We propose finite-volume schemes for the Cahn-Hilliard equation which unconditionally and discretely preserve the boundedness of the phase field and the dissipation of the free energy. Our numerical framework is applicable to a variety of free-energy potentials, including Ginzburg-Landau and Flory-Huggins, to general wetting boundary conditions, and to degenerate mobilities. Its central thrust is the upwind methodology, which we combine with a semi-implicit formulation for the free-energy terms based on the classical convex-splitting approach. The extension of the schemes to an arbitrary number of dimensions is straightforward thanks to their dimensionally split nature, which allows to efficiently solve higher-dimensional problems with a simple parallelisation. The numerical schemes are validated and tested through a variety of examples, in different dimensions, and with various contact angles between droplets and substrates.

We propose finite-volume schemes for general continuity equations which preserve positivity and global bounds that arise from saturation effects in the mobility function. In the case of gradient flows, the schemes dissipate the free energy at the fully discrete level. Moreover, these schemes are generalised to coupled systems of non-linear continuity equations, such as multispecies models in mathematical physics or biology, preserving the bounds and the dissipation of the energy whenever applicable. These results are illustrated through extensive numerical simulations which explore known behaviours in biology and showcase new phenomena not yet described by the literature.