OpenFOAM is a computational fluid dynamics platform for modelling the motion of fluids and associated physical processes. It provides numerical solvers, modelling libraries and utilities for problems involving liquid and gas flows, heat transfer, combustion and other coupled phenomena.
The software is used in engineering and scientific research, where numerical simulations help investigate systems that are difficult to reproduce experimentally. Typical applications include aerodynamic analysis, pipe flow, thermal management, mixing, multiphase transport and industrial process modelling.
OpenFOAM uses a flexible framework in which field equations, material properties, numerical schemes and boundary conditions can be configured for individual simulations. Its libraries also allow researchers to develop specialised solvers and extend existing physical models.
The usual workflow involves preparing a computational mesh, defining physical conditions, solving the governing equations and examining the resulting fields. OpenFOAM includes tools for each of these stages, with visualisation available through compatible scientific graphics applications.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Finite-volume discretisation for solving continuum mechanics equations.
- Solvers for incompressible, compressible and buoyant fluid flows.
- Models for laminar, turbulent and transitional flow regimes.
- Reynolds-averaged turbulence modelling and large-eddy simulation.
- Multiphase flow modelling, including free surfaces and interfaces.
- Heat transfer, conjugate thermal modelling and thermophysical properties.
- Combustion, chemical reactions and species transport.
- Lagrangian particle tracking and dispersed phase modelling.
- Structured mesh generation using blockMesh.
- Complex geometry meshing with snappyHexMesh.
- Mesh checking, manipulation and conversion utilities.
- Configurable boundary conditions and numerical solution schemes.
- Parallel domain decomposition for distributed simulations.
- Post-processing and visualisation through ParaView integration.
- Extensible libraries for developing custom solvers and physical models.
Website: www.openfoam.com
Support:
Developer: ESI Group
License: GNU General Public License v2.0
OpenFOAM is written in C++. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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