OpenFOAM is leading software for computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It is licensed free and open source only under the GNU General Public Licence (GPL) by the OpenFOAM Foundation.
OpenFOAM Training
Unlock the power of OpenFOAM to deliver robust CFD solutions. Essential CFD, Applied CFD, Productive CFD and Programming CFD. OpenFOAM Training courses from the Architects of OpenFOAM.
OpenFOAM Development
CFD Direct develops OpenFOAM released via The OpenFOAM Foundation, undertaking development projects for customers who need new capabilities within the software.
Support and Consultancy
We provide support and consultancy services, covering software deployment and operation, case configuration, CFD practice, and code customisation.
MULES in OpenFOAM in 2025
In February 2025, there were significant improvements to MULES in the development line of OpenFOAM which make it extremely robust, easier to use, and quicker to run. The changes include: improvements to the iterative MULES algorithm to guarantee boundedness of solutions; a new control structure for the MULES parameters; an optional tolerance for limiter convergence for semi-implicit MULES; better control for sub-cycling the α-equation based on setting a function of the α-Courant number.
Field-Based Lagrangian
This article is a user guide to the new field-based Lagrangian functionality in OpenFOAM. This is a new implementation of Lagrangian functionality where data is stored as fields rather than in the objects representing particles or parcels (particle-based Lagrangian). It will ultimately replace the original particle-based Lagrangian and is 65% complete and available in OpenFOAM-dev. Field-based Lagrangian has the advantages of: better extensibility, since fields can be simply added; greater efficiency of fewer function calls using field algebra; greater code reuse due to consistency with the rest of OpenFOAM.
Productive CFD: OpenFOAM Training Course
CFD Direct is delighted to announce Productive CFD, their new CFD Training course with OpenFOAM. The course was created by Chris Greenshields and Aidan Wimshurst drawing on the experience of Chris’s 16 years of OpenFOAM Training and Aidan’s Fluid Mechanics 101 channel. The course focuses on performing high quality CFD with OpenFOAM, rather than merely operating the CFD software. It explains how to get better, relevant results in fewer attempts, identifying and fixing issues quickly and with confidence. The course is split into 2 parts, each of 2 days duration, and is delivered in person with 2025 dates of 17-20 March 2025, Cologne, Germany and 28 April – 1 May 2025, Houston, USA.
OpenFOAM v12 Training 2025
In Winter/Spring 2025, CFD Direct is running its OpenFOAM Training courses — Productive CFD, Essential CFD, Applied CFD and Programming CFD — fully updated with the latest features of the new version 12 release of OpenFOAM. The training uses new features in OpenFOAM v12 for more productive and effective CFD, including: foamFind, unit conversion, coded and packaged function objects, meshing multiple regions and coupling with boundary conditions. Productive of CFD is available 17-20 Mar. Essential and Applied CFD courses are available: 10-14 Feb, 3-7 Mar. Programming CFD is available 24-26 Feb, 24-26 Mar.