CFD project? An OpenFOAM? Yes, please!

There several good reasons why you should consider OpenFOAM for your CFD simulations. OpenFOAM is generally considered to be the best alternative to the commercial solutions.

What is OpenFOAM ?

First of all I just briefly explain what is OpenFOAM. OpenFOAM is special computer software, an open-source software, for computer simulations of fluid dynamics. Its full version is freely available to anyone (distributed under General Public License - GPL ).

Facts about OpenFOAM

OpenFOAM is a fast growing project. The OpenFOAM community is growing. As well as number of OpenFOAM features. OpenFOAM has a huge potential. When used properly, it can beat any commercial code available in terms of costs, speed or accuracy.

Open-source Code

OpenFOAM is an open-source software. Which means anyone has the access to the source code. Due to the open-source you can see exactly the code implementation you can understand how exactly the particular CFD methods work. You can modify the code to fit your special requirements.

Due to the open-source nature of OpenFOAM, it is easy to add new features. This is also why OpenFOAM is also a great tool for research projects and academic ground. The experience clearly shows: Anyone who learns OpenFOAM he shall master all available commercial codes.

Scaling CFD capacity with OpenFOAM

Due to the open source nature and GPL you can keep using OpenFOAM software forever. All your project results and achievements are under your control. And of course, you can run OpenFOAM alongside any number of users, jobs or cores. This scales your CFD potential in a big way.

The Breaking Point Story

OpenFOAM is an amazing project. But let’s face the truth: OpenFOAM is just a set of tools. The question is: How to use these tools?

We have noticed, that many people fail when adopting OpenFOAM. In the company I work we have been delivering OpenFOAM training for six years and so far we have trained hundreds of people.

I have personally seen people growing in their OpenFOAM skills and some of those I have met started from scratch and became great OpenFOAM and CFD experts. But others did not.

I kept asking myself: Why is this happening? And I noticed something interesting - I believe when learning OpenFOAM there exists a certain point in time - breaking point. It is a very important milestone in OpenFOAM learning process.

A newcomer starts with OpenFOAM and before reaching this point, many things go wrong, there is a new environment, there are many new terms, within each new step there is lots of uncertainty and many unknown elements.

I have been there as well.

But, after some time, things go suddenly easier, first results start to come and - what is the most important - you can always continue on your own. You are not dependent on others anymore. That is a truly amazing feeling.

I have been there as well.

So, finally, the answer is that many people fail to adopt OpenFOAM because they simply could not last long enough to reach their breaking point. The good news is everybody can make it. Everyone can reach this point, which would provide him with freedom in his OpenFOAM projects. For someone it may take a year, for others two months. Some people just go through an OpenFOAM training and shortly after that they make it. They reach their breaking point.

The bottom line: When learning OpenFOAM it is very important to reach the breaking point.

By the way, our experience clearly shows: A lack in OpenFOAM skills sooner or later turns in a lack of CFD skills. People who know CFD, they learn OpenFOAM much faster than those who do not.

Why to invest in OpenFOAM?

CFD is about people not about the software. With any CFD code you can make both bad and excellent results. So again, the results are not about the code that people use, the results are about the skills that people have.

My point now is this: You should rather invest in people than in the software.

OpenFOAM is free, and with OpenFOAM you always invest in people and in their skills. Only that guarantees you good results and success.

On the other hand, with the commercial software you just invest in licenses, or worse in renting of licenses. OpenFOAM is not dependent on licensing. That gives you and your work a permanent value.

With OpenFOAM you do not risk to be locked to a single vendor who is selling you the licenses. With OpenFOAM you keep in-house your unique know-how and you can keep it forever.

The greatest investment you can ever make is the investment in yourself, in your skills and in your company. With OpenFOAM the value remains with you for eternity. OpenFOAM is also a great chance for engineers and freelancers to become experts in CFD. And again, with software that can not be taken away from them. 

What is the investment?

OpenFOAM software is free, a fact many people totally misunderstand. Reliable CFD results of some real industrial application are not free. The methodology = the workflow, has to be set up properly. The workflow covers complete process from the initial input data and physics to the final CFD simulation results: The geometry conversion, mesh generation, case set-up, simulation run and results evaluation. Also many validations and benchmarking have to be done.

Two options: time or money

Either the engineer sits down and develops a complete workflow from the beginning step by step, test by test. This may take a couple of months, but more likely a couple of years. Or you acquire professional support at least in the beginning of your CFD journey. Then you would be able progress on your own.

Anyway, the point is, OpenFOAM software is free, but reliable CFD results are never free. Because reliable CFD results are made by people, not by a computer.

Final word

When dealing with CFD engineering on a professional basis, sooner or later you will learn: There is no low hanging fruit. Only a persistence and hard work bring results. However, smart decisions can make your journey a little bit easier.