Normal flow boundary conditions in 3D circulation models

Abstract

The problem of enforcing normal transport conditions on 3D velocity fields is considered in the context of 'wave equation' finite element models. A procedure for strong enforcement of the transport constraint is given. The procedure is identical for Neumann (transport known) and Dirichlet (pressure known) problems, which are treated reversibly. All local mass and force balance relations are retained in the FEM system. A global mass conservation property is proven for the general 3D, discrete-time case. Examples demonstrate the quality of the solutions and the practicality of the approach.© 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.