116,099 research outputs found
Finite element simulation of three-dimensional free-surface flow problems
An adaptive finite element algorithm is described for the stable solution of three-dimensional free-surface-flow problems based primarily on the use of node movement. The algorithm also includes a discrete remeshing procedure which enhances its accuracy and robustness. The spatial discretisation allows an isoparametric piecewise-quadratic approximation of the domain geometry for accurate resolution of the curved free surface.
The technique is illustrated through an implementation for surface-tension-dominated viscous flows modelled in terms of the Stokes equations with suitable boundary conditions on the deforming free surface. Two three-dimensional test problems are used to demonstrate the performance of the method: a liquid bridge problem and the formation of a fluid droplet
Adaptive finite element simulation of three-dimensional surface tension dominated free-surface flow problems
An arbitrary Lagrangian--Eulerian finite element method is described for the solution of time-dependent, three-dimensional, free-surface flow problems. Many flows of practical significance involve contact lines, where the free surface meets a solid boundary. This contact line may be pinned to a particular part of the solid but is more typically free to slide in a manner that is characterised by the dynamic contact angle formed by the fluid. We focus on the latter case and use a model that admits spatial variation of the contact angle: thus permitting variable wetting properties to be simulated.
The problems are driven by the motion of the fluid free surface (under the action of surface tension and external forces such as gravity) hence the geometry evolves as part of the solution, and mesh adaptivity is required to maintain the quality of the computational mesh for the physical domain. Continuous mesh adaptivity, in the form of a pseudo-elastic mesh movement scheme, is used to move the interior mesh nodes in response to the motion of the fluid's free surface. Periodic, discrete remeshing stages are also used for cases in which the fluid volume has grown, or is sufficiently distorted, by the free-surface motion. Examples are given of a droplet sliding on an inclined uniform plane and of a droplet spreading on a surface with variable wetting properties
On the calculation of normals in free-surface flow problems
The use of boundary-conforming finite element methods is considered for the solution of surface-tension-dominated free-surface flow problems in three dimensions. This class of method is based upon the use of a moving mesh whose velocity is driven by the motion of the free surface, which is in turn determined via a kinematic boundary condition for the normal velocity. The significance of the method used to compute the normal direction at the finite element node points for a C0 piecewise-polynomial free surface is investigated.
In particular, it is demonstrated that the concept of mass-consistent normals on an isoparametric quadratic tetrahedral mesh is flawed. In this case an alternative, purely geometric, normal is shown to lead to a far more robust numerical algorithm
Spectral/hp element methods: recent developments, applications, and perspectives
The spectral/hp element method combines the geometric flexibility of the
classical h-type finite element technique with the desirable numerical
properties of spectral methods, employing high-degree piecewise polynomial
basis functions on coarse finite element-type meshes. The spatial approximation
is based upon orthogonal polynomials, such as Legendre or Chebychev
polynomials, modified to accommodate C0-continuous expansions. Computationally
and theoretically, by increasing the polynomial order p, high-precision
solutions and fast convergence can be obtained and, in particular, under
certain regularity assumptions an exponential reduction in approximation error
between numerical and exact solutions can be achieved. This method has now been
applied in many simulation studies of both fundamental and practical
engineering flows. This paper briefly describes the formulation of the
spectral/hp element method and provides an overview of its application to
computational fluid dynamics. In particular, it focuses on the use the
spectral/hp element method in transitional flows and ocean engineering.
Finally, some of the major challenges to be overcome in order to use the
spectral/hp element method in more complex science and engineering applications
are discussed
A numerical method for junctions in networks of shallow-water channels
There is growing interest in developing mathematical models and appropriate
numerical methods for problems involving networks formed by, essentially,
one-dimensional (1D) domains joined by junctions. Examples include hyperbolic
equations in networks of gas tubes, water channels and vessel networks for
blood and lymph in the human circulatory system. A key point in designing
numerical methods for such applications is the treatment of junctions, i.e.
points at which two or more 1D domains converge and where the flow exhibits
multidimensional behaviour. This paper focuses on the design of methods for
networks of water channels. Our methods adopt the finite volume approach to
make full use of the two-dimensional shallow water equations on the true
physical domain, locally at junctions, while solving the usual one-dimensional
shallow water equations away from the junctions. In addition to mass
conservation, our methods enforce conservation of momentum at junctions; the
latter seems to be the missing element in methods currently available. Apart
from simplicity and robustness, the salient feature of the proposed methods is
their ability to successfully deal with transcritical and supercritical flows
at junctions, a property not enjoyed by existing published methodologies.
Systematic assessment of the proposed methods for a variety of flow
configurations is carried out. The methods are directly applicable to other
systems, provided the multidimensional versions of the 1D equations are
available
High-Order Unstructured Lagrangian One-Step WENO Finite Volume Schemes for Non-Conservative Hyperbolic Systems: Applications to Compressible Multi-Phase Flows
In this article we present the first better than second order accurate
unstructured Lagrangian-type one-step WENO finite volume scheme for the
solution of hyperbolic partial differential equations with non-conservative
products. The method achieves high order of accuracy in space together with
essentially non-oscillatory behavior using a nonlinear WENO reconstruction
operator on unstructured triangular meshes. High order accuracy in time is
obtained via a local Lagrangian space-time Galerkin predictor method that
evolves the spatial reconstruction polynomials in time within each element. The
final one-step finite volume scheme is derived by integration over a moving
space-time control volume, where the non-conservative products are treated by a
path-conservative approach that defines the jump terms on the element
boundaries. The entire method is formulated as an Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian
(ALE) method, where the mesh velocity can be chosen independently of the fluid
velocity.
The new scheme is applied to the full seven-equation Baer-Nunziato model of
compressible multi-phase flows in two space dimensions. The use of a Lagrangian
approach allows an excellent resolution of the solid contact and the resolution
of jumps in the volume fraction. The high order of accuracy of the scheme in
space and time is confirmed via a numerical convergence study. Finally, the
proposed method is also applied to a reduced version of the compressible
Baer-Nunziato model for the simulation of free surface water waves in moving
domains. In particular, the phenomenon of sloshing is studied in a moving water
tank and comparisons with experimental data are provided
Boundary-Conforming Free-Surface Flow Computations: Interface Tracking for Linear, Higher-Order and Isogeometric Finite Elements
The simulation of certain flow problems requires a means for modeling a free
fluid surface; examples being viscoelastic die swell or fluid sloshing in
tanks. In a finite-element context, this type of problem can, among many other
options, be dealt with using an interface-tracking approach with the
Deforming-Spatial-Domain/Stabilized-Space-Time (DSD/SST) formulation. A
difficult issue that is connected with this type of approach is the
determination of a suitable coupling mechanism between the fluid velocity at
the boundary and the displacement of the boundary mesh nodes. In order to avoid
large mesh distortions, one goal is to keep the nodal movements as small as
possible; but of course still compliant with the no-penetration boundary
condition. Standard displacement techniques are full velocity, velocity in a
specific coordinate direction, and velocity in normal direction. In this work,
we investigate how the interface-tracking approach can be combined with
isogeometric analysis for the spatial discretization. If NURBS basis functions
of sufficient order are used for both the geometry and the solution, both a
continuous normal vector as well as the velocity are available on the entire
boundary. This circumstance allows the weak imposition of the no-penetration
boundary condition. We compare this option with an alternative that relies on
strong imposition at discrete points. Furthermore, we examine several coupling
methods between the fluid equations, boundary conditions, and equations for the
adjustment of interior control point positions.Comment: 20 pages, 16 figure
Simulation of flows with violent free surface motion and moving objects using unstructured grids
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Löhner, R. , Yang, C. and Oñate, E. (2007), Simulation of flows with violent free surface motion and moving objects using unstructured grids. Int. J. Numer. Meth. Fluids, 53: 1315-1338. doi:10.1002/fld.1244], which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/fld.1244. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.A volume of fluid (VOF) technique has been developed and coupled with an incompressible Euler/Navier–Stokes solver operating on adaptive, unstructured grids to simulate the interactions of extreme waves and three-dimensional structures. The present implementation follows the classic VOF implementation for the liquid–gas system, considering only the liquid phase. Extrapolation algorithms are used to obtain velocities and pressure in the gas region near the free surface. The VOF technique is validated against the classic dam-break problem, as well as series of 2D sloshing experiments and results from SPH calculations. These and a series of other examples demonstrate that the ability of the present approach to simulate violent free surface flows with strong nonlinear behaviour.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
Numerical solution of the eXtended Pom-Pom model for viscoelastic free surface flows
In this paper we present a finite difference method for solving two-dimensional viscoelastic unsteady free surface flows governed by the single equation version of the eXtended Pom-Pom (XPP) model. The momentum equations are solved by a projection method which uncouples the velocity and pressure fields. We are interested in low Reynolds number flows and, to enhance the stability of the numerical method, an implicit technique for computing the pressure condition on the free surface is employed. This strategy is invoked to solve the governing equations within a Marker-and-Cell type approach while simultaneously calculating the correct normal stress condition on the free surface. The numerical code is validated by performing mesh refinement on a two-dimensional channel flow. Numerical results include an investigation of the influence of the parameters of the XPP equation on the extrudate swelling ratio and the simulation of the Barus effect for XPP fluids
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