Finite element methods for multicomponent convection-diffusion
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We develop finite element methods for coupling the steady-state Onsager-Stefan-Maxwell equations to compressible Stokes flow. These equations describe multicomponent flow at low Reynolds number, where a mixture of different chemical species within a common thermodynamic phase is transported by convection and molecular diffusion. Employing a novel variational formulation for general non-ideal fluids, we prove well-posedness of a Picard-type linearization, and convergence of its discretization with appropriate finite elements. The application of the method to non-ideal fluids is illustrated with a simulation of the microfluidic mixing of hydrocarbons.
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