Simple Algorithm

MEL 807
Computational Heat Transfer (2-0-4)
Dr. Prabal Talukdar
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
IIT Delhi
Starred Velocity Field
Imperfect velocity field based on a guessed
pressure field p
*
can be called as Starred
velocity field
n
*
N
*
P
*
nb
nb
nb
*
n n
b y ) p p ( v a v a + + =

e
*
E
*
P
*
nb
nb
nb
*
e e
b y ) p p ( u a u a + + =

The Pressure and Velocity Corrections

Let us assume a correct pressure
p = p
*
+p

The corresponding velocity corrections u, v can be

introduced in a similar way:
u = u* + u v = v* + v
e
*
E
*
P
*
nb
nb
nb
*
e e
b y ) p p ( u a u a + + =

Pressure
correction
e E P nb
nb
nb e e
b y ) p p ( u a u a + + =

y ) p p ( u a u a
'
E
'
P
'
nb
nb
nb
'
e e
+ =

Subtracting,
=
0
Velocity Correction Formula
) p p ( d v v
) p p ( d u u
) p p ( d u
y ) p p ( u a
'
N
'
P n
*
n n
'
E
'
P e
*
e e
'
E
'
P e
'
e
'
E
'
P
'
e e
+ =
+ =
=
=
Velocity correction formula
Pressure Correction Equation
0
y
) v (
x
) u (
=

[ ] [ ] 0 x ) v ( ) v ( y ) u ( ) u (
s n w e
= +
b p a p a p a p a p a
'
S S
'
N N
'
W W
'
E E
'
P P
+ + + + =
Discretizing,
Substituting with the velocity correction
) p p ( d v v
) p p ( d u u
'
N
'
P n
*
n n
'
E
'
P e
*
e e
+ =
+ =
Aim is to turn the continuity equation into an equation for the pressure correction
Discretization (contd)
[ ] [ ] x ) v ( ) v ( y ) u ( ) u ( b
a a a a a
x d a
x d a
y d a
y d a
n
*
s
*
e
*
w
*
S N W E P
s s S
n n N
w w W
e e E
+ =
+ + + =
=
=
=
=
b p a p a p a p a p a
'
S S
'
N N
'
W W
'
E E
'
P P
+ + + + =
SIMPLE Algorithm
Semi-implicit method for Pressure-linked
Equations
Proposed by Patankar and Spalding (1972)
Create a discrete equation for pressure (or,
alternatively, a related quantity called the
pressure correction)
Sequence of Operations
1. Guessed the pressure field
2. Solve the momentum equations to obtain u*, v*
3. Solve the p equation
4. Calculate p from p = p
*
+p

e
*
E
*
P
*
nb
nb
nb
*
e e
b y ) p p ( u a u a + + =

b p a p a p a p a p a
'
S S
'
N N
'
W W
'
E E
'
P P
+ + + + =
Sequence (contd)
5. Calculate u, v, w from their starred values using the
velocity correction formula. The corrected velocity field
satisfies the continuity equation exactly
6. Solve the discretization equation for other s (such as
temperature, concentration, turbulence quantities) if
they influence the fluid properties, source terms etc.
7. Treat the corrected pressure as a new guessed
pressure p*, return to step 2 and repeat the whole
procedure until convergence
) p p ( d v v
) p p ( d u u
'
N
'
P n
*
n n
'
E
'
P e
*
e e
+ =
+ =
Discussions
The pressure correction equation is a vehicle by
which the velocity and pressure fields are
nudged towards a solution that satisfies both the
discrete continuity and momentum equations.
Iterating with an algorithm which satisfies
continuity repeatedly
b term in the continuity equation is a measure
of resulting imbalance
Discussions
Omission of the term:
In the final iteration, u*, v*, p* satisfy the momentum
equation and b term in p equation is zero means
continuity is also satisfied. So, p equation does not
play any role in the final iteration
Effect of omission
Pressure is over corrected - Hence prone to divergence
y ) p p ( u a u a
'
E
'
P
'
nb
nb
nb
'
e e
+ =

Discussions
Remedy:
Under-relaxation
Momentum equation
u
=
v
= 0.5
Pressure is under-relaxed as p = p* +
P
p

P
= 0.8
Velocity correction is never under-relaxed like pressure
Since SIMPLE algorithm approaches convergence
through a set of intermediate continuity-satisfying fields,
it helps in the convergence of transport equation
) F F F F ( V S a a
s n w e P P
nb
nb P
+ + =

Boundary Conditions
Boundary condition for momentum equation is same as
for scalar transport equation
For pressure correction equation
Given normal velocity V
b
at the boundary
Could happen in inlet, outlet and wall
In deriving p Eq. from continuity equation, dont make a
velocity correction for the boundary with known velocity. This
will eliminate the p term for that boundary
So, set a
b
equal to zero at the
p equation
V
A
b
b P
) p p ( d u u
'
b
'
P b
*
b b
+ =
b p a p a p a p a p a
'
S S
'
N N
'
b b
'
E E
'
P P
+ + + + =
0
Pressure BC
For a given pressure BC,
set pressure correction to zero
The situation is like a heat conduction problem with
known temperature at the boundary
b p a p a p a p a p a
'
S S
'
N N
'
b b
'
E E
'
P P
+ + + + =
0
Relative Nature of Pressure
Assume a constant density steady situation, in which
normal velocities are given at the all boundary locations
All the boundary coefficients such as a
b
will be zero at
the boundary
This is something like a heat conduction with unknown
boundary temp which says that if T is a solution then T +
C will also be a solution. This can only be avoided if
boundary temperature is prescribed in some form
Similarly, we got to know absolute pressure at some
boundary, otherwise both p and p + C will satisfy p
equation
Computationally, N control volumes and N - 1 equations.
Dont have enough N equations for pressure corrections
Relative Nature of Pressure (contd)
Hence if density is unaffected by pressure, relative
nature does not cause any problem in the momentum
equation as we need the pressure difference, not the
absolute pressure
That is why we can say pressure is a relative variable,
not an absolute one
In an iterative method, absolute value of pressure is
decided by an initial guess to solve for p equation (for vel
BC) (for pressure BC initial guess could be the known boundary pressure)
Value of absolute pr. is much higher than the pr. diff
could cause round-off errors
Good to assume p = 0 as reference value at some grid
point.