Chapter 6: Solution Algorithms for Pressure-Velocity Coupling in Steady Flows

Ibrahim Sezai
Department of Mechanical Engineering Eastern Mediterranean University

Fall 2010-2011

Introduction
The convection of a scalar variable depends on the magnitude and direction of the local velocity field. How to find flow field? Momentum equations can be derived from the general transport equation (2.39)
( ) + div( u) = div( grad ) + S t

6.1)

by replacing the variable by u, v and w. Let us consider the equations governing a twodimensional, steady flow:
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Introduction
X-momentum equation Y-momentum equation
v v ( uv) + ( vv) = + + sv x y x x y y (6.3)

u u ( uu ) + ( vu ) = + + su x y x x y y

(6.2)

Continuity equation

( u ) + ( v) = 0 x y su = p / x for x-momentum equation

(6.4)

sv = p / y for y-momentum equation

The convective terms contain non-linear quantities. All three equations are intricately coupled. There is no equation for pressure.
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The staggered grid

Where to store the velocities? If the velocities and the pressures are both defined at the nodes of an ordinary CV a highly non-uniform pressure field can act like a uniform field in the discretized momentum equations. A checker-board pressure field

Suppose that the pressure field is oscillatory as shown above

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 pE + pP pP + pW p pe pw 2 2 = = x x x p pW = E 2 x p pN pS = y 2 y

The pressure at the central node (P) does not appear in above equations. This gives zero pressure gradients at all nodal points indicating uniform pressure field. Not realistic. Solution: Use a staggered grid system for the velocity components. That is: evaluate scalar variables (p, , T) at ordinary nodal points. But calculate velocity components (u, v) at cell faces which are staggered relative to nodal points.
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CVs for u and v are different from the scalar CVs of p and T u(i, j) is defined at west face of p(i, j). v(i, j) is defined at south face of p(i, j). This is backward staggered system. For u-control volume:
p pP pW = xu x For v-control volume:

p pP pS = yv y
This arrangement gives non-zero pressure gradient terms. Gives realistic behavior for pressure field.

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Non-staggered (Collocated) Grid System

The non-staggered grid system is complicated for unstructured or body-fitted mesh systems. Also, the storage of u,v,w and Pressure to four different locations is inefficient. In non-staggered grid system all variables are stored at the same location (point P).

The problem of checker-board pressure field is avoided by calculating the cell face velocities from interpolation using the momentum equations (momentum interpolation method).
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The momentum equations

The discretised momentum equations at location P for a point (i, j) is
aP P = aEE + aW W + aNN + aSS + S
aE = aN = e y + max ( u xe

(6.5)

)e y, 0 ,

aW = aS =

wy + max ( u ) w y, 0 xw s x + max ( v ) s x , 0 ys

n x + max ( v )n x , 0 , yn

aP = aE + aW + aN + aS S P xy + F , F = S = sc xy + Sdc

( u )e y ( u )w y + ( v )n x ( v )s x,
(6.6)

Sdc = max ( u )e y, 0 (e P ) + max ( u )e y, 0 (e E ) max ( u ) w y, 0 (w P ) + max ( u ) w y, 0 (w W ) max ( v )n x , 0 (n P ) + max ( v )n x, 0 (n N ) max ( v ) s x, 0 (s P ) + max ( v

)s x,

0 (s S )

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The momentum equations bP = SM momentum source term The coefficients aP, aE, aW aN and aS may be calculated by upwind, hybrid or QUICK methods. bdc is the source term resulting from the adoption of the deferred correction method when any high order convection scheme, such as QUICK, is used in estimating the cell face value f. The coefficients aE, aW etc. contain: 1) Convective flux per unit mass F 2) Diffusive conductance D at control volume faces.
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It can be observed that the coefficients of the discretized x- and ymomentum equations are the same in collocated grid system, provided that the diffusion coefficient, , is the same in x and y-momentum equations. In order to slow down the changes of dependent variables in consecutive solutions, an under-relaxation factor is introduced into the discretized equation (6.5) as follows:

new = + (1 ) n 1
where = under-relaxation factor n1 = value of from the previous iteration The under-relaxed form of the general equation is (1 ) n1 aP P = ( aEE + aW W + aN N + aSS + S ) + P
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(6.7)

(6.8)

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Separating the pressure gradient term from the source term,

S =b+P where b = source term excluding the pressure gradient term P =

Equation (6.8) becomes

P =
=

p V = [( pe pw ) / x]V = ( pe pw )y for x-momentum equation x p P V = [( pn ps ) / y ]V = ( pn ps ) x for y-momentum equation = y

aP

( aEE + aW W + aNN + aSS + bP ) + (1 ) Pn1 +

P
aP

P
aP

aP

( aEE + aW W + aNN + aSS + BP ) +

(6.9) (6.10)

BP = bP +

(1 ) a

Note that the term (1 ) P should be added to the source term in equations (6.5) and (6.6) if the equations are relaxed.
n 1

n 1 P P

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Momentum Interpolation Method (MIM)

If stands for u in Eqn. (6.9), the velocity component at nodes P and E, can be written as (6.11) u ( i ai ui + B p ) y ( p p )
uP =

uE =

u ( i ai ui + B p ) E

( aP ) P

and for the interface velocity at the cell face e

ue =

( aP ) E

( aP ) P u y ( pe pw ) E ( aP ) E

w P

(6.12)

u ( i ai ui + B p )e

where the terms on the right-hand side with subscript e should be interpolated in an appropriate manner. The interface velocity at cell faces w, n, and s can be obtained similarly. In Rhie and Chows momentum interpolation, the first term and 1/(ap)e in second term of the Eq. (13) are linearly interpolated from their counterparts in Eqs. (6.11) and (6.12):
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( aP )e

u y ( pE pP )

( aP )e

(6.13)

Momentum interpolation method (MIM)

i ai ui + B p i ai ui + B p i ai ui + B p + + = fe + 1 fe a a aP P P e E P

(6.14) (6.15)

( aP ) e

= f e+

( aP ) E

+ 1 f e+

) ( a1 )

P P

where f e+ is a linear interpolation factor defined as f e+ = xP /(2 xe ) Substituting ( i aiui + Bp aP ) terms from Eqs (6.11), (6.12) and (6.14) into Eq. (6.13) we obtain
u y ( p E p P ) u y ( pe pw ) E + f e+ ( aP )e ( aP ) E + + 1 ue = f u f u + + e E e P y p p  
( e w )P u + + 1 f e linear interpolation term a ( ) P P   
correction term

(6.16)

The correction term has the function of smoothing the pressure field (remove the unrealistic pressure field).
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Equations (6.13) and (6.16) are essentially equivalent. Values of F and D for each of the faces e, w, n and s of the control volume at location (i, j):
Fe = ( uA)e , ue = from MIM,
Fn = ( vA) n , vn = from MIM,

Fw (i, j ) = Fe (i 1, j )

e = f e+ E + (1 f e+ ) f P
Fs (i, j ) = Fn (i, j 1)

n = f n+ N + (1 f n+ ) f P

e = f e+ E + (1 f e+ ) P

n = f n+ N + (1 f n+ ) P

De =

e Ae , xe

Dn =

e Ae , xe

Dw (i, j ) = De (i 1, j ),

Ds (i, j ) = Dn (i, j 1)

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If a property is unknown at a cell face then a suitable twopoint average is used. ue,vn, etc. in fluxes Fe, Fn,at cell faces are calculated using MIM. The variables e, n, etc. at cell faces in the deferred correction term bdc (Eqn.(6.6) ) are calculated using a convection scheme such as UPWIND or QUICK. During each iteration the u and v velocity component in F are those obtained from previous iteration. Hence, coefficients ae, an, are calculated using the u and v values from previous iteration.
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At each iteration level the values of F are computed using the u- and v-velocity components resulting from the previous iteration. Given a pressure field p, the momentum equations (6.2) and (6.3) can be written in the discretized form (6.5) for node P at each location (i, j) and then solved to obtain the velocity fields. If the pressure field is correct the resulting velocity field will satisfy continuity. As the pressure field is unknown, we need a method for calculating pressure.
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The SIMPLE Algorithm

SIMPLE (Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure-Linked Equations) For a guessed pressure field p* the corresponding face velocity can be written using Eq. (6.13) as
u =
* e

u ( i ai ui* + bp )

( aP )e

* * u y ( pE pP )

( aP )e

+ (1 u )uen 1

(6.17)

* A similar equation can be written for the face velocity vn .

v =
* n

v ( i ai vi* + bp )

( aP ) n

* v x ( p* N pP )

( aP ) n

n 1 + (1 v )vn

(6.18)

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Let p', u', v' be the correction needed to correct the guessed pressure and velocity fields, i.e. p = p* + p (6.19) * ue = ue + ue (6.20) * (6.21) vn = vn + vn Subtraction of eqn. (6.17) from (6.13) gives
= ue

u ( i ai ui + bp )e

( aP )e

p u y ( pE P)

( aP )e

(6.22)

As an approximation, in SIMPLE method the first term in the above equation is neglected giving (6.23) = deu ( pP pE ) ue where
d eu =

( aP )e

u Ae

Ae = y (area of CV at face e)
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Similarly
v = dn p vn ( pP N)
v dn =

Then the corrected velocities become

* + deu ( p ue = ue P pE )
* v p + dn vn = vn ( pP N)

( aP ) n

v An

(6.24)

(6.25) (6.26) (6.27)

Discretizing the continuity equation (6.4) gives

( ue )y ( uw )y + ( vn )x ( vs )x = 0

Substituting the corrected face velocities such as that given by Eqs (6.24) and (6.25) into Eq. (6.27) gives = aW pW + aE pE + aS p S + a N p (6.28) a P pP N +b
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aP p P = aW pW + aE p E + aS pS + a N p N + b
where aE = ( Ad )e aW = ( Ad ) w aP = aw + ae + as + an
b = u* A aN = ( Ad ) n aS = ( Ad ) s

(6.28)

) (
w

u * A + v* A v* A
e s

) (

) (

6.29)
n

Note that (u*)w, (v*)s,, etc are calculated using MIM. After solving the p' field from Eq. (6.28) the face velocities are corrected using Eq.'s (6.25)and (6.26) and the pressure field is corrected by using

p = p* + p p

(6.30)

p = pressure under-relaxation factor (chosen between 0 and 1).

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Similarly the nodal velocities are corrected using * u pe ) + dP uP = uP ( pw

(6.31) (6.32)

vP = v + d
* P

v P

) ( ps pn
and
v dP =

where
u dP =

( aP ) P

u Ae

( aP ) P

v An

The pressure corrections at the cell faces appearing in Eqs. (6.31) and (6.32) are calculated by linear interpolation from the nodal values as (6.33) = f w+ pP + (1 f w+ ) pW pw
+ = f e+ p pe E + (1 f e ) p P

(6.34) (6.35) (6.36)

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= f s+ pP + (1 f s+ ) pS ps
+ = f n+ p pn N + (1 f n ) p P

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Boundary Conditions for Pressure Since there is no equation for the pressure, no boundary conditions are needed for the pressure at the near boundary points. The pressure values at the boundaries can be calculated by linear extrapolation using the two near-boundary node pressures.

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Boundary Conditions for Pressure Correction Equation

When the velocities at the boundaries are known, there is no need to correct the velocities at the boundaries in the derivation of the pressure correction equation. For example if the velocity at the west boundary is known then for a control volume near the west boundary: * uw = uwall + deu ( p ue = ue P pE ) * * v pP ) + d sv ( pS vs = vs p vn = vn + d n ( pP N) Substituting above equations into the discretized continuity equation (6.27) we obtain the following pressure correction equation for a control volume near the west boundary = aW pW + aE p aP pP (6.37) E + a S pS + a N p N + b aS = ( Ad ) s where aE = ( Ad )e aW = 0 aN = ( Ad ) n (6.38) n This formulation corresponds to Neuman b.c. (p/n = 0) where n is normal to boundary.
e s

b = ( uA )wall u * A + v* A u * A

) (
23

) (

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Comparing Eq.'s (6.37-6.38) with (6.28-6.29) for a near boundary control volume the same definition of the coefficients as used for the interior points can be used for a near boundary control volume by setting the corresponding coefficient (aw in this case) to zero and using uwall in the b term. ) is As a result no value of pressure correction at the boundary ( pw involved in this formulation. However, the value of the pressure correction is needed for correcting the nodal velocities near boundaries. For example, for correcting the u-velocity at a nodal point P near a at the west boundary is needed in accordance with west boundary, pw equation (6.31). This value can be obtained by using p/n = 0 at the boundary, that is using p(1, j) = p(2, j).
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The SIMPLE Algorithm

Step 1: Solve the discretized momentum equations Step 2: Calculate interface velocity ue (Eqns (6.16)) and similarly calculate vn
ue = f u + 1 f
+ e E

* * aP u P = i ai ui* + bp + ( Pw Pe* ) Ax

* a P vP = i ai vi* + bp + ( Ps* Pn* ) Ay

+ e

u y ( pE pP ) u y ( pe pw ) E + f e+ ( aP )e ( aP ) E uP + u y ( pe pw ) P + + 1 fe ( aP ) P

Step3: Solve pressure correction equation (6.28)

= aW pW + aE p aP p P E + aS pS + a N p N + b

Step 4: Correct pressure and velocities at points P using Eqns (6.30), (6.31), (6.32) * v * u p = p* + p p ) pe ) + dP vP = vP uP = uP + dP ( ps pn ( pw Step 5: Correct face velocities using equations (6.25) and (6.26): * * v p ue = ue + d eu ( pP + dn vn = vn ( pP pN ) E) Step 6: Solve all other discretized transport equations (i.e. temperature) aP P = aEE + aW W + aNN + aSS + bP Step 7: Repeat step 1 to 7 until convergence.
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