A space-marching method for viscous incompressible internal flows (Q1073670)

This paper deals with the development of a space-marching method for steady incompressible flows. The method solves the continuity and the momentum equations as a coupled system at each streamwise station. The character of the system of equations is changed from elliptic to hyperbolic/parabolic in order to enable the equations to be marched in space. The present method has two main advantages compared to the existing parabolic or space-marching methods for an incompressible flow: (i) It avoids the solution of Poisson equations, and (ii) conserves the mass flow without employing any iterative procedure. The present method can capture strong secondary velocities and strong transverse pressure gradients. Predictions of the flow through straight and strongly curved ducts are in good agreement with the analytical and the experimental results.