Fixed-point algorithms for stationary flow in porous media (Q1065678)

We study from the theoretical and experimental points of view some fixed- point algorithms for solving steady-state filtration problems through porous media. The method used applies to a wide class of problems (no restrictions are made on the geometry of the domain or on the boundary conditions; capillarity effects can be treated, the medium can be inhomogeneous and anisotropic). It does not require any previous knowledge on the free boundary, it works on a fixed domain, and the computational cost is slightly more than the cost of solving a linear problem with the over-relaxation method. Moreover, it can be easily implemented in a finite element code. Many numerical tests are presented.