ISSN:
0271-2091
Keywords:
Variable Penalty Method
;
Penalty Finite Element Analysis
;
Rotating Flow
;
Engineering
;
Engineering General
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
Notes:
A new scheme is applied for increasing the accuracy of the penalty finite element method for incompressible flow by systematically varying from element to element the sign and magnitude of the penalty parameter λ, which enters through ∇.v + p/λ = 0, an approximation to the incompressibility constraint. Not only is the error in this approximation reduced beyond that achievable with a constant λ, but also digital truncation error is lowered when it is aggravated by large variations in element size, a critical problem when the discretization must resolve thin boundary layers. The magnitude of the penalty parameter can be chosen smaller than when λ is constant, which also reduces digital truncation error; hence a shorter word-length computer is more likely to succeed. Error estimates of the method are reviewed. Boundary conditions which circumvent the hazards of aphysical pressure modes are catalogued for the finite element basis set chosen here. In order to compare performance, the variable penalty method is pitted against the conventional penalty method with constant λ in several Stokes flow case studies.
Additional Material:
16 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/fld.1650050903
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