Finite Difference Method Research Articles

Hydroelastic modelling of a deformable wave energy converter including power take-off

Given the advantages of flexible wave energy converters (FlexWECs), such as multiple degrees of freedom and fatigue-friendliness, there has been significant interest in these converters, which utilize structural deformation to extract energy from ocean waves. To simulate the FlexWEC interaction with ocean surface waves, a computational fluid-structure interaction approach is proposed. The fluid and solid governing equations are discretized using finite difference and finite element methods, respectively. The discrete immersed boundary method couples the two independent grid systems. A novel numerical technique is introduced to model the dielectric elastomer generator (DEG) as the power take-off (PTO). The wave energy capture performance is analysed for different PTO configurations and at various wave conditions. Based on the obtained results, the PTO damping coefficient and the relative wavelength range that maximizes the capture width ratio (CWR) of FlexWEC are determined. The wave field results also reveal the presence of periodic wave height enhancement and attenuation points around the WEC, providing potential site selection references when deploying multiple FlexWECs in an array.

Exploration of linear and exponential heat source/sink with the significance of thermophoretic particle deposition on ZnO-SAE50 nano lubricant flow past a curved surface

The present research focuses on exploring the impact of linear and exponential heat source/sink on double-diffusive MHD convective flow heat and mass transport of ZnO – SAE50 nano lubricants in an exponentially stretching curved sheet along with the effect of thermophoretic particle deposition. The heat transmission is considered to be caused by both radiation and convection. The mathematical modelling of the considered problem results in a coupled system of partial differential equations, using suitable similarity transformation variables these equations are reduced to a coupled non-linear system of ordinary differential equations and are solved numerically by adopting the finite difference method to obtain the solution for the field variables. The quantity and spatial distribution of linear heat sources/sinks affect the physical dynamics and optimum status of the entire system and the application of exponential heat sources/sinks can improve heat dispersion and energy efficiency in industrial operations such as nuclear reactors and steel production. The thermophoretic particle deposition parameter controls particle concentration by allowing particles to accumulate on surfaces or in specific areas of the fluid. A rise in Hartmann number causes a mechanical damping force to act in the opposite direction of the fluid motion, lowering the speed of the fluid in the curved sheet. The heat and mass transmission properties are analyzed through the Levenberg – Marquardt backpropagating algorithm and the correlation coefficient has ideal values of unity for training, validation, testing, and overall. In light of this, the anticipated behaviour of the LMNN-BPA indicated that the heat transfer profile numerical data and the network output are in good consensus.

Multiscale model reduction for the time fractional thermoporoelasticity problem in fractured and heterogeneous media

In this paper, we consider the time fractional thermoporoelasticity problem in fractured and heterogeneous media. The mathematical model with a time memory formalism is described by a coupled system of equations for pressure, temperature and displacements. We use an implicit finite difference approximation for temporal discretization. We present a fine grid approximation based on the finite element method and Discrete Fracture Model (DFM) for two-dimensional model problems. Further, we use the Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method (GMsFEM) for coarse grid approximation. The primary concept behind the proposed method is to streamline the complexity inherent in the thermoporoelasticity problem. Given that our model equation incorporates multiple fractional powers, leading to multiple unknowns with memory effects, we aim to address this intricacy by optimizing the problem’s dimensionality. As a result, the solution is sought on a coarse grid, a strategic choice that not only simplifies the computational cost but also contributes to significant time savings. We present numerical results for the two-dimensional model problems in heterogeneous fractured porous media. We derive relative errors between the reference fine grid solution and the multiscale solution for different numbers of multiscale basis functions. The results confirm that the proposed method is able to achieve good accuracy with a few degrees of freedoms on the coarse grid.

Transient study on heat transfer and flow performance of alkali metal heat pipe in space nuclear powered heat pipe radiator

The non-direct contact radiator has a simple structure and high reliability, making it more suitable for long-life nuclear powered spacecraft. This article is based on Fortran language and innovatively combines molecular dynamics models to establish a two-dimensional transient analysis program for thermo-hydraulic performance of rubidium heat pipes. The unsteady Navier Stokes control equation, heat conduction equation, and continuity equation is calculated by the finite difference method. This study adopt molecular dynamics theory for the first time to deal with condensation/ evaporation at the interface of alkali metal heat pipes under the background of space nuclear power. The delay method and multi grid method are used to ensure convergence and accelerate calculation speed. The transient thermo-hydraulic performance of different positions of heat pipes in non-direct contact radiators during start-up are analyzed. Current research can provide scientific reference for the upgradation of heat pipe radiators for nuclear powered spacecraft.

2-D acoustic equation prestack reverse-time migration based on optimized combined compact difference scheme

Abstract Reverse-time migration (RTM) is widely regarded as one of the most accurate migration methods available today. A crucial step in RTM involves extending seismic wavefields forward and backward. Compared to the conventional central finite difference (CFD) scheme, the combined compact difference (CCD) scheme offers several advantages, including a shorter difference operator and the suppression of numerical dispersion under coarse grids. These attributes conserve memory and enhance effectiveness while maintaining the same level of differential precision. In this article, we begin with the five-point eighth-order CCD scheme and utilize the least squares method and Lagrange multiplier method to optimize the difference coefficients. This optimization is guided by the concept of dispersion-relation-preserving (DRP). The result is the acquisition of an optimized combined compact difference (OCCD) scheme, further enhancing the ability to suppress numerical dispersion. We thoroughly compare and analyze dispersion relationships and stability conditions. In addition, we examine several crucial steps in the RTM of the second-order acoustic wave equation. These steps include absorption boundary conditions, boundary storage strategy, and Poynting vector imaging conditions. Finally, we apply both the CCD and OCCD schemes in the RTM of the layered model, graben model, and SEG/EAGE salt model. We compare these results with those obtained from CFD's RTM. Numerical findings demonstrate that, in contrast to the CFD scheme, the CCD scheme effectively suppresses numerical dispersion and enhances imaging accuracy. Moreover, the optimized OCCD scheme further improves the ability to suppress numerical dispersion and can obtain better imaging results, which is an effective reverse time migration method suitable for coarse grid conditions.

Ultrabroadband invisibility cloaking design of a concentric multilayered cylindrical metamaterial

An ultrabroadband invisibility cloak is designed using a genetic algorithm (GA) for a cylindrical target with an infinite length. The cloaking band is 0.4 to 0.7µm, covering almost the entire visible light range. The invisibility cloaking medium consists of concentric multilayered cylindrical metamaterials (CM). When the cloaking target is covered with a well-designed 26+ layer CM, the average scattering cross-section is 6% or less of the uncloaked target’s cross-section. The cloaking performance of the structure designed by the GA was superior to that designed by analytical calculations based on a combination of the transformation optics and the effective medium approximation. The cloaking is confirmed through the time variation of the magnetic fields calculated using the finite-difference time-domain method. In addition, the mechanism of the cloaking is discussed.

A Novel Geothermal Wellbore Model Based on the Drift-Flux Approach

Geothermal energy, being a clean energy source, has immense potential, and accurate wellbore modeling is crucial for optimizing the drilling process and ensuring safety. This paper presents a novel geothermal wellbore model based on the drift-flux approach, tested under three different temperature and pressure well conditions. The proposed model integrates the conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy, incorporating the gas–liquid two-phase flow drift-flux model and heat transfer model. The key features include handling the heat transfer between the formation and the wellbore, addressing the slip relationship between the gas and liquid phases, and accounting for wellbore friction. The nonlinear equations are discretized using the finite difference method, and the highly nonlinear system is solved using the Newton–Raphson method. The numerical simulation, validation, and comparison with existing models demonstrate the enhanced accuracy of this model. In our tests, the model achieved a high accuracy in calculating the bottom-hole pressure and temperature, with mean relative errors (MREs) significantly lower than those of other models. For example, the MREs for the bottom-hole pressure and temperature of the Rongxi area well in Xiongan, calculated by this model, are 1.491% and 1.323%, respectively. These results offer valuable insights for optimizing drilling parameters and ensuring drilling safety. Comparisons indicate that this approach significantly outperforms others in capturing the complex dynamics of geothermal wellbores, making it a superior tool for geothermal energy development.

MODELING THE EFFECTS OF PESTS AND PESTICIDE ON CROP YIELDS IN A MULTIPLE CROPPING SYSTEM

Pest infestation poses a significant threat to agricultural crop yields, and to control it, farmers spray chemical pesticides. The persistent use of these chemical agents not only leads to pesticide residues within crops but also exerts collateral damage on the beneficial pest population. In this research work, we formulate a nonlinear mathematical model to assess the impacts of pesticide on crop yields within a multiple cropping system. Model analysis illustrates that crop consumption rates destabilize, and the spraying rate of pesticide stabilizes the system. Furthermore, we determine conditions for the global stability of the coexisting equilibrium and conduct a global sensitivity analysis to identify model parameters that significantly influence pest population density. Our findings emphasize that, for effective pest population control and enhanced crop yields, farmers should choose either pesticides with a high pest abatement rate or those with a higher pesticide uptake rate. Considering the spraying rate of pesticide as time-dependent, we also suggest an optimal control strategy to minimize the pest population and associated costs. We provide analytical results backed by numerical simulations implemented through the non-standard finite difference scheme to support our findings.

Investigation of an absorption plasmonic electro-optical modulator based on the free carrier dispersion effect in the aluminum doped zinc oxide layer

A plasmonic electro-optical modulator, which is based on the free carrier dispersion effect, has been introduced here. The structure of the proposed modulator is a substrate of fused silica/gold/aluminum doped zinc oxide/hafnium dioxide/gold/air. The free carrier dispersion effect occurs in the aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) layer. As the electrical permittivity of the AZO layer is near zero (the epsilon near zero effect) at a wavelength of 1.55 μm, the amplitude of an electrical field is high in this layer, therefore, the modulator is highly sensitive to the varying refractive index of this layer. By applying a voltage to two gold layers, the electrical charge density changes in the AZO layer. Therefore, the real and imaginary parts of the refractive index have been changed, which led to a change in the absorption of the modulator. In order to obtain the charge density distribution in the AZO layer, the Poisson equation is solved by using the finite difference method. To investigate modulator absorption, the Nelder-Mead method is implemented in order to solve the dispersion equation numerically. Finally, the magnetic field, the electric field, and the time average of the Poynting vector have been given by using the least squares approximation method.

Efficient Scheme for the Economic Heston–Hull–White Problem Using Novel RBF-FD Coefficients Derived from Multiquadric Function Integrals

This study presents an efficient method using the local radial basis function finite difference scheme (RBF-FD). The innovative coefficients are derived from the integrals of the multiquadric (MQ) function. Theoretical convergence rates for the coefficients used in function derivative approximation are provided. The proposed scheme utilizes RBF-FD estimations on three-point non-uniform stencils to construct the final approximation on a tensor grid for the 3D Heston–Hull–White (HHW) PDE, which is relevant in economics and mathematical finance. Numerical evidence and comparative analyses validate the results and the proposed scheme.

Theoretical Evaluation of Lubrication Performance of Thrust-Type Foil Bearings in Liquid Nitrogen

The development of reusable liquid rocket turbopumps has gradually highlighted the disadvantages of rolling bearings, particularly the contradiction between long service life and high rotational speed. It is critical to explore a feasible bearing scheme offering a long wear life and high stability to replace the existing rolling bearings. In this study, liquid nitrogen is adopted to simulate the ultra-low temperature environment of liquid rocket turbopumps, and theoretical evaluations of the lubrication performance of thrust-type foil bearings in liquid nitrogen are conducted. A link-spring model for the bump foil structure and a thin-plate finite element model for the top foil structure are established. The static and dynamic characteristics of the bearings are analyzed using methods including the finite difference method, the Newton–Raphson iteration method, and the finite element method. Detailed analysis includes the effects of factors such as rotational speed, fluid film thickness, thrust disk tilt angle, and the friction coefficient of the bump foil interface on the static and dynamic characteristics of thrust-type foil bearings. The research results indicate that thrust-type foil bearings have a good load-carrying capacity and low frictional power consumption. The adaptive deformation of the foil structure increases the fluid film thickness, preventing dry friction due to direct contact between the rotor journal and the bearing surface. When faced with thrust disk tilt, the direct translational stiffness and damping coefficient of the bearing do not undergo significant changes, ensuring system stability. Based on the results of this study, the exceptional performance characteristics of thrust-type foil bearings make them a promising alternative to rolling bearings for the development of reusable liquid rocket turbopumps.

Simulate the elastic wavefields in media with an irregular surface topography based on staggered grid finite difference

Abstract Wave equation forward modeling is a useful method to study the propagation regulation of seismic wavefields. Finite difference (FD) is one of the most extensively employed numerical approaches for computing wavefields in earthquake and exploration seismology. However, the FD approach relying on regular grids often struggles with calculating wavefields in regions featuring surface topographies. The elastic wave equation can more accurately describe the propagation of seismic wavefields in elastic media compared to the acoustic wave equation. We introduce a new FD scheme to calculate the elastic wavefields in an isotropic model with a surface topography. The novel approach can use a conventional staggered grid FD(SGFD) approach based on regular grids. A new elastic model with a horizontal surface is first obtained from the nearby surface's elastic properties and the undulating terrain elevation. We subsequently employ a topography-related strategy to eliminate the effects of surface topographies on the seismic wavefields in models with irregular surface topographies. The merits of our proposed scheme lie in its ability to stable numerically compute wavefields in models with irregular surface topographies without altering the conventional SGFD relying on regular grids. To validate the effectiveness and practicality of our method, we utilize elastic models featuring complex surface topographies. Numerical experiments demonstrate that our approach efficiently calculates elastic wavefields in isotropic media with irregular topographies based on conventional SGFD.

A Three-dimensional Immersed Boundary Method for Accurate Simulation of Acoustic Wavefields with Complex Surface Topography

Abstract Irregular topography of the free surface significantly affects seismic wavefield modelling, especially when employing finite-difference methods on rectangular grids. These methods represent the free surface as discrete points, resulting in a boundary that resembles a “staircase”. This approximation inaccurately represents surface topography, introducing errors in surface reflection traveltimes and generating artificial diffractions in wavefield simulation. We introduce a stable three-dimensional immersed boundary method (3DIBM) employing Cartesian coordinates to address these challenges. The 3DIBM enables the simulation of acoustic waves in media with complex topography through standard finite difference, extending the two-dimensional immersed boundary approach to compute spatial coordinates for ghost and mirror points in a three-dimensional space. Wavefield values at these points are obtained by three-dimensional spatial iterative symmetric interpolation, specifically through the Kaiser windowed sinc method. By implicitly implementing the free surface boundary condition in three dimensions, this method effectively reduces artificial diffractions and enhances the accuracy of reflection traveltime. The effectiveness and accuracy of 3DIBM are validated through numerical tests and pre-stack depth migration (PSDM) imaging with simulated data, demonstrating its superiority as a modelling engine for migration imaging and waveform inversion in three-dimensional land seismic analysis.

High-efficiency polarization-selective two-dimensional diffraction gratings based on silver cuboid arrays

Abstract A two-dimensional (2D) diffraction grating based on silver cuboid arrays is demonstrated. With the structural optimization by three-dimensional (3D) finite-difference time-domain method, the proposed grating exhibits favorable polarization selectivity. At wavelength 1550 nm, high diffraction efficiency and polarization correlation can be realized in the case of two-port output ((0, ±1) or (±1, 0)) under TE polarization, as well as five-port output ((0, 0), (0, ±1) and (±1, 0)) under TM polarization. Under the two-port output state, the diffraction efficiency is nearly 48% with the extinction ratio of 16.44 dB and insertion loss of 0.20 dB. Under the five-port output status, the efficiency is larger than 19% for each diffraction order, meanwhile, the total efficiency and uniformity are 97% and 0.58 %, respectively. The proposed grating with positive implications has good potentials in polarization multiplexing and polarization-correlated grating interferometry.

Fractional non-Fourier modeling of laser drilling process

In this paper, a novel fractional non-Fourier model is employed to simulate the laser drilling process, addressing limitations inherent in classical heat conduction equations, including the well-known heat equation paradox associated with infinite heat propagation velocity. This model approach combines spatial approximation via the Meshless Local Petrov-Galerkin method with temporal approximation using the Grünwald-Letnikov finite difference scheme. The study assesses the impact of employing fractional orders, both constant and variable over time, on numerical results, and validates the model using experimental data.

A priori test of scale-similarity parameterizations for subgrid-scale fluxes in convective storms

Abstract This study evaluates a parameterization scheme for subgrid-scale (SGS) fluxes based on the scale-similarity assumption and employing a large-eddy simulation of an idealized backbuilding convective system. In this parameterization, the SGS fluxes are decomposed into the “Leonard term” which depends only on the resolved scale components, the “Reynolds term” which depends only on the SGS components, and the “cross term” which corresponds to the interaction between the resolved scale and SGS components. Assuming a linear relationship between the Leonard term and the Reynolds and cross terms, SGS fluxes are expressed as the product of an empirical coefficient and the Leonard term. The Leonard term reasonably represents the SGS flux derived by a smooth filter operation, including the counter-gradient vertical SGS transport of potential temperature, which cannot be represented by a traditional eddy-diffusivity model. The dependence of the empirical coefficient on filter width is also evaluated. This dependence is related mainly to the Reynolds term, the magnitude of which varies widely with filter width. The estimation based on the spectral decomposition of the Reynolds term explains the obtained dependence of the empirical coefficient for the vertical flux on filter width. In contrast, the variation of the empirical coefficient with filter width is not required to obtain the horizontal flux. For the parameterization of SGS fluxes in kilometer-scale models that use finite difference or volume methods, the Leonard term is expressed by the horizontal gradient of variables on a discrete grid. The Leonard term on a discrete grid also accurately represents the amplitude and spatial pattern of the SGS flux.

Numerical integration method for two-parameter singularly perturbed time delay parabolic problem

This study presents an (ε, μ)−uniform numerical method for a two-parameter singularly perturbed time-delayed parabolic problems. The proposed approach is based on a fitted operator finite difference method. The Crank–Nicolson method is used on a uniform mesh to discretize the time variables initially. Subsequently, the resulting semi-discrete scheme is further discretized in space using Simpson's 1/3rd rule. Finally, the finite difference approximation of the first derivatives is applied. The method is unique in that it is not dependent on delay terms, asymptotic expansions, or fitted meshes. The fitting factor's value, which is used to account for abrupt changes in the solution, is calculated using the theory of singular perturbations. The developed scheme is demonstrated to be second-order accurate and uniformly convergent. The proposed method's applicability is validated by three model examples, which yielded more accurate results than some other methods found in the literature.

Numerical analysis of a time discretized method for nonlinear filtering problem with Lévy process observations

In this paper, we consider a nonlinear filtering model with observations driven by correlated Wiener processes and point processes. We first derive a Zakai equation whose solution is an unnormalized probability density function of the filter solution. Then, we apply a splitting-up technique to decompose the Zakai equation into three stochastic differential equations, based on which we construct a splitting-up approximate solution and prove its half-order convergence. Furthermore, we apply a finite difference method to construct a time semi-discrete approximate solution to the splitting-up system and prove its half-order convergence to the exact solution of the Zakai equation. Finally, we present some numerical experiments to demonstrate the theoretical analysis.

Prediction of waves in tanks excited by ship motion and moving walls with a three-dimensional fully linear finite difference approach

Mitigation of waves in shipboard swimming pools excited by ship motions is a topic of current interest that has not yet been extensively investigated. Various damping mechanisms have been applied to mitigate waves excited in tanks, such as porous baffles or different types of internal baffles. However, most of these devices are installed in LNG tanks to prevent serious sloshing effects. Furthermore, these are passive devices and, hence, unable to control wave-induced excitations. Our focus was on the validation and verification of the three-dimensional (3D) fully linear Finite Difference Method (FDM) based on the previously developed method of Qi et al. (2024) for predicting waves in a transversely placed swimming pool excited by ship motions and piston-type actuators. We validated our FDM approach against comparative Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations as well as experimental model test measurements. The CFD tools solved the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations, relied on an appropriate turbulence model and the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method to capture the free surface of the liquid in the model tank, and employed the overset technique to specify the motions of the active actuators. Our FDM considered ship-induced roll excitations as well as simultaneous roll and sway excitations, albeit only at frequencies outside the range of the pool's resonance frequency. For these periods, our approach accurately predicted not only the mitigated waves in the pool, but also the optimum amplitude of the actuators needed to mitigate such waves. Our FDM can be applied to obtain a preview of excited waves under various conditions, leveraging its principal advantage of extreme computational efficiency.© 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Controlling numerical diffusion in solving advection-dominated transport problems

Numerical schemes for advection-dominated transport problems are are evaluated in a comparative study. Explicit and implicit finite difference methods are analyzed together with a global random walk algorithm in the frame of a splitting procedure. The efficiency of the methods with respect to the control of the numerical diffusion is investigated numerically on one-dimensional problems with constant coefficients and two-dimensional problems with variable coefficients consisting of realizations of space-random functions.