Computation of incompressible flows with implicit finite element implementations on the Connection Machine

Abstract

Two implicit finite element formulations for incompressible flows have been implemented on the Connection Machine supercomputers and successfully applied to a set of time-dependent problems. The stabilized space-time formulation for moving boundaries and interfaces, and a new stabilized velocity-pressure-stress formulation are both described, and significant aspects of the implementation of these methods on massively parallel architectures are discussed. Several numerical results for flow problems involving moving as well as fixed cylinders and airfoils are reported. The parallel implementation, taking full advantage of the computational speed of the new generation of supercomputers, is found to be a significant asset in fluid dynamics research. Its current capability to solve large-scale problems, especially when coupled with the potential for growth enjoyed by massively parallel computers, make the implementation a worthwhile enterprise.