Approximate Projection Methods: Part I. Inviscid Analysis

The use of approximate projection methods for modeling low Mach number flows avoids many of the numerical complications associated with exact projection methods, but introduces additional design choices in developing a robust algorithm. In this paper we first explore these design choices in the setting of inviscid incompressible flow using several computational examples. We then develop a framework for analyzing the behavior of the different design variations and use that analysis to explain the features observed in the computations. As part of this work we introduce a new variation of the approximate projection algorithm that combines the advantages of several of the previous versions.