A surface finite element method for the Navier-Stokes equations on evolving surfaces

Abstract: We introduce a surface finite element method for the numerical solution of Navier-Stokes equations on evolving surfaces with a prescribed deformation of the surface in normal direction. The method is based on approaches for the full surface Navier-Stokes equations in the context of fluid-deformable surfaces and adds a penalization of the normal component. Numerical results demonstrate the same optimal order as proposed for surface (Navier-)Stokes equations on stationary surfaces. The approach is applied to high-resolution 3D scans of clothed bodies in motion to provide interactive virtual fluid-like clothing.