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, Applied, Programming and Cloud OpenFOAM Training courses from the Architects of OpenFOAM.
OpenFOAM Development
Our team undertakes OpenFOAM Development projects and code customisation, with experience of managing and executing over 100 development projects.
OpenFOAM Support
OpenFOAM Support, direct from the founders and architect of OpenFOAM, covering software deployment and operation, CFD practice, and code customisation.
OpenFOAM v11 Training
In Autumn 2023 – Spring 2024, CFD Direct is running its OpenFOAM Training courses — Essential CFD, Applied CFD and Programming CFD — fully updated with the latest features of the new version 11 release of OpenFOAM. The training uses new features in OpenFOAM v11 for more productive and effective CFD, including: modular solvers; the
snappyHexMeshConfig utility to simplify meshing; the foamToC utility to search OpenFOAM; updated post-processing functionality; and, enhancements to dictionary input syntax. Essential and Applied CFD courses are available: 18-22 Sep, 2-6 Oct, 29 Jan -2 Feb (2024), 4-8 Mar. Programming CFD is available 23-25 Oct, 14-16 Nov, 12-14 Feb, 18-20 Mar.
OpenFOAM User Guide
The OpenFOAM User Guide provides an introduction to OpenFOAM, through some basic tutorials, and some details about the general operation of OpenFOAM. OpenFOAM is a collection of approximately 250 applications built upon a collection of over 100 software libraries (modules). Each application performs a specific task, e.g the snappyHexMesh application can generate meshes for complex geometry, such as a vehicle. The simpleFoam application could then be used to simulate steady-state, turbulent, incompressible flow around the vehicle…
Productive CFD in OpenFOAM 11
In 2016 we published a guide for Productive CFD with OpenFOAM with tools we first released in OpenFOAM v4. The tools included the post-processing CLI and template cases, and applications such as foamDictionary. We extended the article following the release of new tools such as TAB completion in OpenFOAM v5 and again later with the introduction of new tools in subsequent versions of OpenFOAM. This article describe more significant new tools introduced in OpenFOAM version 11, notably foamToC and foamPostProcess, to provide compatibility with its modular solvers, while maintaining backward-compatibility with application solvers.
Liquid Films in OpenFOAM
CFD Direct have completely replaced the liquid film functionality in OpenFOAM. The new film functionality conserves mass, unlike its predecessor which was non-conservative and consequently inaccurate and unreliable for many problems. It is implemented with the solver module framework, which enables coupling to other regions with gas flows, multiphase flows, particle clouds, solids etc, including calculations of conjugate heat transfer (CHT). As such, it is consistent with the rest of OpenFOAM so can use all the existing sub-modelling, e.g. thermodynamics, transport, etc. The new implementation contains 50% of the code lines of the original one, despite being more functional. It is therefore cheaper and easier to maintain, while being more extensible and robust.