7 research outputs found
Preconditioning of weighted H(div)-norm and applications to numerical simulation of highly heterogeneous media
In this paper we propose and analyze a preconditioner for a system arising
from a finite element approximation of second order elliptic problems
describing processes in highly het- erogeneous media. Our approach uses the
technique of multilevel methods and the recently proposed preconditioner based
on additive Schur complement approximation by J. Kraus (see [8]). The main
results are the design and a theoretical and numerical justification of an
iterative method for such problems that is robust with respect to the contrast
of the media, defined as the ratio between the maximum and minimum values of
the coefficient (related to the permeability/conductivity).Comment: 28 page
HAZniCS -- Software Components for Multiphysics Problems
We introduce the software toolbox HAZniCS for solving interface-coupled
multiphysics problems. HAZniCS is a suite of modules that combines the
well-known FEniCS framework for finite element discretization with solver and
graph library HAZmath. The focus of the paper is on the design and
implementation of a pool of robust and efficient solver algorithms which tackle
issues related to the complex interfacial coupling of the physical problems
often encountered in applications in brain biomechanics. The robustness and
efficiency of the numerical algorithms and methods is shown in several
numerical examples, namely the Darcy-Stokes equations that model flow of
cerebrospinal fluid in the human brain and the mixed-dimensional model of
electrodiffusion in the brain tissue
Well-posedness and discretization for a class of models for mixed-dimensional problems with high-dimensional gap
In this work, we show the underlying mathematical structure of mixed-dimensional models arising from the composition of graphs and continuous domains. Such models are becoming popular in applications, in particular, to model the human vasculature. We first discuss the model equations in the strong form, which describes the conservation of mass and Darcy's law in the continuum and network as well as the coupling between them. By introducing proper scaling, we propose a weak form that avoids degeneracy. Well-posedness of the weak form is shown through standard Babu\v ska--Brezzi theory. We also develop the mixed formulation finite-element method and prove its well-posedness. A mass-lumping technique is introduced to derive the two-point flux approximation (TPFA) type discretization as well, due to its importance in applications. Based on the Babu\v ska--Brezzi theory, error estimates can be obtained for both the finite-element scheme and the TPFA scheme. We also discuss efficient linear solvers for discrete problems. Finally, we present some numerical examples to verify the theoretical results and demonstrate the robustness of our proposed discretization schemes.acceptedVersio
Fluid-Structure Interaction Problems in Hemodynamics:Parallel Solvers, Preconditioners, and Applications
In this work we aim at the description, study and numerical investigation of the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problem applied to hemodynamics. The FSI model considered consists of the Navier-Stokes equations on moving domains modeling blood as a viscous incompressible fluid and the elasticity equation modeling the arterial wall. The fluid equations are derived in an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) frame of reference. Several existing formulations and discretizations are discussed, providing a state of the art on the subject. The main new contributions and advancements consist of: A description of the Newton method for FSI-ALE, with details on the implementation of the shape derivatives block assembling, considerations about parallel performance, the analytic derivation of the derivative terms for different formulations (conservative or not) and for different types of boundary conditions. The implementation and analysis of a new category of preconditioners for FSI (applicable also to more general coupled problems). The framework set up is general and extensible. The proposed preconditioners allow, in particular, a separate treatment of each field, using a different preconditioning strategy in each case. An estimate for the condition number of the preconditioned system is proposed, showing how preconditioners of this type depend on the coupling, and explaining the good performance they exhibit when increasing the number of processors. The improvement of the free (distributed under LGPL licence) parallel finite elements library LifeV. Most of the methods described have been implemented within this library during the period of this PhD and all the numerical tests reported were run using this framework. The simulation of clinical cases with patient-specific data and geometry, the comparison on simulations of physiological interest between different models (rigid, FSI, 1D), discretizations and methods to solve the nonlinear system. A methodology to obtain patient-specific FSI simulations starting from the raw medical data and using a set of free software tools is described. This pipeline from imaging to simulation can help medical doctors in diagnosis and decision making, and in understanding the implication of indicators such as the wall shear stress in the pathogenesis