Stability and existence of solutions of time-implicit finite volume schemes for viscous nonlinear conservation laws (Q5932825)

The authors deal with a time-implicit Voronoi-box-based vertex-centred finite volume discretization for initial-boundary value problem of a scalar nonlinear viscous conservative law in a heterogeneous one-, two- or three-dimensional domain. Using notations from explicit finite volume methods for hyperbolic problems and results from the Perron-Frobenius theory of nonnegative matrices, various existence, stability and uniqueness results are established for the discrete problem. The class of schemes introduced covers hyperbolic problems as well as nonlinear diffusion problems. For the description of the discrete nonlinear operators the flux-function-based ansatz commonly used in the theory of explicit finite volume schemes for hyperbolic conservative laws is generalized by incorporating viscous terms into flux functions. Nonlinear diffusion and transport problems are discussed and one-dimensional numerical examples are provided for the equations. Practical relevance of their considerations for groundwater flow example are shown herein.