J.J.W. van der Vegt

Space-time discontinuous Galerkin method for the compressible Navier-Stokes equations

An overview is given of a space-time discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for the compressible Navier-Stokes equations. This method is well suited for problems with moving (free) boundaries which require the use of deforming elements. In addition, due to the local discretization, the space-time discontinuous Galerkin method is well suited for mesh adaptation and parallel computing. The algorithm is demonstrated with computations of the unsteady flow field about a delta wing and a NACA0012 airfoil in rapid pitch up motion.

Discontinuous Galerkin finite element methods for hyperbolic nonconservative partial differential equations

We present space- and space-time discontinuous Galerkin finite element (DGFEM) formulations for systems containing nonconservative products, such as occur in dispersed multiphase flow equations. The main criterium we pose on the formulation is that if the system of nonconservative partial differential equations can be transformed into conservative form, then the formulation must reduce to that forconservative systems. Standard DGFEM formulations cannot be applied to nonconservative systems of partial differential equations. We therefore introduce the theory of weak solutions for nonconservative products into the DGFEM formulation leading to the new question how to define the path connecting left and right states across a discontinuity. The effect of different paths on the numerical solution is investigated and found to be small. We also introduce a new numerical flux that is able to deal with nonconservative products. Our scheme is applied to two different systems of partial differential equations. First, we consider the shallow water equations, where topography leads to nonconservative products, in which the known, possibly discontinuous, topography is formally taken as an unknown in the system. Second, we consider a simplification of a depth-averaged two-phase flow model which contains more intrinsic nonconservative products.

Space–time discontinuous Galerkin finite element method with dynamic grid motion for inviscid compressible flows: II. Efficient flux quadrature

A new and efficient quadrature rule for the flux integrals arising in the space-time discontinuous Galerkin discretization of the Euler equations in a moving and deforming space-time domain is presented and analyzed. The quadrature rule is a factor three more efficient than the commonly applied quadrature rule and does not affect the local truncation error and stability of the numerical scheme. The local truncation error of the resulting numerical discretization is determined and is shown to be the same as when product Gauss quadrature rules are used. Details of the approximation of the dissipation in the numerical flux are presented, which render the scheme consistent and stable. The method is succesfully applied to the simulation of a three-dimensional, transonic flow over a deforming wing.

Pseudo-time stepping methods for space-time discontinuous Galerkin discretizations of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations

The space-time discontinuous Galerkin discretization of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations results in a non-linear system of algebraic equations, which we solve with pseudo-time stepping methods. We show that explicit Runge-Kutta methods developed for the Euler equations suffer from a severe stability constraint linked to the viscous part of the equations and propose an alternative to relieve this constraint while preserving locality. To evaluate its effectiveness, we compare with an implicit-explicit Runge-Kutta method which does not suffer from the viscous stability constraint. We analyze the stability of the methods and illustrate their performance by computing the flow around a 2D airfoil and a 3D delta wing at low and moderate Reynolds numbers.

h-Multigrid for space-time discontinuous Galerkin discretizations of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations

Being implicit in time, the space-time discontinuous Galerkin discretization of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations requires the solution of a non-linear system of algebraic equations at each time-step. The overall performance, therefore, highly depends on the efficiency of the solver. In this article, we solve the system of algebraic equations with a h-multigrid method using explicit Runge-Kutta relaxation. Two-level Fourier analysis of this method for the scalar advection-diffusion equation shows convergence factors between 0.5 and 0.75. This motivates its application to the 3D compressible Navier-Stokes equations where numerical experiments show that the computational effort is significantly reduced, up to a factor 10 w.r.t. single-grid iterations.

Space-time discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for two-fluid flows

A novel numerical method for two-fluid flow computations is presented, which combines the space-time discontinuous Galerkin finite element discretization with the level set method and cut-cell based interface tracking. The space-time discontinuous Galerkin (STDG) finite element method offers high accuracy, an inherent ability to handle discontinuities and a very local stencil, making it relatively easy to combine with local hp-refinement. The front tracking is incorporated via cut-cell mesh refinement to ensure a sharp interface between the fluids. To compute the interface dynamics the level set method (LSM) is used because of its ability to deal with merging and breakup. Also, the LSM is easy to extend to higher dimensions. Small cells arising from the cut-cell refinement are merged to improve the stability and performance. The interface conditions are incorporated in the numerical flux at the interface and the STDG discretization ensures that the scheme is conservative as long as the numerical fluxes are conservative. The numerical method is applied to one and two dimensional two-fluid test problems using the Euler equations.

Space-time discontinuous Galerkin method for nonlinear water waves

A space-time discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite element method for nonlinear water waves in an inviscid and incompressible fluid is presented. The space-time DG method results in a conservative numerical discretization on time dependent deforming meshes which follow the free surface evolution. The algorithm is higher order accurate, both in space and time, and closely related to an arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) approach. A detailed derivation of the numerical algorithm is given including an efficient procedure to solve the nonlinear algebraic equations resulting from the space-time discretization. Numerical examples are shown on a series of model problems to demonstrate the accuracy and capabilities of the method.

hp-Multigrid as Smoother algorithm for higher order discontinuous Galerkin discretizations of advection dominated flows: Part I. Multilevel analysis

The hp-Multigrid as Smoother algorithm (hp-MGS) for the solution of higher order accurate space-(time) discontinuous Galerkin discretizations of advection dominated flows is presented. This algorithm combines p-multigrid with h-multigrid at all p-levels, where the h-multigrid acts as smoother in the p-multigrid. The performance of the hp-MGS algorithm is further improved using semi-coarsening in combination with a new semi-implicit Runge-Kutta method as smoother. A detailed multilevel analysis of the hp-MGS algorithm is presented to obtain more insight into the theoretical performance of the algorithm. As model problem a fourth order accurate space-time discontinuous Galerkin discretization of the advection-diffusion equation is considered. The multilevel analysis shows that the hp-MGS algorithm has excellent convergence rates, both for low and high cell Reynolds numbers and on highly stretched meshes.

A discontinuous Galerkin finite element discretization of the Euler equations for compressible and incompressible fluids

Using the generalized variable formulation of the Euler equations of fluid dynamics, we develop a numerical method that is capable of simulating the flow of fluids with widely differing thermodynamic behavior: ideal and real gases can be treated with the same method as an incompressible fluid. The well-defined incompressible limit relies on using pressure primitive or entropy variables. In particular entropy variables can provide numerical methods with attractive properties, e.g. fulfillment of the second law of thermodynamics. We show how a discontinuous Galerkin finite element discretization previously used for compressible flow with an ideal gas equation of state can be extended for general fluids. We also examine which components of the numerical method have to be changed or adapted. Especially, we investigate different possibilities of solving the nonlinear algebraic system with a pseudo-time iteration. Numerical results highlight the applicability of the method for various fluids.

HP-Multigrid as Smoother algorithm for higher order discontinuous Galerkin discretizations of advection dominated flows. Part II: Optimization of the Runge-Kutta smoother

Using a detailed multilevel analysis of the complete hp-Multigrid as Smoother algorithm accurate predictions are obtained of the spectral radius and operator norms of the multigrid error transformation operator. This multilevel analysis is used to optimize the coefficients in the semi-implicit Runge-Kutta smoother, such that the spectral radius of the multigrid error transformation operator is minimal under properly chosen constraints. The Runge-Kutta coefficients for a wide range of cell Reynolds numbers and a detailed analysis of the performance of the hp-MGS algorithm are presented. In addition, the computational complexity of the hp-MGS algorithm is investigated. The hp-MGS algorithm is tested on a fourth order accurate space-time discontinuous Galerkin finite element discretization of the advection-diffusion equation for a number of model problems, which include thin boundary layers and highly stretched meshes, and a non-constant advection velocity. For all test cases excellent multigrid convergence is obtained.