An explicit projection method for solving incompressible flows driven by a pressure difference. (Q1430683)

The authors present a finite difference projection method for solving, in primitive variables, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for open flows, where Dirichlet boundary conditions for the pressure are given on part of the boundary. The way in which the pressure boundary conditions are imposed is specially suited for solving tube and channel flows driven by a pressure difference. At each time step, the pressure on the inflow and outflow boundaries are obtained from their given value at the contour of these surfaces using a two-dimensional form of pressure Poisson equation, which enforces the incompressibility constraint. The implementation of the method is presented for several (known) explicit numerical schemes. One of the main advantages of the method is that no velocity field has to be specified on inflow and outflow boundaries: the velocity (and the pressure) adjust itself in a natural way to the imposed pressure difference.