Discretisation of Eulerian nonlinear elasticity and diffusion using gradient flows

Abstract

In this study, we introduce a general energy-based modelling approach for viscous poroelastic materials that feature diffusive transport in both Lagrangian and Eulerian frames. Our research produces refined weak formulations by using the reference map concept within the Eulerian configuration. We propose and implement a novel structure-preserving discretisation strategy, utilising mixed finite element methods. This paper highlights the spatial and temporal numerical convergence of our methods through a comparative analysis of Lagrangian and Eulerian schemes, thereby proving the robustness and usability of our approach. Furthermore, in the context of Eulerian multiphase flow, specifically of the quasi-static Euler-Euler type, our study demonstrates the existence of solitary fluid waves within poroviscoelastic media. This energy-based approach forms a basis for a deeper understanding of thermodynamical modelling and corresponding discretisation schemes for coupled poroelasticity, flow, and diffusion.