A BDF2-Semismooth Newton Algorithm for the Numerical Solution of the Bingham Flow with Temperature Dependent Parameters

Abstract: This paper is devoted to the numerical solution of the non-isothermal instationary Bingham flow with temperature dependent parameters by semismooth Newton methods. We discuss the main theoretical aspects regarding this problem. Mainly, we focus on existence of solutions and a multiplier formulation which leads us to a coupled system of PDEs involving a Navier-Stokes type equation and a parabolic energy PDE. Further, we propose a Huber regularization for this coupled system of partial differential equations, and we briefly discuss the well posedness of these regularized problems. A detailed finite element discretization, based on the so called (cross-grid $\mathbb{P}_1$) - $\mathbb{Q}_0$ elements, is proposed for the space variable, involving weighted stiffness and mass matrices. After discretization in space, a second order BDF method is used as a time advancing technique, leading, in each time iteration, to a nonsmooth system of equations, which is suitable to be solved by a semismooth Newton algorithm. Therefore, we propose and discuss the main properties of a SSN algorithm, including the convergence properties. The paper finishes with two computational experiment that exhibit the main properties of the numerical approach.