Approximation of time-dependent, multi-component, viscoelastic fluid flow Original Research Article

In this article we analyse a fully discrete approximation to the time dependent viscoelasticity equations allowing for multicomponent fluid flow. The Oldroyd B constitutive equation is used to model the viscoelastic stress. For the discretization, time derivatives are replaced by backward difference quotients, and the non-linear terms are linearized by lagging appropriate factors. The modeling equations for the individual fluids are combined into a single system of equations using a continuum surface model. The numerical approximation is stabilized by using an SUPG approximation for the constitutive equation. Under a small data assumption on the true solution, existence of the approximate solution is proven. A priori error estimates for the approximation in terms of the mesh parameter h, the time discretization parameter Δt, and the SUPG coefficient ν are also derived. Numerical simulations of viscoelastic fluid flow involving two immiscible fluids are also presented.