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Numerical and experimental study of driven flow in a polar cavity
Author(s) -
Fuchs L.,
Tillmark N.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
international journal for numerical methods in fluids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.938
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1097-0363
pISSN - 0271-2091
DOI - 10.1002/fld.1650050403
Subject(s) - finite difference , stream function , mathematics , streamlines, streaklines, and pathlines , reynolds number , finite difference method , polygon mesh , flow (mathematics) , vorticity , numerical analysis , mechanics , computational fluid dynamics , mathematical analysis , geometry , physics , vortex , turbulence
A numerical and an experimental study of the flow of an incompressible fluid in a polar cavity is presented. The experiments included flow visualization, in two perpendicular planes, and quantitative measurements of the velocity field by a laser Doppler anemometer. Measurements were done for two ranges of Reynolds numbers; about 60 and about 350. The stream function‐vorticity form of the governing equations was approximated by upwind or central finite‐differences. Both types of finite‐difference approximations were solved by a multi‐grid method. Numerical solutions were computed on a sequence of grids and the relative accuracy of the solutions was studied. Our most accurate numerical solutions had an estimated error of 0.1 per cent and 1 per cent for Re = 60 and Re = 350, respectively. It was also noted that the solution to the second order finite difference equations was more accurate, compared to the solution to the first order equations, only if fine enough meshes were used. The possibility of using extrapolations to improve accuracy was also considered. Extrapolated solutions were found to be valid only if solutions computed on fine enough meshes were used. The numerical and the experimental results were found to be in very good agreement.