CFL-Violating Numerical Schemes for a Two-Fluid Model

In this paper we propose a class of linearly implicit numerical schemes for a two-phase flow model, allowing for violation of the CFL-criterion for all waves. Based on the Weakly Implixit Mixture Flux (WIMF) approach [SIAM J. Sci. Comput., 26 (2005), pp. 1449–1484], we here develop an extension denoted as Strongly Implicit Mixture Flux (SIMF). Whereas the WIMF schemes are restricted by a weak CFL condition which relates time steps to the fluid velocity, the SIMF schemes are able to break the CFL conditions corresponding to both the sonic and advective velocities. The schemes possess some desirable features compared to current industrial pressure-based codes. They allow for sequential updating of the momentum and mass variables on a nonstaggered grid by solving two sparse linear systems. The schemes are conservative in all convective fluxes and consistency between the mass variables and pressure is formally maintained. Numerical experiments are presented to shed light on the inherent differences between the WIMF and SIMF families of schemes. In particular, we demonstrate that the WIMF scheme is able to give an exact resolution of a moving contact discontinuity. The SIMF schemes do not possess the “exact resolution” property of WIMF, however, the ability to take larger time steps can be exploited so that more efficient calculations can be made when accurate resolution of sharp fronts is not essential, e.g. to calculate steady state solutions.