A stabilized element-based finite volume method for poroelastic problems

Highlights: • A new stabilization technique is proposed to avoid pressure instabilities in poromechanics. • An element-based finite volume formulation for three-dimensional poroelastic problems is presented. • The methodology preserves mass and force conservation for each control volume of the grid. • The methodology can be applied to unstructured hybrid grids composed by tetrahedra, hexahedra, pyramids and prisms. The coupled equations of Biot's poroelasticity, consisting of stress equilibrium and fluid mass balance in deforming porous media, are numerically solved. The governing partial differential equations are discretized by an Element-based Finite Volume Method (EbFVM), which can be used in three dimensional unstructured grids composed of elements of different types. One of the difficulties for solving these equations is the numerical pressure instability that can arise when undrained conditions take place. In this paper, a stabilization technique is developed to overcome this problem by employing an interpolation function for displacements that considers also the pressure gradient effect. The interpolation function is obtained by the so-called Physical Influence Scheme (PIS), typically employed for solving incompressible fluid flows governed by the Navier–Stokes equations. Classical problems with analytical solutions, as well as three-dimensional realistic cases are addressed. The results reveal that the proposed stabilization technique is able to eliminate the spurious pressure instabilities arising under undrained conditions at a low computational cost.