On the choice of the SUPG parameter at outflow boundary layers (Q1047131)

The streamline upwind/Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) finite element method for two-dimensional steady scalar convection-diffusion equations is studied here. The author concentrates on the choice of the SUPG stabilization parameter \(\tau\) along the out flow Dirichlet boundaries where the exact solution typically contains boundary layers. A new approach for defining \(\tau\) on triangles intersecting on the out flow Dirichlet boundary is proposed [cf. \textit{V. John} and \textit{P. Knobloch}, Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Engrg. 196, 2197--2215 (2007; Zbl 1173.76342)]; \textit{Y. Bazilevs} and \textit{T. J. R. Hughes} [Comput. Fluids 36, No.~1, 12--26 (2007; Zbl 1115.76040)]. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate a significant improvement of the accuracy and show that, in some cases, even nodally exact solutions are obtained.