On a holistic investigation of implicit/explicit/semi-implicit GS4-I framework and time step control for unsteady fluid dynamics

Purpose: This paper aims to design and analyze implicit/explicit/semi-implicit schemes and a universal error estimator within the Generalized Single-step Single-Solve computational framework for First-order transient systems (GS4-I), which also fosters the adaptive time-stepping procedure to improve stability, accuracy and efficiency applied for fluid dynamics. Design/methodology/approach: The newly proposed child-explicit and semi-implicit schemes emanate from the parent implicit GS4-I framework, providing numerous options with flexible and controllable numerical properties to the analyst. A universal error estimator is developed based on the consistent algorithmic variables and it works for all the developed methods. Applications are demonstrated by merging the developed algorithms into the iterated pressure-projection method for incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Findings: The child-explicit GS4-I has improved solution accuracy and stability properties, and the most stable option is the child explicit GS4-I(0,0)/second-order backward differentiation formula/Gear’s methods, which is new and novel. Numerical tests validate that the universal error estimator emanating from implicit designs works well for the newly proposed explicit/semi-implicit algorithms. The iterative pressure-correction projection algorithm is efficiently fostered by the error estimator-based adaptive time-stepping. Originality/value: The implicit/explicit/semi-implicit methods within a unified computational framework are easy to implement and have flexible options in practical applications. In contrast to traditional error estimators, which work only on an algorithm-by-algorithm basis, the proposed error estimator is universal. They work for the entire class of implicit/explicit/semi-implicit linear multi-step methods that are second-order time accurate. Based on the accurately estimated local error, balance amongst stability, accuracy and efficiency can be well achieved in the dynamic simulation.