Error Analysis of Pressure-Correction Schemes for the Time-Dependent Stokes Equations with Open Boundary Conditions

The incompressible Stokes equations with prescribed normal stress (open) boundary conditions on part of the boundary are considered. It is shown that the standard pressure-correction method is not suitable for approximating the Stokes equations with open boundary conditions, whereas the rotational pressure-correction method yields reasonably good error estimates. These results appear to be the first ever published for splitting schemes with open boundary conditions. Numerical results in agreement with the error estimates are presented.