A conservative adaptive projection method for the variable density incompressible Navier-Stokes equations (Q1289109)

We present a method for solving the equations governing time-dependent, variable density incompressible flow in two or three dimensions on an adaptive hierarchy of grids. The method is based on a projection formulation in which we first solve advection-diffusion equations to predict intermediate velocities, and then project these velocities onto a space of approximately divergence-free vector fields. Our treatment of the first step uses a specialized second-order upwind method for differencing the nonlinear convection terms that provides a robust treatment of these terms suitable for inviscid and high Reynolds number flow. Density and other scalars are advected in such a way as to maintain conservation, if appropriate, and free-stream preservation. Numerical examples demonstrate the algorithms's accuracy and convergence properties. \(\copyright\) Academic Press.