Author(s)

F.C.B. Mascarenhas, E.L. Vasconcelos & L.C. Wrobel

Abstract

Hydrodynamic modelling by finite difference and finite element methods F.C.B. Mascarenhas, E.L. Vasconcelos, L.C. Wrobel Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Brazil ABSTRACT Finite element approaches have more commonly been applied to problems described over well defined domains such as those of solid mechanics and other kinds of rigid and fixed boundary situations. In fluid flow, however, that approach has been applied under some limitations, mainly due to physical uncertainties of the real problem. In this work, emphasis is given to the solution of the unsteady gradually varied flow equations by both the finite difference and the finite element methods. The use of Hermitean type elements shows how some features of the real flow process can be simulated in a smoother way in the presence of discontinuities, when compared to finite difference results. The well known Saint-Venant equations are slightly modified to allow the integral approach related to t

Keywords