26.18 Convergence and Stability

Convergence can be hindered by a number of factors. Large numbers of computational cells, overly conservative under-relaxation factors, and complex flow physics are often the main causes. Sometimes it is difficult to know whether you have a converged solution. In the following sections, some of the numerical controls and modeling techniques that can be exercised to enhance convergence and maintain stability are examined.

You should also refer to Sections  26.2 and 26.3.1 for information about how the choice of discretization scheme or (for the pressure-based solver) pressure-velocity coupling scheme can affect convergence. Manipulation of under-relaxation parameters and multigrid settings to enhance convergence is discussed in Sections  26.3.2 and 26.18.3.