Discontinuous Galerkin approximations in computational mechanics: hybridization, exact geometry and degree adaptivity

Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) discretizations with exact representation of the geometry and local polynomial degree adaptivity are revisited. Hybridization techniques are employed to reduce the computational cost of DG approximations and devise the hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) method. Exact geometry described by non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) is integrated into HDG using the framework of the NURBS-enhanced finite element method (NEFEM). Moreover, optimal convergence and superconvergence properties of HDG-Voigt formulation in presence of symmetric second-order tensors are exploited to construct inexpensive error indicators and drive degree adaptive procedures. Applications involving the numerical simulation of problems in electrostatics, linear elasticity and incompressible viscous flows are presented. Moreover, this is done for both high-order HDG approximations and the lowest-order framework of face-centered finite volumes (FCFV).Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

On the Necessity of Superparametric Geometry Representation for Discontinuous Galerkin Methods on Domains with Curved Boundaries

We provide numerical evidence demonstrating the necessity of employing a superparametric geometry representation in order to obtain optimal convergence orders on two-dimensional domains with curved boundaries when solving the Euler equations using Discontinuous Galerkin methods. However, concerning the obtention of optimal convergence orders for the Navier-Stokes equations, we demonstrate numerically that the use of isoparametric geometry representation is sufficient for the case considered here.Comment: AIAA Aviation 2017 conference pape

Meshfree finite differences for vector Poisson and pressure Poisson equations with electric boundary conditions

We demonstrate how meshfree finite difference methods can be applied to solve vector Poisson problems with electric boundary conditions. In these, the tangential velocity and the incompressibility of the vector field are prescribed at the boundary. Even on irregular domains with only convex corners, canonical nodal-based finite elements may converge to the wrong solution due to a version of the Babuska paradox. In turn, straightforward meshfree finite differences converge to the true solution, and even high-order accuracy can be achieved in a simple fashion. The methodology is then extended to a specific pressure Poisson equation reformulation of the Navier-Stokes equations that possesses the same type of boundary conditions. The resulting numerical approach is second order accurate and allows for a simple switching between an explicit and implicit treatment of the viscosity terms.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure

Pressure jump interface law for the Stokes-Darcy coupling: Confirmation by direct numerical simulations

It is generally accepted that the effective velocity of a viscous flow over a porous bed satisfies the Beavers-Joseph slip law. To the contrary, interface law for the effective stress has been a subject of controversy. Recently, a pressure jump interface law has been rigorously derived by Marciniak-Czochra and Mikeli\'c. In this paper, we provide a confirmation of the analytical result using direct numerical simulation of the flow at the microscopic level.Comment: 25 pages, preprin

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

An efficient method for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations on irregular domains with no-slip boundary conditions, high order up to the boundary

Common efficient schemes for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, such as projection or fractional step methods, have limited temporal accuracy as a result of matrix splitting errors, or introduce errors near the domain boundaries (which destroy uniform convergence to the solution). In this paper we recast the incompressible (constant density) Navier-Stokes equations (with the velocity prescribed at the boundary) as an equivalent system, for the primary variables velocity and pressure. We do this in the usual way away from the boundaries, by replacing the incompressibility condition on the velocity by a Poisson equation for the pressure. The key difference from the usual approaches occurs at the boundaries, where we use boundary conditions that unequivocally allow the pressure to be recovered from knowledge of the velocity at any fixed time. This avoids the common difficulty of an, apparently, over-determined Poisson problem. Since in this alternative formulation the pressure can be accurately and efficiently recovered from the velocity, the recast equations are ideal for numerical marching methods. The new system can be discretized using a variety of methods, in principle to any desired order of accuracy. In this work we illustrate the approach with a 2-D second order finite difference scheme on a Cartesian grid, and devise an algorithm to solve the equations on domains with curved (non-conforming) boundaries, including a case with a non-trivial topology (a circular obstruction inside the domain). This algorithm achieves second order accuracy (in L-infinity), for both the velocity and the pressure. The scheme has a natural extension to 3-D.Comment: 50 pages, 14 figure