A spatial local method for solving 2D and 3D advection-diffusion equations

Purpose This study aims to derive a novel spatial numerical method based on multidimensional local Taylor series representations for solving high-order advection-diffusion (AD) equations. Design/methodology/approach The parabolic AD equations are reduced to the nonhomogeneous elliptic system of partial differential equations by utilizing the Chebyshev spectral collocation method (ChSCM) in the temporal variable. The implicit-explicit local differential transform method (IELDTM) is constructed over two- and three-dimensional meshes using continuity equations of the neighbor representations with either explicit or implicit forms in related directions. The IELDTM yields an overdetermined or underdetermined system of algebraic equations solved in the least square sense. Findings The IELDTM has proven to have excellent convergence properties by experimentally illustrating both h-refinement and p-refinement outcomes. A distinctive feature of the IELDTM over the existing numerical techniques is optimizing the local spatial degrees of freedom. It has been proven that the IELDTM provides more accurate results with far fewer degrees of freedom than the finite difference, finite element and spectral methods. Originality/value This study shows the derivation, applicability and performance of the IELDTM for solving 2D and 3D advection-diffusion equations. It has been demonstrated that the IELDTM can be a competitive numerical method for addressing high-space dimensional-parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs) arising in various fields of science and engineering. The novel ChSCM-IELDTM hybridization has been proven to have distinct advantages, such as continuous utilization of time integration and optimized formulation of spatial approximations. Furthermore, the novel ChSCM-IELDTM hybridization can be adapted to address various other types of PDEs by modifying the theoretical derivation accordingly.