CFD Direct

The Architects of OpenFOAM

documentation

Field-Based Lagrangian

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.

OpenFOAM User Guide

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…

Energy Equation in OpenFOAM

Energy Equation in OpenFOAM

This article provides information on the equation describing conservation of energy relevant to fluid dynamics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It first assembles an equation for combined mechanical and thermal energy, i.e. total energy, in terms of material derivatives. It then presents an equation for thermal, or internal, energy. The total energy equation is then provided in terms of local (partial) derivatives, both in terms of internal energy and enthalpy. The implementation of the energy equation in solvers in OpenFOAM is then described.