A global mass-preserving numerical method for low-Mach-number real-gas flows in closed systems

Abstract

A mass-preserving low-Mach-number framework is proposed for closed-system real-fluid flows governed by general nonlinear equations of state. The formulation enforces consistency between the spatially uniform thermodynamic pressure, the equation of state, and global mass conservation. Moreover, the numerical algorithm employs a segregated strategy in which the thermodynamic state is updated before the momentum equations, and the velocity field is advanced using a pressure-correction method. This approach enables an efficient solution procedure by decoupling the thermodynamic and momentum updates and retaining the use of FFT-based solvers for the pressure correction. The resulting formulation is implemented with second-order spatial accuracy. The implementation is first verified using the method of manufactured solutions, in which the thermodynamic state is prescribed through analytical density and thermodynamic-pressure fields, enabling verification of the nonlinear equation of state, thermodynamic-pressure evolution, and the low-Mach-number divergence constraint. The framework is subsequently validated against benchmark laminar and turbulent flows for both ideal and real fluids, particularly transcritical CO$_2$ channel flow, demonstrating its accuracy and robustness in the presence of strong thermodynamic nonlinearities.