Implementation of CLEAR algorithm on non‐orthogonal curvilinear co‐ordinates for solution of incompressible flow and heat transfer

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, the CLEAR (coupled and linked equations algorithm revised) algorithm is extended to non‐orthogonal curvilinear collocated grids. The CLEAR algorithm does not introduce pressure correction in order to obtain an incompressible flow field which satisfies the mass conservation law. Rather, it improves the intermediate velocity by solving an improved pressure equation to make the algorithm fully implicit since there is no term omitted in the derivation process. In the extension of CLEAR algorithm from a staggered grid system in Cartesian coordinates to collocated grids in non‐orthogonal curvilinear coordinates, three important issues are appropriately treated so that the extended CLEAR can lead to a unique solution without oscillation of pressure field and with high robustness. These three issues are (1) solution independency on the under‐relaxation factor; (2) strong coupling between velocity and pressure; and (3) treatment of the cross pressure gradient terms. The flow and heat transfer problems in a rectangular enclosure with an internal eccentric circle and the flow in a lid‐driven inclined cavity are computed by using the extended CLEAR. The results show that the extended CLEAR can guarantee the solution independency on the under‐relaxation factor, the smoothness of pressure profile even at very small under‐relaxation factor and good robustness which leads to a converged solution for the small inclined angle of 5° only with 5‐point computational molecule while the extended SIMPLE‐series algorithm usually can get a converged solution for the inclined angle larger than 30° under the same condition. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.