Control volume finite element method (CVFEM)

There are several methods that can be used to solve the governing equations of fluid flow and heat transfer, such as the finite difference method, the finite volume method (FVM), and the finite element method (FEM). The control volume finite element method (CVFEM) comprises interesting characteristics from both the FVM and FEM. The CVFEM combines the flexibility of the FEMs to discretize complex geometry with conservative formulation of the FVMs, in which the variables can be easily interpreted physically in terms of fluxes, forces, and sources. This chapter highlights the basic concept of CVFEM. The necessary ingredients in numerical solutions are discussed.