Abstract
The three-dimensional piecewise parabolic finite analytic method (PPFAM3D), with vector potential and vorticity as dependent variables, was used to solve the steady three-dimensional (3-D) laminar cavity flow. Predictions were obtained for Reynolds numbers between 100 and 2000. Results for Re = 100, 400, and 1000 are compared with those available in the literature. The overall agreement is excellent. Results are also compared with the two-dimensional PPFAM cavity flow, showing the effect of three-dimensionality on the velocity predictions at the symmetry plane. The PPFAM3D is a robust numerical algorithm requiring no relaxation to produce physically meaningful and numerically converged solutions. It is a promising tool for solving a variety of flow phenomena governed by unsteady second-order partial differential convection-diffusion equations