Finite element modeling of high Deborah number planar contraction flows with rational function interpolation of the Leonov model

A new numerical algorithm of finite element methods is presented to solve high Deborah number flow problems with geometric singularities. The steady inertialess planar 4 : 1 contraction flow is chosen for its test. As a viscoelastic constitutive equation, we have applied the globally stable (dissipative and Hadamard stable) Leonov model that can also properly accommodate important nonlinear viscoelastic phenomena. The streamline upwinding method with discrete elastic-viscous stress splitting is incorporated. New interpolation functions classified as rational interpolation, an alternative formalism to enhance numerical convergence at high Deborah number, are implemented not for the whole set of finite elements but for a few elements attached to the entrance comer, where stress singularity seems to exist. The rational interpolation scheme contains one arbitrary parameter b that controls the singular behavior of the rational functions, and its value is specified to yield the best stabilization effect. The new interpolation method raises the limit of Deborah number by 2∼5 times. Therefore on average, we can obtain convergent solution up to the Deborah number of 200 for which the comer vortex size reaches 1.6 times of the half width of the upstream reservoir. Examining spatial violation of the positive definiteness of the elastic strain tensor, we conjecture that the stabilization effect results from the peculiar behavior of rational functions identified as steep gradient on one domain boundary and linear slope on the other. Whereas the rational interpolation of both elastic strain and velocity distorts solutions significantly, it is shown that the variation of solutions incurred by rational interpolation only of the elastic strain is almost negligible. It is also verified that the rational interpolation deteriorates speed of convergence with respect to mesh refinement.