CFD Simulation Mathematical Foundations
Overview
This document provides the mathematical foundations and references for each function in multigrid_corrected.c, which implements a lid-driven cavity flow simulation using the vorticity-streamfunction formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations.
1. Main Governing Equations
Navier-Stokes Equations in Vorticity-Streamfunction Form
Mathematical Formulation:
Velocity-Streamfunction Relations:
References:
- Ghia, U., Ghia, K.N., Shin, C.T. (1982). “High-Re solutions for incompressible flow using the Navier-Stokes equations and a multigrid method.” Journal of Computational Physics, 48(3), 387-411.
- Peyret, R., Taylor, T.D. (1983). Computational Methods for Fluid Flow. Springer-Verlag.
2. Function-by-Function Analysis
2.1 compute_boundary_conditions()
Purpose: Apply no-slip boundary conditions for vorticity and streamfunction
Mathematical Foundation:
For no-slip walls, the vorticity boundary condition is derived from:
Discretized Forms:
Bottom Wall (stationary):
Top Wall (moving lid with
Left/Right Walls (stationary):
Streamfunction Boundary Conditions:
References:
- Fletcher, C.A.J. (1988). Computational Techniques for Fluid Dynamics Vol. II. Springer-Verlag, Chapter 9.
- Anderson, J.D. (1995). Computational Fluid Dynamics: The Basics with Applications. McGraw-Hill, Chapter 7.
2.2 solve_poisson_sor()
Purpose: Solve the Poisson equation
Mathematical Foundation:
The 2D Poisson equation is discretized using a 5-point stencil:
SOR Update Formula:
where
References:
- Young, D.M. (1971). Iterative Solution of Large Linear Systems. Academic Press.
- Varga, R.S. (2000). Matrix Iterative Analysis. Springer-Verlag, Chapter 4.
2.3 compute_convection()
Purpose: Compute convection terms
Mathematical Foundation:
Using 2nd order central differences:
Velocity Computation:
Vorticity Gradients:
Convection Term:
References:
- Roache, P.J. (1998). Fundamentals of Computational Fluid Dynamics. Hermosa Publishers, Chapter 3.
- Hirsch, C. (1988). Numerical Computation of Internal and External Flows Vol. 1. John Wiley & Sons, Chapter 5.
2.4 solve_vorticity_adi()
Purpose: Solve vorticity transport equation using explicit method
Mathematical Foundation:
The vorticity transport equation is discretized as:
Diffusion Terms (2nd order central difference):
Update Formula:
Stability Condition:
References:
- Smith, G.D. (1985). Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations: Finite Difference Methods. Oxford University Press, Chapter 3.
- Morton, K.W., Mayers, D.F. (2005). Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations. Cambridge University Press, Chapter 2.
2.5 compute_velocities()
Purpose: Compute velocity components from streamfunction
Mathematical Foundation:
Direct application of velocity-streamfunction relations:
Interior Points:
Boundary Conditions:
- Top wall (moving lid):
, - Bottom, left, right walls:
, (no-slip)
References:
- Batchelor, G.K. (2000). An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics. Cambridge University Press, Chapter 2.
- White, F.M. (2006). Viscous Fluid Flow. McGraw-Hill, Chapter 3.
3. Numerical Method Classification
Method Type: Fractional Step Method with Vorticity-Streamfunction Formulation
Algorithm Structure:
- Step 1: Update vorticity using transport equation (explicit)
- Step 2: Apply vorticity boundary conditions
- Step 3: Solve Poisson equation for streamfunction (SOR)
- Step 4: Compute velocities from streamfunction
- Step 5: Check convergence and repeat
Overall Method References:
- Chorin, A.J. (1967). “A numerical method for solving incompressible viscous flow problems.” Journal of Computational Physics, 2(1), 12-26.
- Kim, J., Moin, P. (1985). “Application of a fractional-step method to incompressible Navier-Stokes equations.” Journal of Computational Physics, 59(2), 308-323.
4. Convergence and Stability Analysis
Stability Conditions
CFL Condition (Convection):
Diffusion Stability:
Current Parameters:
✓
Convergence Criterion
References:
- Courant, R., Friedrichs, K., Lewy, H. (1928). “Über die partiellen Differenzengleichungen der mathematischen Physik.” Mathematische Annalen, 100(1), 32-74.
- Von Neumann, J., Richtmyer, R.D. (1950). “A method for the numerical calculation of hydrodynamic shocks.” Journal of Applied Physics, 21(3), 232-237.
5. Benchmark Problem
Ghia et al. (1982) Lid-Driven Cavity
Problem Setup:
- Square cavity:
- Top wall:
, (moving lid) - Other walls:
(no-slip) - Reynolds number:
Expected Results at
Grid Resolution:
References:
- Ghia, U., Ghia, K.N., Shin, C.T. (1982). “High-Re solutions for incompressible flow using the Navier-Stokes equations and a multigrid method.” Journal of Computational Physics, 48(3), 387-411.
Summary
This implementation uses well-established numerical methods:
- Time Integration: Explicit finite difference
- Spatial Discretization: 2nd order central differences
- Poisson Solver: SOR iterative method
- Boundary Conditions: Accurate no-slip implementation
The code follows the mathematical formulations presented in the referenced literature and implements numerically stable algorithms suitable for high Reynolds number flows.