Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Research Articles

An Analytical Solution for Variable Viscosity Flow in Fractured Media: Development and Comparative Analysis With Numerical Simulations

AbstractExplicit fracture models often use analytical solutions for predicting flow in fractured media, usually assuming uniform fluid viscosity for simplicity. This assumption, however, can be inaccurate as fluid viscosity varies due to factors like composition, temperature, and dissolved substances. Our study, recognizing these discrepancies, abandons this uniform viscosity assumption for a more realistic model of variable viscosity flow, focusing on viscous displacement scenarios. This includes instances like injecting viscous surfactants for hydrocarbon recovery in fractured reservoirs or soil decontamination. This presents a significant challenge, enhancing our understanding of transport within fractures, mainly governed by advection. Our study centers on a low‐permeability rock matrix intersected by two fractures with variable apertures. We employ two methods: an analytical approach with a new solution and numerical simulations with two distinct in‐house codes, discretizing both the rock matrix and fractures with two‐dimensional triangular elements. The first code uses a Discontinuous Galerkin finite element method, while the second utilizes a finite‐volume method, allowing a comprehensive comparison of solutions. Additionally, we investigate parameter identifiability, like fracture apertures and viscosity ratios, using breakthrough curves from our analytical solution, applying the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique.

Finite element modeling of infrasound resonance in an underground tunnel structure

Recent observations of acoustic/infrasound signals emanating from an underground mine in central Utah show a spectral signature consisting of several dominant harmonics whose amplitude decay rate increases with frequency. This spectral character is consistent with a model in which the observed signals are generated from acoustic resonance within the mine tunnels. I present models of these signals computed using a discontinuous-Galerkin finite element formulation. The mesh geometry of these models is based on the known geometry of the mine tunnels obtained using traditional survey methods. Explosion source locations in the mine are known from previous analysis of seismic signals and operator logs and are associated with observations of infrasound resonance at multiple far-field stations. I explore the sensitivity of the modeled signals to changes in the source spectrum, boundary conditions within in the mine and perturbations to tunnel geometry. I discuss the possible application of my results to volcanic monitoring, industrial monitoring of underground structures, and the possible determination of underground tunnel geometries using far-field observations of acoustic resonance.

A fully implicit edge/face centered discontinuous Galerkin / mixed finite element scheme for the advection-dispersion equation

Mixed Finite Element (MFE) method is a robust numerical technique for solving elliptic and parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs). However, MFE can generate solutions with strong unphysical oscillations and/or large numerical diffusion for hyperbolic type PDEs. For its part, Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite element method is well adapted to solve hyperbolic systems and can accurately reproduce solutions involving sharp fronts. Therefore, the combination of DG and MFE is a good strategy for solving hyperbolic/parabolic problems such as advection – diffusion/dispersion equations. The classical formulation of the two methods is based on operator and time splitting allowing for separate solutions to advection with an explicit scheme and to dispersion with an implicit scheme. However, this kind of approach has the following drawbacks: (i) it lacks efficiency, as two systems with different unknowns are solved at each time step, (ii) it induces errors generated by the splitting, (iii) it can be CPU wise-expensive because of the CFL constraint, and (iv) it cannot be employed for steady-state transport simulations.To overcome these difficulties, we develop in this work a fully implicit edge/face centered DG-MFE formulation where the two methods share the same unknowns. In this formulation, the DG method is developed on lumping regions associated with the mesh edges/faces instead of mesh elements. Thus, the traces of concentration at mesh edges/faces, which are the Degrees Of Freedom (DOF) of the hybrid-MFE, are also part of the DOFs of the DG. The temporal discretization is based on the Crank–Nicolson method for both advection and dispersion. Numerical tests are performed to validate the new scheme by comparison against an analytical solution and to show its ability to handle steady-state transport simulations.The procedure is developed for 2D triangular meshes but can easily be extended to other 2D and 3D shape elements.

A discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for the Oldroyd model of order one

In this work, we analyze a discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for the equations of motion that arise in the 2D Oldroyd model of order one. We investigate the existence and uniqueness of semidiscrete discontinuous solutions, as well as the consistency of the scheme. We derive new a priori and regularity results for the discrete solution and establish optimal error estimates in ‐norm in time and energy norm in space for the velocity and ‐norm in both time and space for the pressure. Uniform estimates are derived for sufficiently small data. We next apply the backward Euler method to the semidiscrete formulation and establish optimal fully discrete error estimates. At the end, we conduct numerical experiments to support our theoretical results and analyze the findings.

A Discontinuous Galerkin–Finite Element Method for the Nonlinear Unsteady Burning Rate Responses of Solid Propellants

The unsteady combustion of solid propellants under oscillating environments is the key to understanding the combustion instability inside solid rocket motors. The discontinuous Galerkin–finite element method (DG-FEM) is introduced to provide an efficient yet flexible numerical platform to investigate the combustion dynamics of solid propellants. The algorithm is developed for the classical unsteady model, the Zel’dovich–Novozhilov model. It is then validated based on a special analytical solution. The DG-FEM algorithm is then compared with the classical spectral method based on Laguerre polynomials. It is shown that the DG-FEM works more efficiently than the traditional spectral method, providing a more accurate solution with a lower computational cost.

A Stokes–Darcy–Darcy model and its discontinuous Galerkin method on polytopic grids

In this paper, we propose and numerically solve a model considering confined flow in fractured porous media coupled with free flow in conduits. Such a situation arises, for example, for fluid flows in fractured vuggy carbonate reservoirs and caves/conduits, where a matrix and fractures are the main spaces for fluid storage and flow. The flow in caves and conduits is governed by the Stokes equation; the flow in fractured porous media, which consists of both a matrix and fractures, is described by a coupled Darcy–Darcy (bulk–fracture) model. Then, the two models are coupled through suitable (physically consistent) interface conditions on the interface between fractured porous media and caves/conduits, playing a key role in a physically faithful simulation that achieves high accuracy. The construction of all the interface conditions of the coupled model is based on the fundamental properties of the traditional bulk–fracture model and the well-known Stokes–Darcy model. The weak formulation is derived for the proposed model, and the well-posedness of the model is theoretically analyzed. We also propose a polyhedral discontinuous Galerkin finite element approximation for the Stokes flow in conduits and Darcy flow in the porous matrix, which is coupled with a conforming finite element scheme for the flow in the fracture. Optimal error estimates in a suitable energy norm are obtained. Two-dimensional numerical experiments are conducted to validate the proposed model and to demonstrate the features of both the model and the numerical method, such as the optimal convergence rate of the numerical solution; the detail flow characteristics around fractures, the matrix, and conduits; and the applicability to real-world problems.

Numerical simulation of CO2-enhanced oil recovery in fractured shale reservoirs using discontinuous and continuous Galerkin finite element methods

Introduction: This study explores the potential of enhancing shale oil recovery and reducing CO2 emissions through CO2 injection in fractured shale reservoirs. The importance of this approach lies in its dual benefit: improving oil extraction efficiency and addressing environmental concerns associated with CO2 emissions.Method: We employed a discrete fracture-matrix model to simulate CO2 flooding in fractured shale reservoirs, utilizing both discontinuous Galerkin (DG) and continuous Galerkin (CG) finite element methods. The DG-CG FEM’s accuracy was validated against the McWhorter problem, ensuring the reliability of the simulation results. Our model also considered various factors, including reservoir heterogeneity, fracture permeability, CO2 injection volume, and gas injection patterns, to analyze their impact on shale oil recovery.Result: Our simulations revealed that fractured reservoirs significantly enhance shale oil production efficiency compared to homogeneous reservoirs, with an approximate 48.9% increase in production. A notable increase in shale oil production, by 15.8%, was observed when fracture permeability was increased by two orders of magnitude. Additionally, a fourfold increase in CO2 injection rate resulted in a 31.5% rise in shale oil production. Implementing a step-by-step reduction in injection volume while maintaining the total CO2 injection constant proved to be more effective than constant-rate injections.Discussion: The study demonstrates the effectiveness of CO2 flooding in fractured shale reservoirs for enhancing shale oil recovery.

Central discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for the time-fractional convection equation in two space dimensions

In this study, an efficient approach for solving the two-dimensional time-fractional convection problem with a non-smooth solution in the temporal direction is proposed. The solution exhibits weakly regular at the initial time, so the L1 formula on the nonuniform meshes is applied to discretizing the Caputo derivative. In the spatial direction, the central discontinuous Galerkin (CDG) method involving two approximate solutions defined on overlapping elements is used. The fully discrete scheme is proven to be numerically stable, and the optimal convergence result is attained. A few numerical experiments are conducted to confirm the theoretical conclusions.

Comparative Study of Weak Galerkin and Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Methods

Comparative Study of Weak Galerkin and Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Methods

A Primal-Dual Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Method for Ill-Posed Elliptic Cauchy Problems

A Primal-Dual Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Method for Ill-Posed Elliptic Cauchy Problems

Numerical Methods for Optimal Boundary Control of Advection-Diffusion-Reaction Systems

This paper considers the optimal boundary control of chemical systems described by advection-diffusion-reaction (ADR) equations. We use a discontinuous Galerkin finite element method (DG-FEM) for the spatial discretization of the governing partial differential equations, and the optimal control problem is directly discretized using multiple shooting. The temporal discretization and the corresponding sensitivity calculations are achieved by an explicit singly diagonally-implicit Runge Kutta (ESDIRK) method. ADR systems arise in process systems engineering and their operation can potentially be improved by nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC). We demonstrate a numerical approach for the solution to their optimal control problems (OCPs) in a chromatography case study. Preparative liquid chromatography is an important downstream process in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. We show that multi-step elution trajectories for batch processes can be optimized for economic objectives, providing superior performance compared to classical gradient elution trajectories.

Hybrid mixed discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for incompressible miscible displacement problem

A new hybrid mixed discontinuous Galerkin finite element (HMDGFE) method is constructed for incompressible miscible displacement problem. In this method, the hybrid mixed finite element (HMFE) procedure is considered to solve the pressure and velocity equations, and a new hybrid mixed discontinuous Galerkin finite element procedure is constructed to solve the concentration equation with upwind technique. Compared with other traditional discontinuous Galerkin methods, the new method can reach a global system with less unknowns and sparser stencils. The consistency and conservation of the method are analyzed, the stability and optimal error estimates are also derived by the new technique. Meanwhile, numerical examples are provided to confirm the corresponding theoretical analysis.

A discontinuous Galerkin finite element model for compound flood simulations

Many tropical cyclones, e.g., Hurricane Harvey (2017), have lead to significant rainfall and resulting runoff. When the runoff interacts with storm surge, the resulting floods can be greatly amplified and lead to effects that cannot be correctly modeled by simple superposition of its distinctive sources. In an effort to develop accurate numerical simulations of runoff, surge, and compounding floods, we develop a local discontinuous Galerkin method for modified shallow water equations. In this modification, nonzero sources to the continuity equation are included to incorporate rainfall into the model using parametric rainfall models from literature as well as hindcast data. The discontinuous Galerkin spatial discretization is accompanied with a strong stability preserving explicit Runge Kutta time integrator. Hence, temporal stability is ensured through the Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy (CFL) condition and we exploit the embarrassingly parallel nature of the developed method using MPI parallelization.We demonstrate the capabilities of the developed method though a sequence of physically relevant numerical tests, including small scale test cases based on laboratory measurements and large scale experiments with Hurricane Harvey in the Gulf of Mexico. The results highlight the conservation properties and robustness of the developed method and show the potential of compound flood modeling using our approach.

A superconvergent CDG finite element for the Poisson equation on polytopal meshes

AbstractA conforming discontinuous Galerkin (CDG) finite element is constructed for solving second order elliptic equations on polygonal and polyhedral meshes. The numerical trace on the edge between two elements is no longer the average of two discontinuous Pk functions on the two sides, but a lifted function from four Pk functions. When the numerical gradient space is the subspace of piecewise polynomials on subtriangles/subtehrahedra of a polygon/polyhedron which have a one‐piece polynomial divergence on , this CDG method has a superconvergence of order two above the optimal order. Due to the superconvergence, we define a post‐process which lifts a Pk CDG solution to a quasi‐optimal solution on each element. Numerical examples in 2D and 3D are computed and the results confirm the theory.

A Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Method with Physical Modal Basis for the Neutron Transport Equation on Arbitrary Polygonal Meshes

The deterministic methods are efficient for solving the neutron transport equation (NTE), but suffer from discretization errors. The increasingly complex geometric models make spatial discretization errors the primary source of discretization errors. Considering that spatial discretization errors come from inaccurate geometric shape descriptions and low-accuracy numerical schemes, this paper develops a Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Method for the NTE on unstructured polygonal meshes to reduce spatial discretization errors. In this method, the physical modal basis is adopted to handle the polygonal mesh and to achieve high-order accuracy in a uniform and efficient way. The numerical results of various fixed-source and k-eigenvalue benchmarks demonstrate that the method developed in this paper can give accurate solutions on polygonal meshes with high convergence rates.

Iterative two-grid methods for discontinuous Galerkin finite element approximations of semilinear elliptic problem

Iterative two-grid methods for discontinuous Galerkin finite element approximations of semilinear elliptic problem

Massively parallel nodal discontinous Galerkin finite element method simulator for room acoustics

We present a massively parallel and scalable nodal discontinuous Galerkin finite element method (DGFEM) solver for the time-domain linearized acoustic wave equations. The solver is implemented using the libParanumal finite element framework with extensions to handle curvilinear geometries and frequency dependent boundary conditions of relevance in practical room acoustics. The implementation is benchmarked on heterogeneous multi-device many-core computing architectures, and high performance and scalability are demonstrated for a problem that is considered expensive to solve in practical applications. In a benchmark study, scaling tests show that multi-GPU support gives the ability to simulate large rooms, over a broad frequency range, with realistic boundary conditions, both in terms of computing time and memory requirements. Furthermore, numerical simulations on two non-trivial geometries are presented, a star-shaped room with a dome and an auditorium. Overall, this shows the viability of using a multi-device accelerated DGFEM solver to enable realistic large-scale wave-based room acoustics simulations.

A conforming discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for Brinkman equations

In this paper, we present a conforming discontinuous Galerkin (CDG) finite element method for Brinkman equations. The velocity stabilizer is removed by employing the higher degree polynomials to compute the weak gradient. The theoretical analysis shows that the CDG method is actually stable and accurate for the Brinkman equations. Optimal order error estimates are established in H1 and L2 norm. Finally, numerical experiments verify the stability and accuracy of the CDG numerical scheme.

A coupled acoustic/elastic discontinuous Galerkin finite element method: Application to ultrasonic imaging of 3D-printed synthetic materials

We present the derivation of upwind numerical fluxes for the space discontinuous Galerkin (dG) finite element method applied to the numerical modeling of wave propagation in multidimensional coupled acoustic/elastic media. The space dG method is formulated using the first-order velocity-pressure and velocity-stress systems for acoustic and elastic media, respectively. After eigenanalysis of the first-order hyperbolic systems highlighting the eigenmodes of wave propagation, the upwind numerical fluxes on the acoustic/acoustic and acoustic/elastic interface are obtained in terms of exact solutions of relevant Riemann problems. Thanks to the proposed approach, explicit closed-form expressions of the upwind numerical fluxes are obtained on the acoustic/elastic interface for the general case of multidimensional anisotropic heterogeneous solid media coupled with acoustic fluids. The developed numerical fluxes are validated by analytical/numerical comparison considering the example of an acoustic domain with a circular elastic inclusion. Finally, the coupled solver is used to perform a multiparametric study on the microstructure's echogenicity in a 3D-printed synthetic material under ultrasonic imaging.

Simulation of Fixed-Bed Chromatographic Processes Considering the Nonlinear Adsorption Isotherms.

This paper presents the numerical approximation of a nonlinear equilibrium-dispersive (ED) model of multicomponent mixtures for simulating single-column chromatographic processes. Using Danckwerts boundary conditions (DBCs), the ED is studied for both generalized and standard bi-Langmuir adsorption isotherms. Advection-diffusion partial differential equations are used to represent fixed-bed chromatographic processes. As the diffusion term is significantly weaker than the advection term, sophisticated numerical techniques must be applied for solving such model equations. In this study, the model equations are numerically solved by using the Runge-Kutta discontinuous Galerkin (RKDG) finite element method. The technique is designed to handle sudden changes (sharp discontinuities) in solutions and to produce highly accurate results. The method is tested with several case studies considering different parameters, and its results are compared with the high-resolution finite volume scheme. One-, two-, and three-component liquid chromatography elutions on fixed beds are among the case studies being considered. The dynamic model and its accompanying numerical case studies provide the initial step toward continuous monitoring, troubleshooting, and effectively controlling the chromatographic processes.