Accelerated convergence of the numerical simulation of incompressible flow in general curvilinear co-ordinates by discretizations on overset grids

Abstract

The convergence rate of a methodology for solving incompressible flow in general curvilinear co-ordinates is analyzed. Overset grids (double-staggered grids type), each defined by the same boundaries as the physical domain are used for discretization. Both grids are Marker and Cell (MAC) quadrilateral meshes with scalar variables (pressure, temperature, etc.) arranged at the center and the Cartesian velocity components at the middle of the sides of the mesh. The problem was checked against benchmark solutions of natural convection in a squeezed cavity, heat transfer in concentric and eccentric horizontal cylindrical annuli and hot cylinder in a duct. Convergence properties of Poisson’s pressure equations which arise from application of the SIMPLE-like procedure are analyzed by several methods: successive overrelaxation, symmetric successive overrelaxation, modified incomplete factorization, and conjugate gradient. A genetic algorithm was developed to solve problems of numerical optimization of calculation time, in a space of iteration numbers and relaxation factors. The application provides a means of making an unbiased comparison between the double-staggered grids method and the standard interpolation method. Furthermore, the convergence rate was demonstrated with the well-known calculation of natural convection heat transfer in concentric horizontal cylindrical annuli. Calculation times when double staggered grids were used were 6–10 times shorter than those achieved by interpolation.