Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes

Velocity Pressure Coupling on Collocated grid

Rhie and Chow Interpolation Method
Olabanji Y. Shonibare
Advisors: Prof. Kathleen Feigl & Prof. Franz Tanner
February 9, 2014
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Contents
1
Introduction
2
Rhie and Chows Interpolation
3
Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Introduction
When a collocated arrangement is used for pressure and velocity values,
we need to ensure correct pressure-velocity coupling. Here, we consider
the Rhie and Chow Interpolation method .
To explain the details, the 1D-collocated arrangement shown below is
considered, where velocity u, is stored and calculated at location, P.
Figure: a 1d-collocated arrangement on a uniform grid.
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Introduction
The discretized umomentum equation at node P is
a
P
u
P
=

a
nb
u
nb
+ (p
w
p
e
)A
P
+ b
P
. (1)
Using linear interpolation, which is second order accurate, to nd the
face pressures p
w
and p
e
on the uniform grid, we obtain
p
e
p
w
=
p
E
+ p
P
2

p
P
+ p
W
2
=
p
E
p
W
2
and Eqn. (1) becomes
a
P
u
P
=

a
nb
u
nb
+
1
2
(p
W
p
E
)A
P
+ b
P
or u
P
=

a
nb
u
nb
+ b
P
a
P
+
A
P
2a
P
(p
W
p
E
). (2)
We observe that the momentum equation at point P does not involve the
pressure at the point P but uses nodal pressures from adjacent control
volumes.
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Introduction
Similarly, we obtain the discretized umomentum equation at node E as
u
E
=

a
nb
u
nb
+ b
E
a
E
+
A
E
2a
E
(p
P
p
EE
) (3)
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Checker-Board Problem
Figure: Varying pressure eld
Considering the varying pressure eld above. Physically, we expect that
the large pressure dierences between nodes P and E and between nodes
W and P would drive ows into the control volume surrounding node P
across the e and w faces, respectively. However, the pressure dierence
(p
W
p
E
) acting in the discretized momentum equation for u
P
is zero -
these are non-physical solutions and are obtained as a result of linear
interpolation for pressure dierence.
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Contents
1
Introduction
2
Rhie and Chows Interpolation
3
Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Rhie and Chows Interpolation
Velocities on the face e and w are used to discretize the continuity
equation, which then gives the pressure correction equation. But then,
the cell face velocity u
e
has to be interpolated using u
P
and u
E
from
Eqns. (2) and (3) respectively, which will not contain a pressure gradient
across the faces of the control volume and the resulting solution can be
oscillatory.
Rhie and Chow suggests a higher order term be included to prevent this
eect:
u
e
=
u
P
+u
E
2
+
1
2
(d
P
+ d
E
)(p
P
p
E
)
1
4
d
P
(p
W
p
E
)
1
4
d
E
(p
P
p
EE
)
(4)
where d
P
=
A
P
a
P
and d
E
=
A
E
a
E
. The face velocity u
e
is now directly linked
to the driving pressure dierence (p
P
p
E
) across the face e.
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Rhie and Chows Interpolation
Velocities on the face e and w are used to discretize the continuity
equation, which then gives the pressure correction equation. But then,
the cell face velocity u
e
has to be interpolated using u
P
and u
E
from
Eqns. (2) and (3) respectively, which will not contain a pressure gradient
across the faces of the control volume and the resulting solution can be
oscillatory.
Rhie and Chow suggests a higher order term be included to prevent this
eect:
u
e
=
u
P
+u
E
2
+
1
2
(d
P
+ d
E
)(p
P
p
E
)
1
4
d
P
(p
W
p
E
)
1
4
d
E
(p
P
p
EE
)
(4)
where d
P
=
A
P
a
P
and d
E
=
A
E
a
E
. The face velocity u
e
is now directly linked
to the driving pressure dierence (p
P
p
E
) across the face e.
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Rhie and Chows Interpolation
Eqn. (4) is second order accurate.
It suces to show that the three pressure terms in Eqn. (4) represents
the addition of a higher order term.
Assuming d is constant. Then
u
e
=
u
P
+u
E
2
+ d(p
P
p
E
)
1
4
d(p
W
p
E
)
1
4
d(p
P
p
EE
)
=
u
P
+u
E
2
+
d
4
[p
EE
3p
E
+ 3p
P
p
W
]
. .
pressure term
(5)
To identify the meaning of the pressure term, we consider the third
derivative of pressure across face e:
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Rhie and Chows Interpolation
d
3
p
dx
3

e
=
d
dx
_
d
2
p
dx
2
_

e
=
1
x
__
d
2
p
dx
2
_

_
d
2
p
dx
2
_

P
_
=
1
x
_
p
EE
2p
E
+ p
P
x
2

p
E
2p
P
+ p
W
x
2
_
=
1
x
3
(p
EE
3p
E
+ 3p
P
p
W
)
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Rhie and Chows Interpolation
Hence,
p
EE
3p
E
+ 3p
P
p
W
=
d
3
p
dx
3

e
x
3
. (6)
Using Eqn. (6) in Eqn. (5), we obtain
u
e
=
u
P
+u
E
2
+
d
4
_
d
3
p
dx
3

e
x
3
_
which shows that Rhie and Chows pressure interpolation practice
involves the addition of a third order pressure gradient term.
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Contents
1
Introduction
2
Rhie and Chows Interpolation
3
Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Extension to Unstructured Meshes
Eqn. (4) could be re-written as
u
e
=
u
P
+u
E
2
+
1
2
_
A
P
x
a
P
+
A
E
x
a
E
__
p
P
p
E
x
_

1
2
_
A
P
x
a
P
(p)
P
+
A
E
x
a
E
(p)
E
_
, (7)
where (p)
P
=
p
W
p
E
2x
and (p)
E
=
p
P
p
EE
2x
.
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Extension to Unstructured Meshes
A generalization of Eqn. (7) is given as
u
f
=
_
u
P
+u
A
2
_
n +
1
2
_
V
P
a
P
+
V
A
a
A
__
p
P
p
A

1
2
_
V
P
a
P
(p)
P
+
V
A
a
A
(p)
A
_
e

(8)
where u
f
is the face velocity, is the distance between the nodes and
V = Ax is the volume of the control volume, and the gradients,
(p)
P
and (p)
A
can be evaluated using an appropriate gradient
reconstruction method.
Figure: Control volume face of an abrbitrary shaped cell
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
References
C. M. Rhie and W. L. Chow. Numerical study of the turbulent ow
past an airfoil with trailing edge separation. AIAA J., 199:1525-1532,
1983.
J. H. Ferziger and M. Peric. Computational Methods for Fluid
Dynamics. Springer, 2002.
H. K. Versteeg and W. Malalasekera. An Introduction to
Computational Fluid Dynamics. Pearson Education Limited, Second
Edition, 2007.
Introduction Rhie and Chows Interpolation Extension of Interpolation method to Unstructured Meshes
Thank You!
Questions, please.