution of Preston et al. [Phys Fluids 14:300–311, 2002] for an essentially quasi-one-dimensional nozzle. Results obtained for a two-dimensional nozzle seem to be in good agreement with the mean pressure measurements at the nozzle wall for attached cavitation sheets despite the observed two-dimensional cavitation structures.     

Starting solutions for some unsteady unidirectional flows of a second grade fluid

Exact solutions corresponding to the motions of a second grade fluid, due to the cosine and sine oscillations of an infinite flat plate as well as those induced by an oscillating pressure gradient are determined by means of the Fourier sine transforms. These solutions, presented as sum of the steady-state and transient solutions, satisfy both the governing equations and all associate initial and boundary conditions. In the special case when α₁ → 0, they reduce to those for a Navier-Stokes fluid.     

A hybrid semismooth quasi-Newton method for nonsmooth optimal control with PDEs

Optimization and Engineering - We propose a semismooth Newton-type method for nonsmooth optimal control problems. Its particular feature is the combination of a quasi-Newton method with a...     

Some simple unsteady unidirectional flows of a binary mixture of incompressible Newtonian fluids

The problems dealing with some simple unsteady unidirectional flows of a mixture of two incompressible Newtonian fluids are investigated. By using the constitutive equations appeared in the literature for binary mixtures of chemically inert incompressible Newtonian fluids, the equations governing the motion of the binary mixture are reduced to a system of coupled partial differential equations. By means of integral transforms, the exact solutions of these equations are obtained for the following three problems: (i) unsteady Couette flow, (ii) unsteady plane Poiseuille flow, (iii) unsteady axisymmetric Poiseuille flow.     

An adaptive fixed mesh method for modelling and simulating of unsteady two‐phase flows with sharp physical interfaces

We present in this paper a new computational method for simulation of two‐phase flow problems with moving boundaries and sharp physical interfaces. An adaptive interface‐capturing technique (ICT) of the Eulerian type is developed for capturing the motion of the interfaces (free surfaces) in an unsteady flow state. The adaptive method is mainly based on the relative boundary conditions of the zero pressure head, at which the interface is corresponding to a free surface boundary. The definition of the free surface boundary condition is used as a marker for identifying the position of the interface (free surface) in the two‐phase flow problems. An initial‐value‐problem (IVP) partial differential equation (PDE) is derived from the dynamic conditions of the interface, and it is designed to govern the motion of the interface in time. In this adaptive technique, the Navier–Stokes equations written for two incompressible fluids together with the IVP are solved numerically over the flow domain. An adaptive mass conservation algorithm is constructed to govern the continuum of the fluid. The finite element method (FEM) is used for the spatial discretization and a fully coupled implicit time integration method is applied for the advancement in time. FE‐stabilization techniques are added to the standard formulation of the discretization, which possess good stability and accuracy properties for the numerical solution. The adaptive technique is tested in simulation of some numerical examples. With the test problems presented here, we demonstrated that the adaptive technique is a simple tool for modelling and computation of complex motion of sharp physical interfaces in convection–advection‐dominated flow problems. We also demonstrated that the IVP and the evolution of the interface function are coupled explicitly and implicitly to the system of the computed unknowns in the flow domain. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Calculation of unsteady flows due to small motions of cylinders in a viscous fluid

Summary The problem of small oscillations of a cylinder of general cross-section in a viscous fluid is formulated in terms of integral equations. Numerical solutions of the integral equation are presented for the special case of a ribbon of zero thickness.This work has been carried out under the support of the Office of Naval Research, Contract N0014-67-A-0094-0011.     

An adjoint method in inverse problems of chromatography

How to determine adsorption isotherms is an issue of significant importance in chromatography. A modern technique of obtaining adsorption isotherms is to solve an inverse problem so that the simulated batch separation coincides with actual experimental results. In this work, as well as the natural least-square approach, we consider a Kohn–Vogelius type formulation for the reconstruction of adsorption isotherms in chromatography, which converts the original boundary fitting problem into a domain fitting problem. Moreover, using the first momentum regularizing strategy, a new regularization algorithm for both the Equilibrium-Dispersive model and the Transport-Dispersive model is developed. The mass transfer resistance coefficients in the Transport-Dispersive model are also estimated by the proposed inverse method. The computation of the gradients of objective functions for both of the two models is derived by the adjoint method. Finally, numerical simulations for both a synthetic problem and a real-world problem are given to show the robustness of the proposed algorithm.     

Dynamics of a hybrid thermostat model with discrete sampling time control

The dynamics of a simple thermostat model is described. In the model the control system samples the temperature at regular but discrete time intervals rather than by continuous monitoring. The model exhibits quasi-periodic oscillations and banding, where the response falls into two or more bands of phase space representing either better or poorer control. A return circle map is derived which explains the observed dynamics. Some extensions of these results to the case where the flow is non-linear are also given.