A multiblock/multilevel mesh refinement procedure for CFD computations

A multiblock/multilevel algorithm with local refinement for general two- and three-dimensional fluid flow is presented. The patched-based local refinement procedure is presented in detail and algorithmic implementations are also presented. The multiblock implementation is essentially block-unstructured, i.e. each block having its own local curvilinear co-ordinate system. Refined grid patches can be put anywhere in the computational domain and can extend across block boundaries. To simplify the implementation, while still maintaining sufficient generality, the refinement is restricted to a refinement of the grid successively halving the grid size within a selected patch. The multiblock approach is implemented within the framework of the well-known SIMPLE solution strategy. Computational experiments showing the effect of using the multilevel solution procedure are presented for a sample elliptic problem and a few benchmark problems of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.