Mathematical methods continuous variable approximation

Mathematically, the infinite set of equations describing the rate of each chain length can be solved by using the z transform method (a discrete method), continuous variable approximation method, or the method of moments [see, e.g., Ray in Lapidus and Amundson (eds.), Chemical Reactor Theory—A Review, Prentice-Hall, 1977]. 

An element for the stress components composed of 16 sub-elements (4x4) on which bilinear (continuous) polynomials are used, was introduced by Marchal and Crochet in [28]. This leads to a continuous C° approximation of the three variables. The velocity is approximated by biquadratic polynomials while the pressure is linear. Fortin and Pierre ([17]) made a mathematical analysis of the Stokes problem for this three-field formulation. They conclude that the polynomial approximations of the different variables should satisfy the generalized inf-sup (Brezzi-Babuska) condition introduced by Marchal and Crochet and they proved it was the case for the Marchal and Crochet element. In order to take into account the hyperbolic character of the constitutive equation, Marchal and Crochet have implemented and compared two different methods. The first is the Streamline-Upwind/Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG). Thus a so-called non-consistent Streamline-Upwind (SU) is also considered (already used in [13]). As a test problem, they selected the "stick-slip" flow. With SUPG method applied to this problem, wiggles in the stress and the velocity field were obtained. In the SU method, the modified weighting function only applies to the convective terms in the constitutive equations. 

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