Optimal Control of a Stefan Problem Fully Coupled with Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations and Mesh Movement

Abstract

The optimal control of moving boundary problems receives growing attention in science and technology. We consider the so called two-phase Stefan problem that models a solid and a liquid phase separated by a moving interface. The Stefan problem is coupled with incompressible Navier{Stokes equations. We take a sharp interface model approach and define a quadratic tracking-type cost functional that penalizes the deviation of the interface from the desired state and the control costs. With the formal Lagrange approach and an adjoint system we derive the gradient of the cost functional. The derived formulations can be used to achieve a desired interface position. Among others, we address how to handle the weak discontinuity of the temperature along the interface with mesh movement methods in a finite element framework.

Keywords

• stefan problem
• optimal control
• moving interface
• mesh movement
• navier- stokes equations.