A Finite Element–Finite Volume Code Coupling for Optimal Control Problems in Fluid Heat Transfer for Incompressible Navier–Stokes Equations

In this work, we present a numerical approach for solving optimal control problems for fluid heat transfer applications with a mixed optimality system: an FEM code to solve the adjoint solution over a precise restricted admissible solution set and an open-source well-known code for solving the state...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Samuele Baldini, Giacomo Barbi, Giorgio Bornia, Antonio Cervone, Federico Giangolini, Sandro Manservisi, Lucia Sirotti
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Mathematics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1701
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In this work, we present a numerical approach for solving optimal control problems for fluid heat transfer applications with a mixed optimality system: an FEM code to solve the adjoint solution over a precise restricted admissible solution set and an open-source well-known code for solving the state problem defined over a different one. In this way, we are able to decouple the optimality system and use well-established and validated numerical tools for the physical modeling. Specifically, two different CFD codes, OpenFOAM (finite volume-based) and FEMuS (finite element-based), have been used to solve the optimality system, while the data transfer between them is managed by the external library MEDCOUPLING. The state equations are solved in the finite volume code, while the adjoint and the control are solved in the finite element code. Two examples taken from the literature are implemented in order to validate the numerical algorithm: the first one considers a natural convection cavity resulting from a Rayleigh–Bénard configuration, and the second one is a conjugate heat transfer problem between a fluid and a solid region.
ISSN:2227-7390