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PISO algorithm

PISO algorithm is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand PISO algorithm rather than just read about it. In short: PISO algorithm (Pressure-Implicit with Splitting of Operators) was proposed by Issa in 1986 without iterations and with large time steps and a lesser computing effort. It is an extension of the SIMPLE algorithm used in computational fluid dynamics to solve the Navier-Stokes equations.

PISO algorithm — main illustration
PISO algorithm — illustration

Key takeaways

  • PISO algorithm belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect PISO algorithm to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of PISO algorithm from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PISO algorithm (Pressure-Implicit with Splitting of Operators) was proposed by Issa in 1986 without iterations and with large time steps and a lesser computing effort. It is an extension of the SIMPLE algorithm used in computational fluid dynamics to solve the Navier-Stokes equations. PISO is a pressure-velocity calculation procedure for the Navier-Stokes equations developed originally for non-iterative computation of unsteady compressible flow, but it has been adapted successfully to steady-state problems. PISO involves one predictor step and two corrector steps and is designed to satisfy mass conservation using predictor-corrector steps.

Algorithm steps

The algorithm can be summed up as follows:

Set the boundary conditions. Solve the discretized momentum equation to compute an intermediate velocity field. Compute the mass fluxes at the cells faces. Solve the pressure equation. Correct the mass fluxes at the cell faces. Correct the velocities on the basis of the new pressure field. Update the boundary conditions. Repeat from 3 for the prescribed number of times. Increase the time step and repeat from 1. Steps 4 and 5 can be repeated for a prescribed number of times to correct for non-orthogonality. Predictor step Guess the pressure field p ∗ {\displaystyle p^{*}} and get velocity field components u ∗ {\displaystyle u^{*}} and v ∗ {\displaystyle v^{*}} using discretized momentum equation. The initial guess for the pressure may or may not be correct. Corrector step 1Velocity component obtained from predictor step may not satisfy the continuity equation, so we define correction factors p',v',u' for the pressure field and velocity field. Solve the momentum equation by inserting correct pressure field p ∗ ∗ {\displaystyle p^{**}} and get the corresponding correct velocity components u ∗ ∗ {\displaystyle u^{**}} and v ∗ ∗ {\displaystyle v^{**}} .

p ′ = p ∗ ∗ − p ∗ {\displaystyle p'=p^{**}-p^{*}}

v ′ = v ∗ ∗ − v ∗ {\displaystyle v'=v^{**}-v^{*}}

u ′ = u ∗ ∗ − u ∗ {\displaystyle u'=u^{**}-u^{*}}

where ; p ∗ ∗ , u ∗ ∗ , v ∗ ∗ {\displaystyle p^{**},u^{**},v^{**}} :correct pressure field and velocity component

p ′ , u ′ , v ′ {\displaystyle p',u',v'} :correction in pressure field and correction in velocity components

p ∗ , u ∗ , v ∗ {\displaystyle p^{*},u^{*},v^{*}} :guessed pressure field and velocity component We define p ′ , u ′ , v ′ {\displaystyle p',u',v'} as above. By putting the correct pressure field p ∗ ∗ {\displaystyle p^{**}} into the discretized momentum equation we get the correct velocity components v ∗ ∗ {\displaystyle v^{**}} and u ∗ ∗ {\displaystyle u^{**}} . Once the pressure correction p ′ {\displaystyle p'} is known we can find the correction components for the velocity: u ′ {\displaystyle u'} and v ′ {\displaystyle v'} . Corrector step 2 In piso another corrector step can be used.

p ∗ ∗ ∗ = p ∗ ∗ + p ″ {\displaystyle p^{***}=p^{**}+p''} ; p ″ = p ∗ + p ′ {\displaystyle p''=p^{*}+p'}

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PISO algorithm

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PISO algorithm claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PISO algorithm before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PISO algorithm ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PISO algorithm

In research
PISO algorithm appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses PISO algorithm in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
PISO algorithm is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computational fluid dynamics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for PISO algorithm outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study PISO algorithm in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what PISO algorithm means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain PISO algorithm out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PISO algorithm in simple terms?

PISO algorithm (Pressure-Implicit with Splitting of Operators) was proposed by Issa in 1986 without iterations and with large time steps and a lesser computing effort. It is an extension of the SIMPLE algorithm used in computational fluid dynamics to solve the Navier-Stokes equations.

Why does PISO algorithm matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PISO algorithm?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PISO algorithm.

Tags

  • Computational fluid dynamics

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