A multigrid method for steady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations based on flux difference splitting

The steady Navier-Stokes equations in primitive variables are discretized in conservative form by a vertex-centered finite volume method. Flux difference splitting is applied to the convective part to obtain an upwind discretization. The diffusive part is discretized in the central way. In its first-order formulation, flux difference splitting leads to a discretization of so-called vector positive type. This allows the use of classical relaxation methods in collective form. An alternating line Gauss-Seidel relaxation method is chosen here. This relaxation method is used as a smoother in a multigrid method. The components of this multigrid method are: full approximation scheme with F-cycles, bilinear prolongation, full weighting for residual restriction and injection of grid functions. Higher-order accuracy is achieved by the flux extrapolation method. In this approach the first-order convective fluxes are modified by adding second-order corrections involving flux limiting. Here the simple MinMod limiter is chosen. In the multigrid formulation the second-order discrete system is solved by defect correction. Computational results are shown for the well-known GAMM backward-facing step problem and for a channel with a half-circular obstruction.