
368 
Numerical solution 
of 
free-boundary problems 
(iii)  Compatability  condition.  In  some  free-boundary  problems 
the 
boundary  conditions  contain  an  unknown  parameter which  has  to 
be 
determined as 
part 
ot' the process of solution such that some additional 
criterion 
is 
satisfied. 
An 
example is 
the 
problem of 
the 
rectangular 
dam 
with a sheetpile 
on 
the 
inlet face (see §2.3.2). 
Here 
the flow rate q 
is 
not 
known  a 
priori, 
but 
is 
to 
be 
determined so that 
the 
condition (2.57)  is 
satisfied by 
the 
solution. 
An 
outer iteration 
on 
q 
to 
find 
the 
root of (2.57) 
can 
be 
based 
on 
the 
secant method so that 
(r) 
(r-1) 
(r+1) 
-
(r) 
q  - q 
I' 
( 
(r)) 
(8 97) 
q 
-q 
!h(q(r))-fh(q(r-1)) 
Jh 
q  .  . 
Baiocchi et 
al. 
(1973a) and Bruch (1980) described a method 
of 
combin-
ing  (8.97)  with 
the 
complementarity  projection  algorithms  (8.90) 
or 
(8.91). 
An 
initial guess for W q'Ol.iJ 
is 
made, usually zero, together with a guess 
at 
q = 
q(O). 
In 
fact,  two  initial  guesses, 
q(O) 
and 
q(l), 
will 
be 
needed. 
Successive steps 
are 
as follows: 
(i)  Solve  (8.90) 
or 
(8.91)  using 
q(O) 
and starting 
the 
innt<r 
iteration 
with 
W~9~'.i.i 
to 
obtain  successively 
w~~~>'i,i> 
W~~~).iJ' 
etc. 
till 
some 
prescribed  convergence  criterion 
is 
satisfied.  Then 
fh(q(O)) 
is 
evaluated from  (2.57)  by  using  W
q
'O).1.G  and  wq'O).o.G  and  its  con-
vergence criterion examined. As in 
the 
derivation of (2.57), these 
are values of W 
at 
x = 
~x 
and x = 0 
on 
the 
horizontal mesh line 
through G  in  Fig.  2.3 obtained with estimate 
g(O). 
(ii)  Using  Wq(Ol,iJ  as 
the 
initial guess for 
W~%.iJ 
solve  (8.90) 
or 
(8.91) 
again but using 
the 
second guessed value 
q(1) 
which 
is 
to 
be 
larger 
than 
q(O). 
The 
solution Wq(l).i.i  is used now 
to 
evaluate 
fh(q(1)) 
from 
(2.57)  and insertion  of 
q(O), 
q(1), 
fh(q(O)) 
and 
fh(q(1)) 
into  (8.97) 
yields a further estimate, 
q(2). 
(iii) 
The 
scheme 
is 
repeated  starting  with 
q(2) 
and  W 
q'".i.i 
to 
obtain 
Wq(Z).iJ  and fh(q(2))  and so 
on 
till 
the 
convergence criteria for both 
inner and outer iterations are satisfied. 
Baiocchi  et al.  (1973a)  used  this  double-iterative  scheme  with 
the 
finite-difference algorithm (8.90) 
to 
obtain the'boundary ordinates for a 
dam with a sheetpile having 
the 
specifications set 
out 
in Table 8.13. 
The 
iteration details are given in Table 8.14. Similar information 
is 
presented 
by Baiocchi et 
al. 
(1973a) for two different dams. Tables 8.15 and 8.16 
give extracted results for 
the 
case 
of 
relatively smallest sheetpile.  Solu-
tions for both dams were also obtained by a trial free-boundary method 
which took a longer computing time 
to 
achieve 
the 
same accuracy. 
Bruch  and Caffrey  (1979)  used 
the 
compatability  condition  and  an 
SOR 
iteration 
to 
obtain both finite-difference and finite-element solutions