Which CFD code is the best?
I have heard this question many times. Especially the beginners in CFD, they often ask which CFD code is the best. After nine years in CFD business, I think I am ready to answer this question.
Right in the beginning, I would like to point out, that the meaning of the question ambivalent. When asking about the best CFD code, people usually want to know: Which code gives me the most accurate results in my project? And that is the problem.
CFD is great discipline. It is a mix of physics, mathematics and software engineering. Many people come and many people go. And their skills are very different. Here comes my point. You might be surprised by hearing that CFD results are not created by the codes, the results are created by people.
Are the users' CFD skills different? - Yes, they are.
Any code is just a tool. A tool that runs the simulation according to the user’s instructions. A tool that can be used correctly or not at all. Any code can produce both good and bad results. When using any code, if the results are wrong, in the vast majority of such cases the cause is the human error.
Are the CFD codes that different? - No, not that much.
The quality of CFD results almost always depends on the knowledge of the engineers that created those results. Not on the code they used. When you are looking for a CFD code, please ask: Has this CFD code the features I need? Or Is this code usable for my project?
Accuracy is the Holy Grail
No doubts about that. We all are looking for this Holy Grail everywhere we go. However, there are a few other smart questions to ask about any CFD code considered:
What is the code technical support?
Is the code user-friendly?
What is the code price per user?
What is the code price per core?
What is the code parallel efficiency?
How much time does it take to get the results in my project?
So finally, on the question: Which CFD code is the best? - The answer is: None!
All the codes have their strengths and weaknesses
Just think about where are you going. The quality of CFD results is a matter of knowledge and patience. The code usability is a matter of its features.
Faculty members at University of Mosul
4 年Does the code that work in OpenFOAM under Linux same as the code that work In OpenFOAM in Windows ?
Which CFD code is the best?? [Great article, Lubos!]
Associate Director - Building Physics at Hoare Lea
6 年Couldn't agree more with this article "... CFD results are not created by the codes, the results are created by people" Obviously in this perspective then usability makes a huge difference, especially when "CFD-ers" (with the right knowledge) have to be trained on how to use different tools. Usability, to me, is the key, the biggest difference between all codes and what makes the success of one code versus the other
Technical Lead at ICT Strypes
6 年Hi, I very much agree that there is no best CFD code for all purposes. It ultimately depends on the specific project at hand. Generally when comparing open source codes with commercial ones, the accuracy of the algorithms and solutions is not a distinctive feature. OpenFoam and its derivatives, Code Saturne, SU2, and Nek5000 are excellent CFD codes and a real option for serious projects. In my opinion, what they lack in comparison to the costly commercial variety (Ansys, Star-CCM+, Comsol etc.) is more on the pre- and post-processing side, notably easy and accurate mesh-generation, large CAD file import and cleanup functions etc. which adds considerably to productivity.? What one should chooses depends on lots of parameters and there is no simple one line answer.
Free from nationality, religion, region.
6 年Hi I wanna to tell me that, If ofpenfoam can be used for simulating gas-turbine blade cooling problem?.