Space-time hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin methods for free-surface wave problems

Free-surface problems arise in many real-world applications such as in the design of ships and offshore structures, modeling of tsunamis, and dam breaking. Mathematically, free-surface wave problems are described by a set of partial differential equations that govern the movement of the fluid together with certain boundary conditions that describe the free-surface. The numerical solution of such problems is challenging because the boundary of the computational domain depends on the solution of the problem. This implies that there is a strong coupling between the fluid and the free-surface, and the domain must be continuously updated to track the changes in the free-surface. In this thesis we explore and develop space-time hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) methods for free-surface problems. First, we focus on a linear free-surface problem in which the amplitude of the waves is assumed to be small enough so that the domain can remain fixed. We initially consider a traditional approach for the numerical discretization of time-dependent partial differential equations: we discretize in space using, in this case, an HDG method to obtain an ordinary differential equation. Then, we use a second order backward differentiation formula to discretize in time. We see that in comparison to an interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin discretization, this HDG discretization results in smaller linear systems (in general), and produces better approximations to the velocity of the fluid. Next, we consider the solution of the same linear free-surface problem with a space-time hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin method. Unlike previous finite element discretizations of this problem, we consider a mixed formulation in which the velocity of the flow can be approximated with an optimal order of convergence. We develop a set of space-time analysis tools that allow us to obtain a priori error estimates in which the dependency on the spatial mesh size and the time step is explicit. This is in contrast to previous space-time error analyses in which the error bounds depend on the size of the space-time elements. Finally, we move on to incompressible nonlinear free-surface flow. We consider the two-fluid (gas and liquid) Navier-Stokes equations and use a level set method in which the flow and the level set equations are solved subsequently until a certain stopping criterion has been met. The flow equations are solved with a space-time HDG method which is exactly mass conserving. Furthermore, a space-time embedded discontinuous Galerkin method is employed for the solution of the level set equation. This discretization possesses the same conservation and stability properties as discontinuous Galerkin methods, but produces a continuous approximation to the free-surface elevation. When a discontinuous approximation to the free-surface elevation is obtained, smoothing techniques have to be applied in order to move the mesh and track the interface. It has been shown in the past that such techniques can lead to instabilities and stabilization terms have to be added to the discretization. Therefore, obtaining a continuous approximation to the free-surface elevation in our discretization is crucial: not only can the mesh be deformed in a straightforward manner, but it can also be done without introducing any potential sources of instabilities. We present two numerical results that demonstrate the capabilities of the method. In the first test case we compare against an analytical solution and we demonstrate how the mesh conforms to the interface between the two fluids. Finally, we present a simulation of waves generated by a submerged obstacle

Error analysis of the Galerkin FEM in L 2 -based norms for problems with layers: On the importance, conception and realization of balancing

In the present thesis it is shown that the most natural choice for a norm for the analysis of the Galerkin FEM, namely the energy norm, fails to capture the boundary layer functions arising in certain reaction-diffusion problems. In view of a formal Definition such reaction-diffusion problems are not singularly perturbed with respect to the energy norm. This observation raises two questions: 1. Does the Galerkin finite element method on standard meshes yield satisfactory approximations for the reaction-diffusion problem with respect to the energy norm? 2. Is it possible to strengthen the energy norm in such a way that the boundary layers are captured and that it can be reconciled with a robust finite element method, i.e.~robust with respect to this strong norm? In Chapter 2 we answer the first question. We show that the Galerkin finite element approximation converges uniformly in the energy norm to the solution of the reaction-diffusion problem on standard shape regular meshes. These results are completely new in two dimensions and are confirmed by numerical experiments. We also study certain convection-diffusion problems with characterisitc layers in which some layers are not well represented in the energy norm. These theoretical findings, validated by numerical experiments, have interesting implications for adaptive methods. Moreover, they lead to a re-evaluation of other results and methods in the literature. In 2011 Lin and Stynes were the first to devise a method for a reaction-diffusion problem posed in the unit square allowing for uniform a priori error estimates in an adequate so-called balanced norm. Thus, the aforementioned second question is answered in the affirmative. Obtaining a non-standard weak formulation by testing also with derivatives of the test function is the key idea which is related to the H^1-Galerkin methods developed in the early 70s. Unfortunately, this direct approach requires excessive smoothness of the finite element space considered. Lin and Stynes circumvent this problem by rewriting their problem into a first order system and applying a mixed method. Now the norm captures the layers. Therefore, they need to be resolved by some layer-adapted mesh. Lin and Stynes obtain optimal error estimates with respect to the balanced norm on Shishkin meshes. However, their method is unable to preserve the symmetry of the problem and they rely on the Raviart-Thomas element for H^div-conformity. In Chapter 4 of the thesis a new continuous interior penalty (CIP) method is present, embracing the approach of Lin and Stynes in the context of a broken Sobolev space. The resulting method induces a balanced norm in which uniform error estimates are proven. In contrast to the mixed method the CIP method uses standard Q_2-elements on the Shishkin meshes. Both methods feature improved stability properties in comparison with the Galerkin FEM. Nevertheless, the latter also yields approximations which can be shown to converge to the true solution in a balanced norm uniformly with respect to diffusion parameter. Again, numerical experiments are conducted that agree with the theoretical findings. In every finite element analysis the approximation error comes into play, eventually. If one seeks to prove any of the results mentioned on an anisotropic family of Shishkin meshes, one will need to take advantage of the different element sizes close to the boundary. While these are ideally suited to reflect the solution behavior, the error analysis is more involved and depends on anisotropic interpolation error estimates. In Chapter 3 the beautiful theory of Apel and Dobrowolski is extended in order to obtain anisotropic interpolation error estimates for macro-element interpolation. This also sheds light on fundamental construction principles for such operators. The thesis introduces a non-standard finite element space that consists of biquadratic C^1-finite elements on macro-elements over tensor product grids, which can be viewed as a rectangular version of the C^1-Powell-Sabin element. As an application of the general theory developed, several interpolation operators mapping into this FE space are analyzed. The insight gained can also be used to prove anisotropic error estimates for the interpolation operator induced by the well-known C^1-Bogner-Fox-Schmidt element. A special modification of Scott-Zhang type and a certain anisotropic interpolation operator are also discussed in detail. The results of this chapter are used to approximate the solution to a recation-diffusion-problem on a Shishkin mesh that features highly anisotropic elements. The obtained approximation features continuous normal derivatives across certain edges of the mesh, enabling the analysis of the aforementioned CIP method.:Notation 1 Introduction 2 Galerkin FEM error estimation in weak norms 2.1 Reaction-diffusion problems 2.2 A convection-diffusion problem with weak characteristic layers and a Neumann outflow condition 2.3 A mesh that resolves only part of the exponential layer and neglects the weaker characteristic layers 2.3.1 Weakly imposed characteristic boundary conditions 2.4 Numerical experiments 2.4.1 A reaction-diffusion problem with boundary layers 2.4.2 A reaction-diffusion problem with an interior layer 2.4.3 A convection-diffusion problem with characteristic layers and a Neumann outflow condition 2.4.4 A mesh that resolves only part of the exponential layer and neglects the weaker characteristic layers 3 Macro-interpolation on tensor product meshes 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Univariate C1-P2 macro-element interpolation 3.3 C1-Q2 macro-element interpolation on tensor product meshes 3.4 A theory on anisotropic macro-element interpolation 3.5 C1 macro-interpolation on anisotropic tensor product meshes 3.5.1 A reduced macro-element interpolation operator 3.5.2 The full C1-Q2 interpolation operator 3.5.3 A C1-Q2 macro-element quasi-interpolation operator of Scott-Zhang type on tensor product meshes 3.5.4 Summary: anisotropic C1 (quasi-)interpolation error estimates 3.6 An anisotropic macro-element of tensor product type 3.7 Application of macro-element interpolation on a tensor product Shishkin mesh 4 Balanced norm results for reaction-diffusion 4.1 The balanced finite element method of Lin and Stynes 4.2 A C0 interior penalty method 4.3 Galerkin finite element method 4.3.1 L2-norm error bounds and supercloseness 4.3.2 Maximum-norm error bounds 4.4 Numerical verification 4.5 Further developments and summary Reference

Error estimation and stabilization for low order finite elements

See full text for abstractEThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceOverseas Research Students Awards SchemeSchool of Mathematics of the University of Manchester.GBUnited Kingdo

A posteriori error estimation for a PDE-constrained optimization problem involving the generalized Oseen equations

We derive globally reliable a posteriori error estimators for a linear-quadratic optimal control problem involving the generalized Oseen equations as state equations; control constraints are also considered. The corresponding local error indicators are locally efficient. The assumptions under which we perform the analysis are such that they can be satisfied for a wide variety of stabilized finite element methods as well as for standard finite element methods. When stabilized methods are considered, no a priori relation between the stabilization terms for the state and adjoint equations is required. If a lower bound for the inf-sup constant is available, a posteriori error estimators that are fully computable and provide guaranteed upper bounds on the norm of the error can be obtained. We illustrate the theory with numerical examples

Various applications of discontinuous Petrov-Galerkin (DPG) finite element methods

Discontinuous Petrov-Galerkin (DPG) finite element methods have garnered significant attention since they were originally introduced. They discretize variational formulations with broken (discontinuous) test spaces and are crafted to be numerically stable by implicitly computing a near-optimal discrete test space as a function of a discrete trial space. Moreover, they are completely general in the sense that they can be applied to a variety of variational formulations, including non-conventional ones that involve non-symmetric functional settings, such as ultraweak variational formulations. In most cases, these properties have been harnessed to develop numerical methods that provide robust control of relevant equation parameters, like in convection-diffusion problems and other singularly perturbed problems. In this work, other features of DPG methods are systematically exploited and applied to different problems. More specifically, the versatility of DPG methods is elucidated by utilizing the underlying methodology to discretize four distinct variational formulations of the equations of linear elasticity. By taking advantage of interface variables inherent to DPG discretizations, an approach to coupling different variational formulations within the same domain is described and used to solve interesting problems. Moreover, the convenient algebraic structure in DPG methods is harnessed to develop a new family of numerical methods called discrete least-squares (DLS) finite element methods. These involve solving, with improved conditioning properties, a discrete least-squares problem associated with an overdetermined rectangular system of equations, instead of directly solving the usual square systems. Their utility is demonstrated with illustrative examples. Additionally, high-order polygonal DPG (PolyDPG) methods are devised by using the intrinsic discontinuities present in ultraweak formulations. The resulting methods can handle heavily distorted non-convex polygonal elements and discontinuous material properties. A polygonal adaptive strategy was also proposed and compared with standard techniques. Lastly, the natural high-order residual-based a posteriori error estimator ingrained within DPG methods was further applied to problems of physical relevance, like the validation of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) calibration experiments of viscoelastic materials, and the modeling of form-wound medium-voltage stator coils sitting inside large electric machinery.Computational Science, Engineering, and Mathematic