Energy stable multigrid method for local and non-local hydrodynamic models for freezing

In this paper we present a numerical method for hydrodynamic models that arise from time dependent density functional theories of freezing. The models take the form of compressible Navier-Stokes equations whose pressure is determined by the variational derivative of a free energy, which is a functional of the density field. We present unconditionally energy stable and mass conserving implicit finite difference methods for the models. The methods are based on a convex splitting of the free energy and that ensures that a discrete energy is non-increasing for any choice of time and space step. The methods are applicable to a large class of models, including both local and non-local free energy functionals. The theoretical basis for the numerical method is presented in a general context. The method is applied to problems using two specific free energy functionals: one local and one non-local functional. A nonlinear multigrid method is used to solve the numerical method, which is nonlinear at the implicit time step. The non-local functional, which is a convolution operator, is approximated using the Discrete Fourier Transform. Numerical simulations that confirm the stability and accuracy of the numerical method are presented. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.