ADAPTATIVE REMESHING FOR VISCOUS INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOWS

This paper presents an adaptive finite element procedure for solving viscous incompressible flows. The methodology is based on adaptive remeshing for steady-state problems. The Navier-Stokes equations for an incompressible fluid are solved in primitive variables by an Uzawa algorithm using a highly accurate element. The efficiency and convergence rate of the adaptive strategy are evaluated by solving problems with known analytical solutions. Finally, the methodology is applied to the flow over a backward-facing step and predictions are compared with experimental measurements. The use of the proposed adaptive procedure is shown to lead to improved accuracy of the finite element predictions.