Reduced basis method applied to a convective stability problem

Abstract

Numerical reduced basis methods are instrumental to solve parameter dependent partial differential equations problems in case of many queries. Bifurcation and instability problems have these characteristics as different solutions emerge by varying a bifurcation parameter. Rayleigh–Bénard convection is an instability problem with multiple steady solutions and bifurcations by varying the Rayleigh number. In this paper the eigenvalue problem of the corresponding linear stability analysis has been solved with this method. The resulting matrices are small, the eigenvalues are easily calculated and the bifurcation points are correctly captured. Nine branches of stable and unstable solutions are obtained with this method in an interval of values of the Rayleigh number. Different basis sets are considered in each branch. The reduced basis method permits one to obtain the bifurcation diagrams with much lower computational cost.