An implicit conformation tensor decoupling approach for viscoelastic flow simulation within the monolithic projection framework

Abstract

The highly nonlinear nature of the system governing equations makes it difficult to simulate viscoelastic flows efficiently. In this paper, an implicit decoupling approach is proposed for the viscoelastic flow simulation with a monolithic projection method. The decoupling approach can be derived from the approximate block factorization at the matrix level, which has been successfully applied into the Newtonian flow simulations. In our work, we extend this approach to decouple the pressure, conformation tensor and velocity from the viscoelastic flow system sequentially. Firstly, the pressure-conformation tensor-velocity decoupling is realized by a two-step approximate factorization. By combining the conformation tensor and velocity together at the first-step factorization, the original efficient pressure Poisson solver for the Newtonian flow simulation can be directly adopted in the present framework for non-Newtonian flow simulation. Secondly, the conformation tensor components are further decoupled from each other by the present component-decoupling approach. Then all quantities, including pressure, conformation tensor and velocity, can be resolved without iteration. Additionally, the accuracy corrector is proposed to access the prior scheme limiter-estimation problem introduced by the implicit high-resolution scheme. We numerically demonstrate that all quantities preserve the second-order accuracy in time and space as expected by the theoretical splitting errors. Finally, several different types of canonical benchmark flow examples are conducted to validate the present solver, including laminar flow, turbulent drag-reducing flow and the rotation of a spherical particle immersed in a sheared viscoelastic fluid.