$WM_PROJECT_DIR/src/finiteVolume/finiteVolume

TIME DISCRETISATION SCHEMES

• backward • bounded
• CoEuler • CrankNicolson
• Euler • localEuler
• SLTS • steadyState

These are the time discretization schemes that you will use most of the times:
• steadyState: for steady state simulations (implicit/explicit).
• Euler: time dependent first order (implicit/explicit), bounded.
• backward: time dependent second order (implicit), bounded/unbounded.
• CrankNicolson: time dependent second order (implicit), bounded/unbounded.

First order methods are bounded and stable, but diffusive. Second order methods are accurate, but
they might become oscillatory. At the end of the day, we always want a second order accurate
solution. If you keep the CFL less than one when using the Euler method, numerical diffusion is not
that much.

Backward time scheme

1. Implicit 4. Boundedness not guaranteed

2. Second order 5. Conditionally stable

3. Transient

Crank-Nicolson time scheme

The Crank-Nicolson method as it is implemented in OpenFOAM®, uses a blending factor.

ddtSchemes { default CrankNicolson Ψ; }

Setting to 0 is equivalent to running a pure Euler scheme (robust but first order accurate). By setting
the blending factor equal to 1 you use a pure Crank-Nicolson (accurate but oscillatory, formally
second order accurate). If you set the blending factor to 0.5, you get something in between first
order accuracy and second order accuracy, or in other words, you get the best of both worlds. A
blending factor of 0.7-0.9 is safe to use for most applications (stable and accurate).

1. Second order

2. Transient

3. Bounded
Euler implicit time scheme

1. Implicit
2. First order
3. Transient

ddtScheme Order Implicit/ Steady or Bound Stable

explicit transient
Euler implicit First Implicit Transient
time scheme
Crank- Second - Transient Bounded
Nicolson time
scheme

Backward time Second Implicit Transient Not guaranteed Conditionally

scheme