Detection of multiple solutions using a mid-cell back substitution technique applied to computational fluid dynamics

Computational models for fluid flow based on the Navier-Stokes equations for compressible fluids led to numerical procedures requiring the solution of simultaneous non-linear algebraic equations. These give rise to the possibility of multiple solutions, and hence there is a need to monitor convergence towards a physically meaningful flow field. The number of possible solutions that may arise is examined, and a mid-cell back substitution technique (MCBST) is developed to detect and avoid convergence towards apparently spurious solutions. The MCBST was used successfully for flow modelling in micron-sized flow passages, and was found to be particularly useful in the early stages of computation, optimizing the speed of convergence