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 v14 Training
In Autumn 2026, CFD Direct is running its OpenFOAM Training courses — Essential CFD, Applied CFD, Productive CFD and Programming CFD — fully updated with the latest features of the new version 14 release of OpenFOAM. The training uses new features in OpenFOAM v14 for more productive and effective CFD, including: field functions, units and the foamUnits utility, coded file input with the extended and improved set of directives, and modular Lagrangian. Productive CFD is available 19-22 Oct. Essential and Applied CFD courses are available: 21-25 Sep, 5-9 Oct, 23-27 Nov. Programming CFD is available 13-15 Oct, 3-5 Nov.
The Best OpenFOAM is v14
OpenFOAM v14, produced by CFD Direct and released via The OpenFOAM Foundation, is the best version of OpenFOAM today. By “best” we mean the software which best meets the critical needs of users — availability, usability, robustness and extensibility. It is redesign work that has greatest impact on these criteria and which CFD Direct has provided time and again, delivering new, improved software components. Examples include modular solvers, NCC, modular Lagrangian, units, field functions, coded file input, bounded MULES, dynamic zones, improved dynamic meshes, snappyHexMeshConfig, fvModels and fvConstraints.
Units in OpenFOAM
In 2026, CFD Direct made units a standard feature of Foundation OpenFOAM. The feature allows users to accompany numerical parameters in input files with units, e.g. [ft/s] for feet per second. When the data is read with units, the numerical value is converted into the base unit, i.e.metres per second [m/s] for the default SI unit set. The new foamUnits utility makes units easy to use. Units provide both the flexibility to specify parameters in the units given in the real world problem, but they can also make us aware of the associated dimensions and ensure values we provide are dimensionally consistent. This gives the user greater certainty over correct specification of parameters.
Field Functions in OpenFOAM
CFD Direct have added field functions to OpenFOAM, which provide a flexible, convenient way to initialise non-uniform fields in OpenFOAM. The field functions are: zonal, corresponding to different zones; surfaces, corresponding to regions separated by surfaces; distanceFunction, calculated using a function of distance across the domain; and, coded, calculated using a coded function. Field functions are accompanied by the functionalFixedValue boundary condition (BC) for non-uniform values on boundary patches. The functionality removes the need for a separate pre-processing step to intialise fields and some specialised BCs.