Semi-Lagrangian formulation for the advection–diffusion–absorption equation

Abstract We present a numerical method for solving advective–diffusive–absorptive problems with high values of advection and absorption. A Lagrangian approach based on the updated version of the classical Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) is used to calculate advection, while a Eulerian strategy based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) is adopted to compute diffusion and absorption. The Eulerian FEM procedure is based on a Finite Increment Calculus (FIC) stabilized formulation recently developed by the authors. The most relevant features of each computational approach are outlined and the coupling scheme is explained. Several problems are solved to validate the method: the evolution of a localized concentration field in two dimensions (2D), the evolution of a spherical field in 3D and three benchmark problems from the literature with high absorption.