The results are in - OpenFOAM can solve all the major industrial CFD problems that established competitors can. The power to design anything from jet airplanes and engines to pipes and heat exchangers is a simple download away. Unfortunately, asI learned the first time I used it, OpenFOAM has a very steep learning curve. Having learned the basics several years ago I quickly realised just how complicated CFD could get. Even though I knew how to set up a case and use blockMesh with some simple solvers it wasn't always clear how to do realistic problems with knowledge of the basics. The principle difficulties were:
- Turbulence: all the really interesting flows included some aspect of this and it's often more art than science!
- Meshing: simple meshes can't account for fighter jet bodies or turbine blades, I knew there must be a better way.
- Mesh Behaviour and Convergence: without solutions with which to compare I never knew whether I could trust my results.
I made this course with my younger self in mind. It's these things, among other tips and tricks, that gave me the most trouble in practice and which require the most experience/correct techniques to do well. The aim of this course, by its end, is to show you how to do this. There are many specialist topics that we can't cover and to learn CFD to an industry standard (where salaries past $100,000 a year are not unusual) could easily span a PhD and many years experience. Even so, there are a few general skills you will need again and again when you face practical problems in CFD. If you can master these, in my experience, you can pick up a lot of the rest as you go and quickly acquire the skills that are already propelling modern engineering into the future.
Disclaimer:
This course is not a substitute for a degree in aerospace engineering or specialist consultancy, by purchasing this course you agree that the course instructor is in no way liable for any disputes, claims, losses, injuries, or damage of any kind that might arise out of or relate to the content of this course or any supporting communications between instructor and student.
