Efficient solvers for incompressible flow problems. An algorithmic and computational approach (Q1290743)

This book, mainly directed to professional CFD specialists, presents recent numerical and algorithmic tools for the solution of incompressible Navier-Stokes equations on modern computer platforms. The main feature of the book is a detailed description of the solution process for resulting large discrete systems of equations which is often neglected in the literature. The presentation covers a large amount of information, reflecting the scientific interests of the author and his colleagues from the FEAST fluid dynamics research group, Heidelberg University. The book consists of six chapters. A short introductory chapter 1 ``Motivation for current research'' describes some recent results from a benchmark configuration (two- and three-dimensional flows around a cylinder). These results are critically discussed from the numerical and algorithmic points of view. Chapter 2 ``Derivation of Navier-Stokes solvers'' presents a large class of solvers based on local and global multilevel pressure Schur complements. The aim is to split strictly the tasks, namely to outline the outer control part responsible for the global convergence and accuracy, and the inner solver part which provides approximate solutions in a given discrete framework. Some modern discretization techniques and solution of discrete systems of equations are topics of the central chapter 3 modestly called ``Other mathematical components''. Here the author examines some finite element spaces, time stepping methods, boundary conditions, and finally gives a detailed treatment of nonlinear iterative and linear multigrid methods for discrete systems of equations. Chapter 4 ``Numerical comparison of Navier-Stokes solvers'' uses exemplary numerical examples (nonsteady flow around a cylinder, stationary channel flow around a square, nonstationary flow through a Venturi pipe) to compare the merits and shortcomings of the solvers presented. This comparison is continued in the summarizing chapter 5 ``Conclusions and outlook''. The last chapter ``The enclosed CD-ROM'' gives a brief description of the software added to the book. These include the complete FEATFLOW 1.1 package (tested on UNIX/LINUX platform, Fortran77 compiler required), and the ``Virtual Album of Fluid Motion'' running also under Windows 9x, with a lot of impressive colour MPEG-format videos which enable the interested reader to perform his own simulations. On balance, the book is well organized, clearly and rigorously written, and can be very useful to the readers who are properly experienced in CFD.