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1 Choosing the PressureVelocity Coupling Method
25.9.1 Choosing the PressureVelocity Coupling Method
FLUENT provides four segregated types of algorithms: SIMPLE, SIMPLEC, PISO, and (for timedependant
flows using the NonIterative Time Advancement option (NITA)) Fractional Step (FSM). These schemes
are referred to as the pressurebased segregated algorithm. Steadystate calculations will generally use
SIMPLE or SIMPLEC, while PISO is recommended for transient calculations. PISO may also be useful for
steadystate and transient calculations on highly skewed meshes. In FLUENT, using the Coupled algorithm
enables full pressurevelocity coupling, hence it is referred to as the pressurebased coupled algorithm.
Pressurevelocity coupling is relevant only for the pressurebased solver; you will not specify it for
the densitybased solver.
SIMPLE vs. SIMPLEC
In FLUENT, both the standard SIMPLE algorithm and the SIMPLEC (SIMPLEConsistent) algorithm are
available. SIMPLE is the default, but many problems will benefit from using SIMPLEC, particularly because
of the increased underrelaxation that can be applied, as described below.
For relatively uncomplicated problems (laminar flows with no additional models activated) in which
convergence is limited by the pressurevelocity coupling, you can often obtain a converged solution more
quickly using SIMPLEC. With SIMPLEC, the pressurecorrection underrelaxation factor is generally set to
1.0, which aids in convergence speedup. In some problems, however, increasing the pressurecorrection
underrelaxation to 1.0 can lead to instability due to high grid skewness. For such cases, you will need to use
one or more skewness correction schemes, use a slightly more conservative underrelaxation value (up to
0.7), or use the SIMPLE algorithm. For complicated flows involving turbulence and/or additional physical
models, SIMPLEC will improve convergence only if it is being limited by the pressurevelocity coupling.
Often it will be one of the additional modeling parameters that limits convergence; in this case, SIMPLE and
SIMPLEC will give similar convergence rates.
PISO
The PISO algorithm (see Section 25.4.3) with neighbor correction is highly recommended for all transient
flow calculations, especially when you want to use a large time step. (For problems that use the LES
turbulence model, which usually requires small time steps, using PISO may result in increased computational
expense, so SIMPLE or SIMPLEC should be considered instead.) PISO can maintain a stable calculation
with a larger time step and an underrelaxation factor of 1.0 for both momentum and pressure. For steady
state problems, PISO with neighbor correction does not provide any noticeable advantage over SIMPLE or
SIMPLEC with optimal underrelaxation factors.
PISO with skewness correction is recommended for both steadystate and transient calculations on meshes
with a high degree of distortion.
When you use PISO neighbor correction, underrelaxation factors of 1.0 or near 1.0 are recommended for all
equations. If you use just the PISO skewness correction for highlydistorted meshes (without neighbor
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7/1/2016 FLUENT 6.3 User's Guide 25.9.1 Choosing the PressureVelocity Coupling Method
correction), set the underrelaxation factors for momentum and pressure so that they sum to 1 (e.g., 0.3 for
pressure and 0.7 for momentum). If you use both PISO methods, follow the underrelaxation
recommendations for PISO neighbor correction, above.
For most problems, it is not necessary to disable the default coupling between neighbor and skewness
corrections. For highly distorted meshes, however, disabling the default coupling between neighbor and
skewness corrections is recommended.
Fractional Step Method
The Fractional Step method (FSM), described in Section 25.4.3, is available when you choose to use the
NITA scheme (i.e., the NonIterative Time Advancement option in the Solver panel). With the NITA
scheme, the FSM is slightly less computationally expensive compared to the PISO algorithm. Whether you
select FSM or PISO depends on the application. For some problems (e.g., simulations that use VOF), FSM
could be less stable than PISO.
In most cases, the default values for the solution controls are enough to set a robust convergence of the
internal pressure correction subiterations due to skewness. Only very complex problems (e.g., moving
deforming meshes, sliding interfaces, the VOF model) could require a reduction of relaxation for pressure up
to a value of 0.7 or 0.8.
Coupled
Selecting Coupled from the PressureVelocity Coupling dropdown list indicates that you are using the
pressurebased coupled algorithm, described in Section 25.4.3. This solver offers some advantages over the
pressurebased segregated algorithm. The pressurebased coupled algorithm obtains a more robust and
efficient single phase implementation for steadystate flows. It is not available for cases using the Eulerian
multiphase, NITA, and periodic massflow boundary conditions.
User Inputs
You can specify the pressurevelocity coupling method in the Solution Controls panel (Figure 25.8.1).
Choose SIMPLE, SIMPLEC, PISO, Fractional Step, or Coupled in the PressureVelocity Coupling
dropdown list.
If you choose PISO, the panel will expand to show the additional parameters for pressurevelocity coupling.
By default, the number of iterations for Skewness Correction and Neighbor Correction are set to 1. If you
want to use only Skewness Correction, then set the number of iterations for Neighbor Correction to 0.
Likewise, if you want to use only Neighbor Correction, then set the number of iterations for Skewness
Correction to 0. For most problems, you do not need to change the default iteration values. By default, the
SkewnessNeighbor Coupling option is enabled to allow for a more economical but a less robust variation
of the PISO algorithm.
If you choose SIMPLEC under PressureVelocity Coupling, you must also set the Skewness Correction,
whose default value is 0.
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7/1/2016 FLUENT 6.3 User's Guide 25.9.1 Choosing the PressureVelocity Coupling Method
If you choose Coupled, you will have to specify the Courant number, which is set at 200 by default. You
will also specify the Explicit Relaxation Factors for Momentum and Pressure, which are set at 0.75 by
default. For more information about these options, refer to Sections 25.4.3 and 25.4.4.
If highorder momentum discretization is used, you may need to decrease the explicit relaxation to 0.5. For
cases with very skewed meshes, the run can be stabilized by further reduction of the explicit relaxation factor
to 0.25. If FLUENT immediately diverges in the AMG solver, then the CFL number is too high and should
be reduced. Reducing the CFL number below 10 is not recommended since it would be better to use the
segregated algorithm for the pressurevelocity coupling.
In most transient cases, the CFL number should be set to with an explicit relaxation of 1.0.
Previous: 25.9 PressureBased Solver Settings
Up: 25.9 PressureBased Solver Settings
Next: 25.9.2 Setting UnderRelaxation Factors
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