Discretisations and Preconditioners for Magnetohydrodynamics Models

The magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations are generally known to be difficult to solve numerically, due to their highly nonlinear structure and the strong coupling between the electromagnetic and hydrodynamic variables, especially for high Reynolds and coupling numbers. In the first part of this work, we present a scalable augmented Lagrangian preconditioner for a finite element discretisation of the $\mathbf{B}$-$\mathbf{E}$ formulation of the incompressible viscoresistive MHD equations. For stationary problems, our solver achieves robust performance with respect to the Reynolds and coupling numbers in two dimensions and good results in three dimensions. Our approach relies on specialised parameter-robust multigrid methods for the hydrodynamic and electromagnetic blocks. The scheme ensures exactly divergence-free approximations of both the velocity and the magnetic field up to solver tolerances. In the second part, we focus on incompressible, resistive Hall MHD models and derive structure-preserving finite element methods for these equations. We present a variational formulation of Hall MHD that enforces the magnetic Gauss's law precisely (up to solver tolerances) and prove the well-posedness of a Picard linearisation. For the transient problem, we present time discretisations that preserve the energy and magnetic and hybrid helicity precisely in the ideal limit for two types of boundary conditions. In the third part, we investigate anisothermal MHD models. We start by performing a bifurcation analysis for a magnetic Rayleigh--B\'enard problem at a high coupling number $S=1{,}000$ by choosing the Rayleigh number in the range between 0 and $100{,}000$ as the bifurcation parameter. We study the effect of the coupling number on the bifurcation diagram and outline how we create initial guesses to obtain complex solution patterns and disconnected branches for high coupling numbers.Comment: Doctoral thesis, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford. 174 page

Robust stabilised finite element solvers for generalised Newtonian fluid flows

Various materials and solid-fluid mixtures of engineering and biomedical interest can be modelled as generalised Newtonian fluids, as their apparent viscosity depends locally on the flow field. Despite the particular features of such models, it is common practice to combine them with numerical techniques originally conceived for Newtonian fluids, which can bring several issues such as spurious pressure boundary layers, unsuitable natural boundary conditions and coupling terms spoiling the efficiency of nonlinear solvers and preconditioners. In this work, we present a finite element framework dealing with such issues while maintaining low computational cost and simple implementation. The building blocks of our algorithm are (i) an equal-order stabilisation method preserving consistency even for lowest-order discretisations, (ii) robust extrapolation of velocities in the time-dependent case to decouple the rheological law from the overall system, (iii) adaptive time step selection and (iv) a fast physics-based preconditioned Krylov subspace solver, to tackle the relevant range of discretisation parameters including highly varying viscosity. Selected numerical experiments are provided demonstrating the potential of our approach in terms of robustness, accuracy and efficiency for problems of practical interest

Numerical methods for incompressible viscous flow

We present an overview of the most common numerical solution strategies for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, including fully implicit formulations, artificial compressibility methods, penalty formulations, and operator splitting methods (pressure/velocity correction, projection methods). A unified framework that explains popular operator splitting methods as special cases of a fully implicit approach is also presented and can be used for constructing new and improved solution strategies. The exposition is mostly neutral to the spatial discretization technique, but we cover the need for staggered grids or mixed finite elements and outline some alternative stabilization techniques that allow using standard grids. Emphasis is put on showing the close relationship between (seemingly) different and competing solution approaches for incompressible viscous flow

A fast immersed boundary method for external incompressible viscous flows using lattice Green's functions

A new parallel, computationally efficient immersed boundary method for solving three-dimensional, viscous, incompressible flows on unbounded domains is presented. Immersed surfaces with prescribed motions are generated using the interpolation and regularization operators obtained from the discrete delta function approach of the original (Peskin's) immersed boundary method. Unlike Peskin's method, boundary forces are regarded as Lagrange multipliers that are used to satisfy the no-slip condition. The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are discretized on an unbounded staggered Cartesian grid and are solved in a finite number of operations using lattice Green's function techniques. These techniques are used to automatically enforce the natural free-space boundary conditions and to implement a novel block-wise adaptive grid that significantly reduces the run-time cost of solutions by limiting operations to grid cells in the immediate vicinity and near-wake region of the immersed surface. These techniques also enable the construction of practical discrete viscous integrating factors that are used in combination with specialized half-explicit Runge-Kutta schemes to accurately and efficiently solve the differential algebraic equations describing the discrete momentum equation, incompressibility constraint, and no-slip constraint. Linear systems of equations resulting from the time integration scheme are efficiently solved using an approximation-free nested projection technique. The algebraic properties of the discrete operators are used to reduce projection steps to simple discrete elliptic problems, e.g. discrete Poisson problems, that are compatible with recent parallel fast multipole methods for difference equations. Numerical experiments on low-aspect-ratio flat plates and spheres at Reynolds numbers up to 3,700 are used to verify the accuracy and physical fidelity of the formulation.Comment: 32 pages, 9 figures; preprint submitted to Journal of Computational Physic

Preconditioning of Hybridizable Discontinuous Galerkin Discretizations of the Navier-Stokes Equations

The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are of major interest due to their importance in modelling fluid flow problems. However, solving the Navier-Stokes equations is a difficult task. To address this problem, in this thesis, we consider fast and efficient solvers. We are particularly interested in solving a new class of hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) discretizations of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, as these discretizations result in exact mass conservation, are locally conservative, and have fewer degrees of freedom than discontinuous Galerkin methods (which is typically used for advection dominated flows). To achieve this goal, we have made various contributions to related problems, as I discuss next. Firstly, we consider the solution of matrices with 2x2 block structure. We are interested in this problem as many discretizations of the Navier-Stokes equations result in block linear systems of equations, especially discretizations based on mixed-finite element methods like HDG. These systems also arise in other areas of computational mathematics, such as constrained optimization problems, or the implicit or steady state treatment of any system of PDEs with multiple dependent variables. Often, these systems are solved iteratively using Krylov methods and some form of block preconditioner. Under the assumption that one diagonal block is inverted exactly, we prove a direct equivalence between convergence of 2x2 block preconditioned Krylov or fixed-point iterations to a given tolerance, with convergence of the underlying preconditioned Schur-complement problem. In particular, results indicate that an effective Schur-complement preconditioner is a necessary and sufficient condition for rapid convergence of 2x2 block-preconditioned GMRES, for arbitrary relative-residual stopping tolerances. A number of corollaries and related results give new insight into block preconditioning, such as the fact that approximate block-LDU or symmetric block-triangular preconditioners offer minimal reduction in iteration over block-triangular preconditioners, despite the additional computational cost. We verify the theoretical results numerically on an HDG discretization of the steady linearized Navier--Stokes equations. The findings also demonstrate that theory based on the assumption of an exact inverse of one diagonal block extends well to the more practical setting of inexact inverses. Secondly, as an initial step towards solving the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations, we investigate the efficiency, robustness, and scalability of approximate ideal restriction (AIR) algebraic multigrid as a preconditioner in the all-at-once solution of a space-time HDG discretization of the scalar advection-diffusion equation. The motivation for this study is two-fold. First, the HDG discretization of the velocity part of the momentum block of the linearized Navier-Stokes equations is the HDG discretization of the vector advection-diffusion equation. Hence, efficient and fast solution of the advection-diffusion problem is a prerequisite for developing fast solvers for the Navier-Stokes equations. The second reason to study this all-at-once space-time problem is that the time-dependent advection-diffusion equation can be seen as a ``steady'' advection-diffusion problem in (d+1)-dimensions and AIR has been shown to be a robust solver for steady advection-dominated problems. We present numerical examples which demonstrate the effectiveness of AIR as a preconditioner for time-dependent advection-diffusion problems on fixed and time-dependent domains, using both slab-by-slab and all-at-once space-time discretizations, and in the context of uniform and space-time adaptive mesh refinement. A closer look at the geometric coarsening structure that arises in AIR also explains why AIR can provide robust, scalable space-time convergence on advective and hyperbolic problems, while most multilevel parallel-in-time schemes struggle with such problems. As the final topic of this thesis, we extend two state-of-the-art preconditioners for the Navier-Stokes equations, namely, the pressure convection-diffusion and the grad-div/augmented Lagrangian preconditioners to HDG discretizations. Our preconditioners are simple to implement, and our numerical results show that these preconditioners are robust in h and only mildly dependent on the Reynolds numbers

Adaptive low and high-order hybridized methods for unsteady incompressible flow simulations

Tesi en modalitat de cotutela: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya i Università degli Studi di PaviaSimulations of incompressible flows are performed on a daily basis to solve problems of practical and industrial interest in several fields of engineering, including automotive, aeronautical, mechanical and biomedical applications. Although finite volume (FV) methods are still the preferred choice by the industry due to their efficiency and robustness, sensitivity to mesh quality and limited accuracy represent two main bottlenecks of these approaches. This is especially critical in the context of transient phenomena, in which FV methods show excessive numerical diffusion. In this context, there has been a growing interest towards high-order discretisation strategies in last decades. In this PhD thesis, a high-order adaptive hybidisable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) method is proposed for the approximation of steady and unsteady laminar incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. Voigt notation for symmetric second-order tensors is exploited to devise an HDG method for the Cauchy formulation of the momentum equation with optimal convergence properties, even when low-order polynomial degrees of approximation are considered. In addition, a postprocessing strategy accounting for rigid translational and rotational modes is proposed to construct an element-by-element superconvergent velocity field. The discrepancy between the computed and postprocessed velocities is utilised to define a local error indicator to drive degree adaptivity procedures and accurately capture localised features of the flow. The resulting HDG solver is thus extended to the case of transient problems via high-order time integration schemes, namely the explicit singly diagonal implicit Runge-Kutta (ESDIRK) schemes. In this context, the embedded explicit step is exploited to define an inexpensive estimate of the temporal error to devise an efficient timestep control strategy. Finally, in order to efficiently solve the global problem arising from the HDG discretisation, a preconditioned iterative solver is proposed. This is critical in the context of high-order approximations in three-dimensional domains leading to large-scale problems, especially in transient simulations. A block diagonal preconditioner coupled with an inexpensive approximation of the Schur complement of the matrix is proposed to reduce the computational cost of the overall HDG solver. Extensive numerical validation of two and three-dimensional steady and unsteady benchmark tests of viscous laminar incompressible flows is performed to validate the proposed methodology.Simulaciones de flujo incompresible se emplean a diario para resolver problemas de interés práctico e industrial en varios campos de la ingeniería, p.ej. en aplicaciones automovilísticas, aeronáuticas, mecánicas y biomédicas. Aunque los métodos de volúmenes finitos (FV) siguen siendo la opción preferida por la industria debido a su eficiencia y robustez, la sensibilidad a la calidad de la malla y la baja precisión representan dos limitaciones importantes para estas técnicas. Estas limitaciones son todavía más críticas en el contexto de simulaciones de fenómenos transitorios, donde los FV están penalizados por su excesiva difusión numérica. En este contexto, las estrategias de discretización de alto orden han ganado una popularidad creciente en las últimas décadas para problemas transitorios dónde se necesitan soluciones precisas. Esta tesis propone un método de Galerkin discontinuo híbrido (HDG), de alto orden y adaptativo para la aproximación de las ecuaciones de Navier-Stokes incomprensible laminar, en el caso estacionario y transitorio en el entorno de aplicaciones ingenieriles. Para ello, la notación de Voigt para tensores simétricos de segundo orden (habituales en mecánica de los medios continuos) permite introducir un método HDG para la formulación de Cauchy de la ecuación de momento. La novedad de este resultado reside en la convergencia óptima alcanzada por el método, incluso para aproximaciones de orden polinómico bajo. Además, se desarrolla una estrategia de post-proceso local para construir elemento a elemento un campo de velocidad súper-convergente, tomando en cuenta los modos rígidos de traslación y rotación. La discrepancia entre el campo de velocidad calculado y el súper-convergente, obtenido a través del post-proceso, permite definir un indicador del error local. De esta forma, se desarrolla una estrategia para realizar adecuar elemento a elemento el grado de la aproximación polinómica y así mejorar la precisión adaptándose a las características localizadas del flujo. Seguidamente, se extiende el método HDG propuesto al tratamiento de problemas dependientes del tiempo. Más concretamente, se consideran los esquemas de integración temporal de alto orden explicit singly diagonal implicit Runge-Kutta (ESDIRK). En este contexto, se utiliza el paso explícito embedded para calcular una estimación computacionalmente eficiente del error temporal y definir una estrategia de adaptividad del paso de tiempo. Finalmente, se desarrolla un precondicionador adaptado a la estrategia HDG que acelera la convergencia del método iterativo empleado y, de esta forma, obtener resoluciones eficaces del problema global surgido de la discretización HDG. Es importante resaltar la importancia de una herramienta de resolución eficiente para problemas de gran escala en el contexto de aproximaciones de alto orden y en dominios tridimensionales. Estas herramientas se hacen aún más criticas en simulaciones transitorias. Más concretamente, se proponen un precondicionador diagonal por bloques y una aproximación eficiente del complemento Schur de la matriz para reducir el coste computacional del método HDG. Para validar la metodología propuesta, se realizan varias simulaciones numéricas de flujo incompresible laminar viscoso, para problemas estacionarios y transitorios, en dos y tres dimensiones.Postprint (published version

Preconditioning for linear systems arising from discretization of the Navier-Stokes equations using isogeometric analysis

Tato práce se zabývá iteračním řešením sedlobodových soustav lineárních algebraických rovnic získaných diskretizací Navierových--Stokesových rovnic pro nestlačitelné proudění pomocí isogemetrické analýzy (IgA). Konkrétně se zaměřuje na předpodmiňovače pro krylovovské metody. Jedním z cílů práce je prozkoumat efektivitu moderních blokových předpodmiňovačů pro různé isogeometrické diskretizace, tj. pro B-spline bázové funkce různého stupně a spojitosti, a poskytnout přehled o jejich chování v závislosti na různých parametrech úlohy. Hlavním cílem je na základě této studie navrhnout vhodný přístup k řešení těchto soustav s případnými úpravami, které by zlepšily vlastnosti dané metody pro soustavy získané isogeometrickou analýzou. Práce má dvě části. V první části jsou představeny úlohy pro nestlačitelné vazké proudění a metoda diskretizace pomocí isogeometrické analýzy. Dále uvádíme podrobný přehled metod řešení sedlobodových soustav lineárních rovnic, ve kterém se zaměřujeme především na blokové předpodmiňovače. Druhá část je věnována numerickým experimentům. Provádíme srovnání vybraných předpodmiňovačů pro několik stacionárních a nestacionarních úloh ve dvou a třech dimenzích. Zvláštní pozornost je věnována aproximaci matice hmotnosti, jejíž volba se ukazuje být v kontextu IgA důležitá, a okrajovým podmínkám pro PCD předpodmiňovač. Navrhujeme vhodnou kombinaci varianty PCD, okrajových podmínek a jejich škálování, abychom získali efektivní předpodmiňovač, který je robustní vzhledem k stupni a spojitosti diskretizace. V mnoha případech se tato volba ukazuje jako nejefektivnější z uvažovaných metod.ObhájenoThis doctoral thesis deals with iterative solution of the saddle-point linear systems obtained from discretization of the incompressible Navier--Stokes equations using the isogeometric analysis (IgA) approach. Specifically, it is focused on preconditioners for Krylov subspace methods. One of the goals of the thesis is to investigate the performance of the state-of-the-art block preconditioners for various IgA discretizations, i.e., for B-spline discretization bases of varying polynomial degree and interelement continuity, and provide an overview of their behavior depending on different problem parameters. The main goal is, based on the this study, to propose suitable solution approach to the considered linear systems with possible modifications that would improve the performance for IgA discretizations in particular. The thesis is basically divided into two parts. In the first part we introduce the mathematical model of incompressible viscous flow and the isogeometric analysis discretization method. Then we provide a detailed overview of the solution techniques for saddle-point linear systems, especially aimed at the family of block preconditioners. The second part is devoted to numerical experiments. We present a comparison of the selected preconditioners for several steady-state and time-dependent test problems in two and three dimensions. A particular attention is devoted to mass matrix approximation within the preconditioners, which appears to be important in the context of IgA, and to the boundary conditions for the pressure convection--diffusion (PCD) preconditioner. A suitable combination of PCD variant, boundary conditions and their appropriate scaling is proposed, leading to an effective preconditioner which is robust with respect to the discretization degree and continuity. In many cases, this choice of preconditioner proves to be the most efficient among all considered methods