On False Accuracy Verification of UMUSCL Scheme

On False Accuracy Verification of UMUSCL Scheme

Year:    2021

Author:    Hiroaki Nishikawa

Communications in Computational Physics, Vol. 30 (2021), Iss. 4 : pp. 1037–1060

Abstract

In this paper, we reveal a mechanism behind a false accuracy verification encountered with unstructured-grid schemes based on solution reconstruction such as UMUSCL. Third- (or higher-) order of accuracy has been reported for the Euler equations in the literature, but UMUSCL is actually second-order accurate at best for nonlinear equations. False high-order convergence occurs generally for a scheme that is high order for linear equations but second-order for nonlinear equations. It is caused by unexpected linearization of a target nonlinear equation due to too small of a perturbation added to an exact solution used for accuracy verification. To clarify the mechanism, we begin with a proof that the UMUSCL scheme is third-order accurate only for linear equations. Then, we derive a condition under which the third-order truncation error dominates the second-order error and demonstrate it numerically for Burgers’ equation. Similar results are shown for the Euler equations, which disprove some accuracy verification results in the literature. To be genuinely third-order, UMUSCL must be implemented with flux reconstruction.

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Journal Article Details

Publisher Name:    Global Science Press

Language:    English

DOI:    https://doi.org/10.4208/cicp.OA-2020-0198

Communications in Computational Physics, Vol. 30 (2021), Iss. 4 : pp. 1037–1060

Published online:    2021-01

AMS Subject Headings:    Global Science Press

Copyright:    COPYRIGHT: © Global Science Press

Pages:    24

Keywords:    UMUSCL high-order finite-volume finite-difference unstructured grids reconstruction schemes.

Author Details

Hiroaki Nishikawa