Eulerian algorithms for computing some Lagrangian flow network quantities

Originated from the complex network theory, the Lagrangian flow network (LFN) has motivated various tools to analyze fluid flows' transport and mixing behaviors. These tools include the so-called finite time escape rate (FTER), the transition matrix, and also the finite time entropy. This paper proposes novel Eulerian algorithms to compute these LFN quantities in two dimensions based on a partial differential equation (PDE) formulation for the underlying flow map. Compared to the typical Lagrangian computations based on ray tracing, our numerical approaches are computationally efficient. Moreover, for velocity fields obtained numerically by computational fluid dynamic (CFD) solvers, our approach does not require further interpolation of the velocity field but can use the discrete velocity data directly. Finally, we will apply our proposed algorithms to several test examples, including a real-life dataset, to demonstrate the performance of the method. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.