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At least 181 records · Page 10

A spectral element method for the simulation of unsteady incompressible flows with heat transfer

The spectral element method is a high-order finite element technique for solution of the Navier-Stokes and energy equations. In the isoparametric spectral element discretization, the domain is broken up into general brick elements, and the dependent and independent variables represented as high-order tensor-product Lagrangian interpolants through Chebyshev collocation points. The nonlinear and convective terms in the governing equations are treated with explicit collocation, while the pressure and diffusive contributions are handled implicitly using variational projection operators. The method is applied to flow past a cylinder, flow in grooved channels, and natural convection in an enclosure.

Karniadakis, George E.↗

Numerical simulation of homogeneous, isotropic, compressible turbulence

A new numerical algorithm is developed and applied to the direct simulation of compressible, homogeneous turbulent flows at low Mach numbers. A split method in time first solves a subset of the equations explicitly, followed by an implicit treatment of the pressure terms. The definition of an average sound speed over the entire field allows the implicit equations to be solved analytically, while relaxing the severe time limit imposed by the large sound speeds. Results from direct simulations on 96(3) grids provide a data base against which a new subgrid-scale model for compressible homogeneous turbulence is tested. This model reduces to the linear combination model in the absence of compressibility.

Erlebacher, G.↗

Finite element computation of compressible flows with the SUPG formulation

Finite element computation of compressible Euler equations is presented in the context of the streamline-upwind/Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) formulation. The SUPG formulation, which is based on adding stabilizing terms to the Galerkin formulation, is further supplemented with a shock capturing operator which addresses the difficulty in maintaining a satisfactory solution near discontinuities in the solution field. The shock capturing operator, which has been derived from work done in entropy variables for a similar operator, is shown to lead to an appropriate level of additional stabilization near shocks, without resulting in excessive numerical diffusion. An implicit treatment of the impermeable wall boundary condition is also presented. This treatment of the no-penetration condition offers increased stability for large Courant numbers, and accelerated convergence of the computations for both implicit and explicit applications. Several examples are presented to demonstrate the ability of this method to solve the equations governing compressible fluid flow.

Le Beau, G. J.↗

An L-U implicit multigrid algorithm for the three-dimensional Euler equations

An LU implicit multigrid scheme is developed for the calculation of three-dimensional transonic flow through rotating cascades. This numerical method solves the unsteady Euler equations of gas dynamics in a finite-volume form. The implicit scheme makes it possible to take a much larger time step than is normally permitted in most explicit schemes, while the multigrid method is incorporated to accelerate the convergence rate for steady state calculations. Using this method, computational storage requirements are comparable to those of explicit schemes, while operation counts are considerably less than those found in the more widely-used ADI schemes.

Yokota, Jeffrey W.↗

An implicit-iterative solution of the heat conduction equation with a radiation boundary condition

For the problem of predicting one-dimensional heat transfer between conducting and radiating mediums by an implicit finite difference method, four different formulations were used to approximate the surface radiation boundary condition while retaining an implicit formulation for the interior temperature nodes. These formulations are an explicit boundary condition, a linearized boundary condition, an iterative boundary condition, and a semi-iterative boundary method. The results of these methods in predicting surface temperature on the space shuttle orbiter thermal protection system model under a variety of heating rates were compared. The iterative technique caused the surface temperature to be bounded at each step. While the linearized and explicit methods were generally more efficient, the iterative and semi-iterative techniques provided a realistic surface temperature response without requiring step size control techniques.

Williams, S. D.↗

One-sweep moment-based semi-implicit-explicit integration for gray thermal radiation transport

Thermal radiation transport (TRT) is a time dependent, high dimensional partial integro-differential equation. In practical applications such as inertial confinement fusion, TRT is coupled to other physics such as hydrodynamics, plasmas, etc., and the timescales one is interested in capturing are often much slower than the radiation timescale. As a result, TRT is treated implicitly, and due to its stiffness and high dimensionality, is often a dominant computational cost in multiphysics simulations. Here we develop a new approach for implicit-explicit (IMEX) integration of gray TRT in the deterministic SN setting, which requires only one sweep per stage, with the simplest first-order method requiring only one sweep per time step. The partitioning of equations is done via a moment-based high-order low-order formulation of TRT, where the streaming operator and first two moments are used to capture the asymptotic stiff regimes of the streaming limit and diffusion limit. Absorption-reemission is treated explicitly, and although stiff, is sufficiently damped by the implicit solve that we achieve stable accurate time integration without incorporating the coupling of the high order and low order equations implicitly. Due to nonlinear coupling of the high-order and low-order equations through temperature-dependent opacities, to facilitate IMEX partitioning and higher-order methods, we use a semi-implicit integration approach amenable to nonlinear partitions. In conclusion, results are demonstrated on thick Marshak and crooked pipe benchmark problems, demonstrating orders of magnitude improvement in accuracy and wallclock compared with the standard first-order implicit integration typically used.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

A Navier-Strokes Chimera Code on the Connection Machine CM-5: Design and Performance

We have implemented a three-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes code on the Connection Machine CM-5. The code is set up for implicit time-stepping on single or multiple structured grids. For multiple grids and geometrically complex problems, we follow the 'chimera' approach, where flow data on one zone is interpolated onto another in the region of overlap. We will describe our design philosophy and give some timing results for the current code. A parallel machine like the CM-5 is well-suited for finite-difference methods on structured grids. The regular pattern of connections of a structured mesh maps well onto the architecture of the machine. So the first design choice, finite differences on a structured mesh, is natural. We use centered differences in space, with added artificial dissipation terms. When numerically solving the Navier-Stokes equations, there are liable to be some mesh cells near a solid body that are small in at least one direction. This mesh cell geometry can impose a very severe CFL (Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy) condition on the time step for explicit time-stepping methods. Thus, though explicit time-stepping is well-suited to the architecture of the machine, we have adopted implicit time-stepping. We have further taken the approximate factorization approach. This creates the need to solve large banded linear systems and creates the first possible barrier to an efficient algorithm. To overcome this first possible barrier we have considered two options. The first is just to solve the banded linear systems with data spread over the whole machine, using whatever fast method is available. This option is adequate for solving scalar tridiagonal systems, but for scalar pentadiagonal or block tridiagonal systems it is somewhat slower than desired. The second option is to 'transpose' the flow and geometry variables as part of the time-stepping process: Start with x-lines of data in-processor. Form explicit terms in x, then transpose so y-lines of data are in-processor. Form explicit terms in y, then transpose so z-lines are in processor. Form explicit terms in z, then solve linear systems in the z-direction. Transpose to the y-direction, then solve linear systems in the y-direction. Finally transpose to the x direction and solve linear systems in the x-direction. This strategy avoids inter-processor communication when differencing and solving linear systems, but requires a large amount of communication when doing the transposes. The transpose method is more efficient than the non-transpose strategy when dealing with scalar pentadiagonal or block tridiagonal systems. For handling geometrically complex problems the chimera strategy was adopted. For multiple zone cases we compute on each zone sequentially (using the whole parallel machine), then send the chimera interpolation data to a distributed data structure (array) laid out over the whole machine. This information transfer implies an irregular communication pattern, and is the second possible barrier to an efficient algorithm. We have implemented these ideas on the CM-5 using CMF (Connection Machine Fortran), a data parallel language which combines elements of Fortran 90 and certain extensions, and which bears a strong similarity to High Performance Fortran. We make use of the Connection Machine Scientific Software Library (CMSSL) for the linear solver and array transpose operations.

Jespersen, Dennis C.↗

Application of the implicit MacCormack scheme to the parabolized Navier-Stokes equations

MacCormack's implicit finite-difference scheme was used to solve the two-dimensional parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) equations. This method for solving the PNS equations does not require the inversion of block tridiagonal systems of algebraic equations and permits the original explicit MacCormack scheme to be employed in those regions where implicit treatment is not needed. The advantages and disadvantages of the present adaptation are discussed in relation to those of the conventional Beam-Warming scheme for a flat plate boundary layer test case. Comparisons are made for accuracy, stability, computer time, computer storage, and ease of implementation. The present method was also applied to a second test case of hypersonic laminar flow over a 15% compression corner. The computed results compare favorably with experiment and a numerical solution of the complete Navier-Stokes equations.

Lawrence, J. L.↗

The computation of isentropic atmospheric trajectories using a 'discrete model' formulation

An explicit technique for calculating atmospheric trajectories is presented as an alternative method to the standard implicit scheme of Danielsen (1961). The technique uses the inviscid equations of motion and the discrete model formulation derived by Greenspan (1972, 1973) to compute trajectories on isentropic surfaces, assuming adiabatic flow. The discrete model formulation is designed specifically for a Lagrangian system and objectively accounts for the geostrophic departures, local psi-tendencies, and the subsequent accelerations along the entire length of the trajectory. Application of the discrete formulation to a diagnostic case study yielded favorable results.

Petersen, R. A.↗

Design of a cooperative problem-solving system for en-route flight planning: An empirical evaluation

Both optimization techniques and expert systems technologies are popular approaches for developing tools to assist in complex problem-solving tasks. Because of the underlying complexity of many such tasks, however, the models of the world implicitly or explicitly embedded in such tools are often incomplete and the problem-solving methods fallible. The result can be 'brittleness' in situations that were not anticipated by the system designers. To deal with this weakness, it has been suggested that 'cooperative' rather than 'automated' problem-solving systems be designed. Such cooperative systems are proposed to explicitly enhance the collaboration of the person (or a group of people) and the computer system. This study evaluates the impact of alternative design concepts on the performance of 30 airline pilots interacting with such a cooperative system designed to support en-route flight planning. The results clearly demonstrate that different system design concepts can strongly influence the cognitive processes and resultant performances of users. Based on think-aloud protocols, cognitive models are proposed to account for how features of the computer system interacted with specific types of scenarios to influence exploration and decision making by the pilots. The results are then used to develop recommendations for guiding the design of cooperative systems.

Layton, Charles↗

Design of a cooperative problem-solving system for en-route flight planning: An empirical evaluation

Both optimization techniques and expert systems technologies are popular approaches for developing tools to assist in complex problem-solving tasks. Because of the underlying complexity of many such tasks, however, the models of the world implicitly or explicitly embedded in such tools are often incomplete and the problem-solving methods fallible. The result can be 'brittleness' in situations that were not anticipated by the system designers. To deal with this weakness, it has been suggested that 'cooperative' rather than 'automated' problem-solving systems be designed. Such cooperative systems are proposed to explicitly enhance the collaboration of the person (or a group of people) and the computer system. This study evaluates the impact of alternative design concepts on the performance of 30 airline pilots interacting with such a cooperative system designed to support enroute flight planning. The results clearly demonstrate that different system design concepts can strongly influence the cognitive processes and resultant performances of users. Based on think-aloud protocols, cognitive models are proposed to account for how features of the computer system interacted with specific types of scenarios to influence exploration and decision making by the pilots. The results are then used to develop recommendations for guiding the design of cooperative systems.

Layton, Charles↗

A cubic spline approximation for problems in fluid mechanics

A cubic spline approximation is presented which is suited for many fluid-mechanics problems. This procedure provides a high degree of accuracy, even with a nonuniform mesh, and leads to an accurate treatment of derivative boundary conditions. The truncation errors and stability limitations of several implicit and explicit integration schemes are presented. For two-dimensional flows, a spline-alternating-direction-implicit method is evaluated. The spline procedure is assessed, and results are presented for the one-dimensional nonlinear Burgers' equation, as well as the two-dimensional diffusion equation and the vorticity-stream function system describing the viscous flow in a driven cavity. Comparisons are made with analytic solutions for the first two problems and with finite-difference calculations for the cavity flow.

Rubin, S. G.↗

An efficient numerical method for solving the time-dependent compressible Navier-Stokes equations at high Reynolds number

A fine-mesh method incorporating two new operators, which drastically reduces the computation time, has been developed for solving the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations at flight Reynolds numbers. The approach time-splits the equations into a hyperbolic part and a parabolic part, solves the hyperbolic part by a new explicit numerical method based on characteristics theory, and solves the parabolic part by a new efficient implicit parabolic method. The method has reduced the computation time by one and two orders of magnitude from that required previously to solve for the interaction of a shock wave with a boundary layer on a flat plate.

Maccormack, R. W.↗

Numerical approach for the aerodynamic analysis if airfoils with laminar separation

A numerical method for simultaneously and efficiently coupling an external subsonic potential flow and an interior viscous flow such that the two flows match at an interfacing boundary is discussed. Both a panel method and a simple point compressible vortex model are used for the outer potential field. The interior flow solvers which were used are the Navier-Stokes and Euler codes of T. J. Coakley and the Euler code of A. Verhoff. In order to test compatibility, the panel method is coupled to the less expensive Euler codes since the coupling procedure is identical with the Navier-Stokes code. The results show significant efficiency improvements can be obtained over the uncoupled approach. Results also indicate the outer potential flow is best represented by the simple point compressible vortex model. The panel method couples smoothly to Coakley's implicit code but is numerically incompatible as coupled with the explicit Euler code. An improved Navier-Stokes code is under initial development which extends the Euler code to include the necessary viscous terms. Results are shown for all infinite length channel with one wavy periodic wall with and without laminar separation.

Halt, D. W.↗

Intrastep, Stage-Value Predictors for Diagonally-Implicit Runge-Kutta Methods

To better identify the necessary attributes of good stage-value predictors (SVPs), numerous SVPs are designed for an existing: ESDIRK4(3)7L[2]SA [26] and a new: ESDIRK4(3)8L[2]SA scheme.1 Both are stifflyaccurate, stage-order two, explicit, singly-diagonally implicit Runge–Kutta (ESDIRK) schemes. Tradeoffs are studied in the parameter spaces enforcing the constraints on accuracy, linear stability, nonlinear stability and coefficient size to determine which objectives correlate with effective predictors. The SVPs are tested on three challenging external aerodynamics problems [107 − 108 degrees of freedom (DoFs)], each with a different level of stiffness. The problems include two 3D airfoils simulations and one canonical turbulence simulation. All simulations use the compressible Navier-Stokes equations (CNSE). An entropy stable spectral collocation formulation is used for discretizing the spatial terms in the equations. Simulations are performed at a wide variety of temporal error tolerances. Problems that are sufficiently stiff (e.g., lax temporal error tolerances) benefit from SVPs designed with second-order accuracy and stability properties: A-stability, and L-stability, rather than high accuracy constraints. Simulations with modest stiffness (e.g., strict error tolerances) are better suited for SVPs designed using high accuracy constraints. Designing SVPs with enhanced stability properties is tedious but worthwhile. Simulation times are reduced with optimal SVPs by as much as 100% on some stages, with combined stepwise improvements of between 50 − 100% for both methods. A comparative study is performed with the two aforementioned methods as well as four other ESDIRKs. The newly designed ESDIRK4(3)8L[2]SA with γ ≈ 1/10, proves to be the most efficient of the six tested ESDIRK schemes simulating the CNSE.

Diagonally-Implicit Runge-Kutta↗

Virtual-pulse time integral methodology: A new explicit approach for computational dynamics - Theoretical developments for general nonlinear structural dynamics

The present paper describes a new explicit virtual-pulse time integral methodology for nonlinear structural dynamics problems. The purpose of the paper is to provide the theoretical basis of the methodology and to demonstrate applicability of the proposed formulations to nonlinear dynamic structures. Different from the existing numerical methods such as direct time integrations or mode superposition techniques, the proposed methodology offers new perspectives and methodology of development, and possesses several unique and attractive computational characteristics. The methodology is tested and compared with the implicit Newmark method (trapezoidal rule) through a nonlinear softening and hardening spring dynamic models. The numerical results indicate that the proposed explicit virtual-pulse time integral methodology is an excellent alternative for solving general nonlinear dynamic problems.

Chen, Xiaoqin↗

Reliability enhancement of Navier-Stokes codes through convergence enhancement

Reduction of total computing time required by an iterative algorithm for solving Navier-Stokes equations is an important aspect of making the existing and future analysis codes more cost effective. Several attempts have been made to accelerate the convergence of an explicit Runge-Kutta time-stepping algorithm. These acceleration methods are based on local time stepping, implicit residual smoothing, enthalpy damping, and multigrid techniques. Also, an extrapolation procedure based on the power method and the Minimal Residual Method (MRM) were applied to the Jameson's multigrid algorithm. The MRM uses same values of optimal weights for the corrections to every equation in a system and has not been shown to accelerate the scheme without multigriding. Our Distributed Minimal Residual (DMR) method based on our General Nonlinear Minimal Residual (GNLMR) method allows each component of the solution vector in a system of equations to have its own convergence speed. The DMR method was found capable of reducing the computation time by 10-75 percent depending on the test case and grid used. Recently, we have developed and tested a new method termed Sensitivity Based DMR or SBMR method that is easier to implement in different codes and is even more robust and computationally efficient than our DMR method.

Choi, K.-Y.↗