Fast linear solver for pressure computation in layered domains

Abstract

Accurate simulation of fluid pressures in layered reservoirs with strong permeability contrasts is a challenging problem. For this purpose, the Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method has become increasingly popular. Unfortunately, standard linear solvers are usually too inefficient for the aforementioned application. To increase the efficiency of the Conjugate Gradient (CG) method for linear systems resulting from Symmetric Interior Penalty (discontinuous) Galerkin (SIPG) discretizations, we have cast an existing two-level preconditioner into the deflation framework. The main idea is to use coarse corrections based on the DG solution with polynomial degree p=0. This paper provides a numerical comparison of the performance of both two-level methods in terms of scalability and overall efficiency. Furthermore, it studies the influence of the SIPG penalty parameter, the smoother, damping of the smoother, and the strategy for solving the coarse systems. We have found that the penalty parameter can best be chosen diffusion-dependent. In that case, both two-level methods yield fast and scalable convergence. Whether preconditioning or deflation is to be favored depends on the choice for the smoother and on the damping of the smoother. Altogether, both two-level methods can contribute to faster and more accurate fluid pressure simulations.