A finite volume method for the Laplace equation on almost arbitrary two-dimensional grids

¹ Mathématiques pour l'Industrie et la Physique, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 4, France. komla@mip.ups-tlse.fr
² Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique, DEN-DM2S-SFME, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France. pascal.omnes@cea.fr

Received: 26 April 2004
Revised: 7 July 2005

Abstract

We present a finite volume method based on the integration of the Laplace equation on both the cells of a primal almost arbitrary two-dimensional mesh and those of a dual mesh obtained by joining the centers of the cells of the primal mesh. The key ingredient is the definition of discrete gradient and divergence operators verifying a discrete Green formula. This method generalizes an existing finite volume method that requires “Voronoi-type” meshes. We show the equivalence of this finite volume method with a non-conforming finite element method with basis functions being P¹ on the cells, generally called “diamond-cells”, of a third mesh. Under geometrical conditions on these diamond-cells, we prove a first-order convergence both in the norm and in the L² norm. Superconvergence results are obtained on certain types of homothetically refined grids. Finally, numerical experiments confirm these results and also show second-order convergence in the L² norm on general grids. They also indicate that this method performs particularly well for the approximation of the gradient of the solution, and may be used on degenerating triangular grids. An example of application on non-conforming locally refined grids is given.