Lars Davidson: Numerical Methods for Turbulent Flow http://www.tfd.chalmers.

se/gr-kurs/MTF071 54

Collocated grids

(January 7, 2005)

In 1983 Rhie & Chow [6] proposed a non-staggered grid arSfrag replacements rangement for velocity components, see the gure below. For details, see e.g. Refs. [2, 1].

and the pressure correction equation has the form

Now we want to compute the face velocities of for computing the source term (=continuity equation). Pure central differencing would give (constant density; equidistant mesh, see the gure above)

In this way we would face the same problems as when we tried to discretize the pressure gradient in Chapter 6 (see
Collocated Grid Arrangement: Pressure Velocity Coupling

X 7 "  `  Y 7 E "  W  B U $ E   V  B U $ X   T T

 F B I SE  DC$ PE  DCB R@ "#9 7Q 3 P'% HB  # 3 G'% DCB A  IE C " FE   @ 5"  5  5 9 8& " 9 8&  7 6&  

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The discretized ten

momentum equation in 1D can be writ(51)

(52)

Lars Davidson: Numerical Methods for Turbulent Flow http://www.tfd.chalmers.se/gr-kurs/MTF071 55

Eq. 34 on p. 40), i.e. the velocity at node is not used and we would admit oscillating velocity and pressure elds. Instead we interpolate the velocity and the pressure gradient separately. First we solve the momentum equation (Eq. 51) as usual. Then we create a velocity in which the pressure gradient is excluded, i.e. (see Eq. 51)

To nd the eld at the faces we add the pressure gradient to . The important point is that we dont interpolated from the nodes, but we evaluate at the faces, i.e.

is The procedure given above to obtain the face velocite called Rhie-Chow interpolation after its inventors. Evaluating this expression by inserting Eqs. 53 and 54 into Eq. 55, assuming constant and density ( is constant since the mesh spacing is constant) gives

Collocated Grid Arrangement: Pressure Velocity Coupling

 1 ) !" & $  &   & $   & ( 2#   E   V  B         ( #  ( U ( U # U & $ & 1) $ "& $ &  & $ & 1) E   B  (  (    (   #%  #% # U    V  B  1  & $  & 2) $ & '% & '% 1 ) E

F 

 F #%  1  $    ( F  (  1  & $  & 2) $ F  F Y & % 2) F F

Linear intepolation is used to obtain the faces, i.e.

1 2)

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 #

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(53) eld at the (54)

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(55)

Lars Davidson: Numerical Methods for Turbulent Flow http://www.tfd.chalmers.se/gr-kurs/MTF071 56

We nd that the Rhie-Chow interpolation is the same as adding a pressure term, which is proportional to a third derivative of the pressue . The object of this term is to eliminate pressure oscillations, and thereby also velocity oscillations. In the continuity equation (Eq. 56) the term is proportional to a fourth-order derivative term . This is shown by inserting the expression for and a corresponding expression for into the continuity equation, i.e.

(note that the equation above is the source term in Eq. 52) The fourth derivative stencil in pressure can be shown to be a dissipative term, i.e. a damping term (see further reading at the www-page). An Example In this example we will show that without the Rhie-Chow interpolation, the discretized equations support an oscillating pressure eld. Lets take a simple 1D ow for which the discretized equation can be written as

Collocated Grid Arrangement: Pressure Velocity Coupling

 E " " &  " &  $  &   &  $  E " "& $ "&  E " & $  &    &  $   & B 

(56)

( #%

& %

F 

% & %  &B & U I T

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Lars Davidson: Numerical Methods for Turbulent Flow http://www.tfd.chalmers.se/gr-kurs/MTF071 57

and the

equation as

Sfrag replacements

Assume that at a certain iteration we have a velocity eld (dashed line) and pressure eld (solid line) as show in the gure below.

The velocity is constant and equal to one, and the pressure oscillates between . We take a closer look at the discretized equations for node in the gure above. We assign some reasonable values on the coefcients in Eq. 57 (see the example at p. 50)

Collocated Grid Arrangement: Pressure Velocity Coupling

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TT

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(57)

(58)

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&
(59)

Lars Davidson: Numerical Methods for Turbulent Flow http://www.tfd.chalmers.se/gr-kurs/MTF071 58

The source term (the continuity equation) because the velocity at all nodes. Thus the solution to the equation is (actually for all nodes since for all nodes). Thus the pressure will not be changed and Now we turn to the momentum equation. Here we set (see the example at p. 50)

With pressure eld as in the gure above, the pressure in Eq. 57 is zero. Thus, we can gradient term see that with and an oscillating pressure eld both the continuity equation and the momentum equation are satised. This is clearly an unphysical solution. Now lets see what happens if we use Rhie-Chow interpolation. The only change is that the source term in the pressure correction equation is computed as Eq. 56, i.e.

Inserted values of and gives . This means that the residual for the continuity equation is not zero. It will result in a eld which is not zero. The pressure eld and the velocity eld will be corrected. The iteration process will go on and the nal solution will be and , which is the correct solution.
Collocated Grid Arrangement: Pressure Velocity Coupling

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