International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids

Biausser, Benjamin; Guignard, Stephan; Marcer, Richard; Fraunié, Philippe

doi: 10.1002/fld.708pmid: N/A

This paper describes the development of a semi‐Lagrangian computational method for simulating complex 3D two phase flows. The Navier–Stokes equations are solved separately in both fluids using a robust pseudo‐compressibility method able to deal with high density ratio. The interface tracking is achieved by the segment Lagrangian volume of fluid (SL‐VOF) method. The 2D SL‐VOF method using the concepts of VOF, piecewise linear interface calculation (PLIC) and Lagrangian advection of the interface is herein extended to 3D flows. Three different test cases of SL‐VOF 3D are presented for validation and comparison either with 2D flows or with other numerical methods. A good agreement is observed in each case. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Eskilsson, C.; Sherwin, S. J.

doi: 10.1002/fld.709pmid: N/A

We present a spectral/hp element discontinuous Galerkin model for simulating shallow water flows on unstructured triangular meshes. The model uses an orthogonal modal expansion basis of arbitrary order for the spatial discretization and a third‐order Runge–Kutta scheme to advance in time. The local elements are coupled together by numerical fluxes, evaluated using the HLLC Riemann solver. We apply the model to test cases involving smooth flows and demonstrate the exponentially fast convergence with regard to polynomial order. We also illustrate that even for results of ‘engineering accuracy’ the computational efficiency increases with increasing order of the model and time of integration. The model is found to be robust in the presence of shocks where Gibbs oscillations can be suppressed by slope limiting. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Lin, Pengzhi

doi: 10.1002/fld.716pmid: N/A

The mild slope equation has been widely used to describe combined wave refraction and diffraction. In this study, a new numerical algorithm is developed to solve the time‐dependent mild slope equation in a second‐order hyperbolic form. The numerical algorithm is based on a compact and explicit finite difference method that is second‐order accurate in both time and space. The algorithm has the similar structure to the leap‐frog method but is constructed on three time levels for the second‐order time derivative term. The numerical model has the capability of simulating transient wave motion by correctly predicting the speed of wave energy propagation, which is important for the real‐time forecast of the arrival time of storm waves generated in the far field. The model is validated against analytical solution for wave shoaling and experimental data for combined wave refraction and diffraction over a submerged elliptic shoal on a slope (Coastal Eng. 1982; 6:255). Lastly, the realistic scale Homma's island (Geophys. Mag. 1950; 21:199) is studied with the use of various wave periods of T = 720s, T = 120 s, and T = 24 s. These wave periods correspond to long, intermediate, and short waves for the given topography, respectively. Comparisons are made between numerical results and existing analytical solutions in terms of the wave amplification around the island, which serves as the indicator for the potential wave runup. Excellent agreements are obtained. The model runs on a PC (Pentium IV 1.8GHz) and the computer capacity allows the computation of a mesh system up to 3000 × 3000, which is equivalent to about 150 × 150 waves or a large area of 540km × 540km for a wave train with the period of T = 60 s. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Beji, S.; Barlas, B.

doi: 10.1002/fld.721pmid: N/A

A vertically integrated non‐linear dispersive wave model is expressed in non‐orthogonal curvilinear co‐ordinate system for simulating shallow or deep water wave motions in regions of arbitrary geometry. Both dependent and independent variables are transformed so that an irregular physical domain is converted into a rectangular computational domain with contravariant velocities. Thus, the wall condition for enclosures surrounding a typical physical domain, such as a channel, port or harbor, is satisfied accurately and easily. The numerical scheme is based on staggered grid finite‐difference approximations, which result in implicit formulations for the momentum equations and semi‐explicit formulation for the continuity equation. Test cases of linear wave propagation in converging, diverging and circular channels are performed to check the reliability of model simulations against the analytical solutions. Cnoidal waves of different steepness values in a circular channel are also considered as examples to non‐linear wave propagation within curved walls. In closing, remarks concerning versatility and practical uses of the numerical model are made. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Shi, J.‐M.; Breuer, M.; Durst, F.

doi: 10.1002/fld.722pmid: N/A

A combined analytical–numerical method based on a matching asymptotic algorithm is proposed for treating angular (sharp corner or wedge) singularities in the numerical solution of the Navier–Stokes equations. We adopt an asymptotic solution for the local flow around the angular points based on the Stokes flow approximation and a numerical solution for the global flow outside the singular regions using a finite‐volume method. The coefficients involved in the analytical solution are iteratively updated by matching both solutions in a small region where the Stokes flow approximation holds. Moreover, an error analysis is derived for this method, which serves as a guideline for the practical implementation. The present method is applied to treat the leading‐edge singularity of a semi‐infinite plate. The effect of various influencing factors related to the implementation are evaluated with the help of numerical experiments. The investigation showed that the accuracy of the numerical solution for the flow around the leading edge can be significantly improved with the present method. The results of the numerical experiments support the error analysis and show the desired properties of the new algorithm, i.e. accuracy, robustness and efficiency. Based on the numerical results for the leading‐edge singularity, the validity of various classical approximate models for the flow, such as the Stokes approximation, the inviscid flow model and the boundary layer theory of varying orders are examined. Although the methodology proposed was evaluated for the leading‐edge problem, it is generally applicable to all kinds of angular singularities and all kinds of finite‐discretization methods. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.