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A Cartesian grid method for two‐phase gel dynamics on an irregular domain
Author(s) -
Du Jian,
Fogelson Aaron L.
Publication year - 2010
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.2445
Subject(s) - multigrid method , generalized minimal residual method , solver , krylov subspace , finite volume method , boundary value problem , mathematics , cartesian coordinate system , momentum (technical analysis) , preconditioner , iterative method , mathematical analysis , mechanics , physics , geometry , mathematical optimization , partial differential equation , finance , economics
We develop a numerical method for simulating models of two‐phase gel dynamics in an irregular domain using a regular Cartesian grid. The models consist of transport equations for the volume fractions of the two phases, polymer network and solvent; coupled momentum equations for the two phases; and a volume‐averaged incompressibility constraint. Multigrid with Vanka‐type box relaxation scheme is used as a preconditioner for the Krylov subspace solver (GMRES) to solve the momentum and incompressibility equations. Ghost points are used to enforce no‐slip boundary conditions for the velocity field of each phase, and no‐flux boundary conditions for the volume fractions. The behavior of the new method, including its rate of convergence, is explored through numerical experiments for a problem in which strong phase separation develops from an initially (almost) homogeneous phase distribution. We also use the method to explore situations, motivated by biology, which show that imposed boundary velocities can cause substantial redistribution of network and solvent. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.