AbstractThe results of a mimetic finite difference discretization of the three‐dimensional, incompressible Navier–Stokes equations are compared with more traditional finite difference schemes. The proposed method handles both momentum advection and diffusion in a vorticity‐preserving manner and allows for simple treatment of rigid wall boundary conditions. The results obtained in various tests demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.