A crucial step in any CFD simulation is creating a good quality mesh. The mesh discretizes your geometry into small control volumes, and the accuracy and efficiency of your simulation depend heavily on its characteristics. Helyx-OS, with its powerful pre-processing tools, makes mesh generation accessible and efficient. This tutorial assumes Read more
The world of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is constantly pushing the limits of technology, and at its heart lies High-Performance Computing (HPC). To truly innovate and solve complex engineering problems, we need robust, efficient, and scalable computing infrastructure. That’s why the HPC Challenge at the OpenFOAM Workshop 2025 in Vienna was such Read more
Hexahedral Meshes (Hex-dominant, Structured, Unstructured Hex) – SNAPPYHEXMESH Hexahedral cells are 6-faced, 8-vertex elements (like bricks or cubes). Pros: Cons: Tetrahedral Meshes (Unstructured) – SALOME Tetrahedral cells are 4-faced, 4-vertex elements (like pyramids). Pros: Cons: The Common and Often “Best” Solution: Hybrid Meshes (Tetrahedral Core + Prism Layers) In modern Read more
Recently, the engineering community was treated to an insightful live session on YouTube titled “The Power of Open Source CFD in Engineering,” featuring esteemed guests Dr. Henry Weller and Dr. Jenya Collings from CFD Direct, the driving force behind OpenFOAM®, alongside Jousef Murad from cloudHPC. This discussion delved deep into the transformative Read more
For simulating turbomachinery like Pelton turbines, a stationary mesh just won’t cut it. We need to account for the actual rotation of the rotor to accurately capture the fluid dynamics. That’s where dynamicMeshDict in OpenFOAM comes into play! This powerful tool allows us to define and control the motion of Read more
OpenFOAM, a powerful Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) toolbox, often deals with unsteady, turbulent flows. While resolving every fluctuation can be computationally expensive and sometimes unnecessary, extracting meaningful time-averaged quantities is crucial for understanding the underlying flow physics. This is where OpenFOAM’s time-averaging function objects come in handy. This post will Read more
The European Union’s new regulations, 2024/1834, aim to improve the efficiency and environmental impact of fans across various industries. This is a game-changer for fan manufacturers and designers, demanding a deeper understanding of fan performance and innovative solutions to meet the new standards. This is where Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Read more
The fvSchemes file is a crucial component of OpenFOAM simulations, defining the numerical schemes used for solving the governing equations. Understanding this file is essential for achieving accurate and stable solutions. Key Concepts: File Structure: The fvSchemes file has a simple structure, typically consisting of a few sections: Common Schemes: Read more
Let’s break down how to set up a Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) analysis using PreCICE, OpenFOAM, and Calculix. 1. Overview and Key Concepts 2. The General Workflow 3. Detailed Steps (Example with OpenFOAM’s pimpleFoam and Calculix) 4. Key Points 5. Advanced Considerations 6. Getting Started Feel free to ask if you have more Read more
Here’s a comprehensive guide on running OpenFOAM within Docker containers on a SLURM cluster, along with best practices and troubleshooting tips: 1. Prerequisites 2. Creating a Docker Image (if needed) 3. Writing the SLURM Script Explanation of the Script: 4. Submitting the Job Important Considerations: Example with Pre-built Image: You Read more