Autumn 2024
CFD Direct are running their OpenFOAM Training courses, Principles of CFD, Essential CFD, Applied CFD, and Programming CFD fully updated with the latest features of OpenFOAM v12. The Principles of CFD course, which provides critical knowledge for CFD, is delivered in person in Cologne, Germany and Chicago, USA. The other courses, which focus more on the process of doing CFD with OpenFOAM, are delivered as live, virtual training. The following courses are available from September 2024.
- 16-19 Sep: Cologne, Germany : Principles of CFD
- 23-27 Sep: Virtual, Europe : Essential CFD and Applied CFD.
- 7-11 Oct: Virtual, Americas : Essential CFD and Applied CFD.
- 14-16 Oct: Virtual, Europe : Programming CFD.
- 28-31 Oct: Chicago, US : Principles of CFD
- 5-7 Nov: Virtual, Americas : Programming CFD.
OpenFOAM v12
CFD Direct manages, maintains and develops OpenFOAM. We make OpenFOAM more robust and easier to use in incremental steps that are first released in the development version (OpenFOAM-dev). Those improvements subsequently appear in version releases, so that over time we have accumulated numerous tools for productive CFD so that users waste less time on routine tasks. Our training teaches these tools and is fully updated for the latest improvements in v12, including:
- code searching with foamFind;
- dimensional units and unit conversion, and the foamUnits script;
- coded and packaged function objects;
- meshing multiple regions and coupling with boundary conditions;
- improved case configuration tools.
The Process of CFD
We design our Essential CFD, Applied CFD, and Programming CFD courses to give users the confidence to carry out CFD analysis, repeatedly, to a defined standard in a timely manner. We build competency by teaching how to create CFD solutions through a process of design:
- Prototype – building a representative solution, from a template, rapidly (timely manner).
- Production – refining the solution by an iterative design process, making small changes and testing frequently (confidence).
- Packaging – making the solution reliable, cost effective and easy to use again and again (repeatedly, defined standard).
Knowledge for CFD
The Principles of CFD course additionally provides the knowledge needed for CFD, which academic studies generally do not provide. The courses use canonical (study) cases which provide a strong foundation for “real-world” engineering problems. Solutions are built upon the governing equations of mass, momentum and energy conservation in 3-dimensions. We demonstrate control volume analysis, which transfers easily to CFD with the finite volume method. Important empirical and analytical solutions are carefully chosen to demonstrate trends and help validate results.
We further build competency in CFD by using OpenFOAM’s coded frameworks (code in input files) extensively, for three types of quick calculation.
- Preliminary – calculating dimensionless numbers to establish flow and heat transfer regimes.
- Diagnostic – accessing data which can be monitored and quality checked.
- Objective – extracting useful data from the simulation, e.g. to characterise a design.