1. Coupling Stokes and Darcy equations

1.1. Problem setting

Definition

Let ΩRd be a domain split into two subdomains Ωf and Ωp such that :

Ω=¯Ωf¯ΩpΩfΩp=¯Ωf¯Ωp=Γ

We call Γ the interface.

Definition

We denote by n_f and n_p the respective unit outward normal vector fields along the boundary of Ωf and Ωp respectively.

Remark

We have : n_f=n_p on Γ.

Definition

For each i{1,...,d1}, we define an unit vector field τi tangent to Γ such that :

x_Γ,(n_f,τ_1,...,τ_d1) in an orthonormal basis for Rd

We aim to solve the Stokes equation in domain Ωf and the Darcy equation in domain Ωp, subject to boundary conditions on Ω=(ΩfΓ)(ΩpΓ) together with coupling relations along Γ. We denote by Γf and Γp the outer boundary of Ωf and Ωp respectively.

We use the following notations :

  • u_f and pf are the fluid velocity and fluid pressure respectively within the Stokes domain Ωf,

  • u_p and φ are the fluid velocity and piezometric head respectively within the Darcy domain Ωp,

  • D__(u_) is the symmetrized gradient defined by :

D__(u_)=12(u_+u_T)
  • T__(u_,p) is the Cauchy stress tensor defined by :

T__(u_,p)=2νD__(u_)pI__d

1.2. Equations

Writing Stokes and Darcy problems on their respective domains yields the system :

{T__(u_f,pf)=f_f in Ωfu_f=gf in Ωfκ__φ=fp in Ωp

1.3. Boundary conditions

The same essential/natural splitting as in the sole Darcy problem occurs here. One thus has to split the outer boundary Ω in four relatively open disjoint pieces. The subscripts f,p denote objects relative to the Stokes and The Darcy problem respectively, and the subscripts n,e denote respectively natural and essential boundary condition.

Definition
¯Γf,n¯Γf,e=ΩfΓΓf,nΓf,e=¯Γp,n¯Γp,e=ΩpΓΓp,nΓp,e=

One can impose :

{u_f=u_f,e on Γf,eT__(u_f,pf)n_f=T_f,n on Γf,nφ=φe on Γp,e(κ__φ)n_p=up,n on Γp,n

1.4. Coupling conditions

We impose the following coupling conditions along the interface Γ.

  • Continuity of the normal velocity, i.e. u_fn_f+u_pn_p=0, or :

u_fn_f=(κ__φ)n_f on Γ
  • Continuity of the normal component of the Cauchy stress :

n_f(T__(u_f,pf)n_f)=gφ on Γ
  • Beavers-Joseph condition :

(u_fu_p)τ_i+ατ_i(T__(u_f,pf)n_f)=0 on Γi{1,...,d1}

where α is proportional to the square root of the permeability of Ωp and inversely proportional to the square root of the kinematic viscosity ν and depends on the characteristic length of the pores in Ωp.

It is common to neglect the tangential components of u_p, thus the Beavers-Joseph condition reduces to the Beavers-Joseph-Saffman condition :

u_fτ_i+ατ_i(T__(u_f,pf)n_f)=0 on Γi{1,...,d1}

See D. A. Nield, The Beavers-Joseph boundary condition and related matters : a historical and critical note, Transp. Porous Med. (2009) 78:537-540 and M. Hoffmann, The Navier-Stokes-Darcy problem, Master’s Thesis (2013). This identity comes from empirical observations.

1.5. Weak formulation

We basically just write independently the weak formulation for Darcy and Stokes problem, then make the coupling condition appear by substitution.

Remark

In the following, function restrictions on a boundary are to be understood in terms of trace operator.

Definition

In order to write the weak formulation, we build the following function spaces from the boundary conditions :

Hf={v_=(vi)i=1,...,d(H1(Ωf))d|v_|Γf,e=0}Hp={ψH1(Ωp)|ψ|Γp,e=0}

in which we will pick our test functions. We endow them with the usual norms :

v_1,Ωf=(di=1vi22+Ωf(v_:v_))12ψ1,Ωp=(ψ22+Ωpψψ)12

inherited from the scalar products :

v_,w_Ωf=(di=1(Ωf|vi||wi|+Ωf(v_:w_)))12φ,ψΩp=(Ωp|φ||ψ|+Ωpφψ)12
Definition

Moreover, we endow X=Hf×Hp with the norm :

¯w_X=(w_21,Ωf+ψ21,Ωp)12

From Stokes' equation, we have to take the divergence of the stress tensor, in particular of the deformation tensor, times a test function v_Hf. We use the well-known identity :

(D(u_)v_)=(D(u_))v_+D(u_):v_

where A:B=Tr(ABT) denotes the generalized scalar product. Since D(u_) is symmetric, we can replace v_ by D(v_), according to the following relations : Tr(ABT)=Tr(BAT)=Tr(BA)=Tr(AB) with A symmetric and any B.

We define the following bilinear forms :

af(u_,v_)=2νΩfD__(u_):D__(v_);bf(v_,p)=Ωfpv_;ap(φ,ψ)=Ωpψκ__φ

1.5.1. Stokes

Let v_Hf. Multiplying and integrating gives :

Ωf(T__(u_f,pf))v_=Ωff_v_

We now focus on the left hand side term.

Ωf(T__(u_f,pf))v_=Ωf((pfI__d2νD__(u_f)))v_=Ωfpfv_2ν(D__(u_f))v_=Ωf(pfv_)Ωfpfv_+2νΩfD__(u_f):D(v_)2νΩf(D__(u_f)v_)=af(u_f,v_)+bf(v_,pf)Ωf(T__(u_f,pf)n_fv_)=af(u_f,v_)+bf(v_,pf)Γf,eΓf,nΓv_(T__(u_f,pf)n_f)

Notice that the Γf,e part vanishes since v_|Γf,e=0. Writing v_=(v_n_f)n_f+d1i=1(v_τ_i)τ_i on the boundary gives :

Γv_(T__(u_f,pf)n_f)=Γ(v_n_f)(T__(u_f,pf)n_f)n_fd1i=1Γ(v_τ_i)(T__(u_f,pf)τ_i)n_f

allowing us to apply the coupling conditions :

Γv_(T__(u_f,pf)n_f)=Γ(v_n_f)gφ+1αd1i=1Γ(v_τ_i)(u_fu_p)τ_i

so that the total weak Stokes equation is :

af(u_f,v_)+bf(v_,pf)+Γ((v_n_f)gφ+1αd1i=1(v_τ_i)(u_fu_p)τ_i)=Ωff_v_Γf,nv_T_f,n

We may often use Saffmann’s approximation and a zero Neumann condition on the outer boundary, yielding :

af(u_f,v_)+bf(v_,pf)+Γ((v_n_f)gφ+1αd1i=1(v_τ_i)(u_fτ_i))=Ωff_v_Γf,nv_T_f,n

1.5.2. Darcy

Since u_p=κ__φ and u_p=0, we rewrite Darcy’s equation :

(κ__φ)=0 on Ωp

Let us write its weak formulation :

Ωp(κ__φ)ψ=Ωpκ__φψΩp(κ__ψφ)=ap(φ,ψ)Γp,eΓp,nΓκ__ψφn_p=ap(φ,ψ)+Γκ__ψφn_f+Γp,nκ__ψφn_f thanks to b.c.=ap(φ,ψ)Γψ(u_fn_f)Γp,nψup,n thanks to c.c.

so the weak Darcy is :

ap(φ,ψ)Γψ(u_fn_f)=Γp,nψup,n

1.5.3. Sum up

{af(u_f,v_)+bf(v_,pf)Γf,eΓf,nΓv_(T__(u_f,pf)n_f)=Ωff_v_ in Ωfap(φ,ψ)Γp,eΓp,nΓκ__ψφn_p=0 in Ωpu_f=u_f,e on Γf,eu_pn_p=up,n on Γp,nφ=φe on Γp,e(κ__φ)n_p=up,n on Γp,nu_pn_f=u_fn_f on Γτ_i(T__(u_f,pf)n_f)=1α(u_fu_p)τ_i on Γ for i=1,..,d1n_f(T__(u_f,pf)n_f)=gφ on Γ

Adding up these equations yields the weak formulation of this coupled Stokes-Darcy problem :

{find u_fHfpfL2(Ωf) and φHp s.t. for all v_HfqL2(Ωf) and ψHp:af(u_f,v_)+bf(v_,pf)+gap(φ,ψ)+Γgφ(v_n_f)Γgψ(u_fn_f)+Γd1i=11α(u_fτ_i)(v_τ_i)=Ωff_v_Γf,nv_T_f,nΓp,nψup,nbf(u_f,q)=0