A finite volume method to solve the 3D Navier-Stokes equations on unstructured collocated meshes

A new method to solve the Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible viscous flows and the transport of a scalar quantity is proposed. This method is based upon a fractional time step scheme and the finite volume method on unstructured meshes. The governing equations are discretized using a collocated, cell-centered arrangement of velocity and pressure. The solution variables are stored at the cell-circumcenters. Theoretical results and numerical properties of the scheme are provided. Predictions of lid-driven cavity flow, flows past a cylinder and heat transport in a cylinder are performed to validate the method. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.