Laminar and turbulent incompressible fluid flow analysis with heat transfer by the finite element method

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:7018922

Cochran, R J

A study of the finite element method applied to two-dimensional incompressible fluid flow analysis with heat transfer is performed using a mixed Galerkin finite element method with the primitive variable form of the model equations. Four biquadratic, quadrilateral elements are compared in this study--the serendipity biquadratic element with bilinear continuous pressure interpolation (Q2(8)-Q1) and the Lagrangian biquadratic element with bilinear continuous pressure interpolation (Q2-Q1) of the Taylor-Hood form. A modified form of the Q2-Q1 element is also studied. The pressure interpolation is augmented by a discontinuous constant shape function for pressure (Q2-Q1+). The discontinuous pressure element formulation makes use of biquadratic shape functions and a discontinuous linear interpolation of the pressure (Q2-P1(3)). Laminar flow solutions, with heat transfer, are compared to analytical and computational benchmarks for flat channel, backward-facing step and buoyancy driven flow in a square cavity. It is shown that the discontinuous pressure elements provide superior solution characteristics over the continuous pressure elements. Highly accurate heat transfer solutions are obtained and the Q2-P1(3) element is chosen for extension to turbulent flow simulations. Turbulent flow solutions are presented for both low turbulence Reynolds number and high Reynolds number formulations of two-equation turbulence models. The following three forms of the length scale transport equation are studied; the turbulence energy dissipation rate ([var epsilon]), the turbulence frequency ([omega]) and the turbulence time scale (tau). It is shown that the low turbulence Reynolds number model consisting of the K - [tau] transport equations, coupled with the damping functions of Shih and Hsu, provides an optimal combination of numerical stability and solution accuracy for the flat channel flow.

• Research Organization: Washington Univ., Seattle, WA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 7018922
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420400* -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
CALCULATION METHODS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUATIONS
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
FLUID FLOW
HEAT TRANSFER
INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOW
NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
SIMULATION