The OpenFOAM Foundation is pleased to announce the release of version 12 of the OpenFOAM open source CFD toolbox. Version 12 takes advantage of modular solvers and non-conformal coupling (NCC) to improve simulations with multiple regions, including simplifying meshing and coupling.  Work has continued on the rewrite of particle code, e.g. injection and distribution, parallel decomposition, redistribution and load balancing.  There are some new, useful boundary conditions and the option  to include units, e.g. [bar], with input values, which are converted accordingly.  The installation of third party software is easier, with the openfoam12 package for Ubuntu 24.04 & 22.04 now using the standard paraview package.

OpenFOAM 12 includes the following highlights.

• Modular Solvers: support source terms for one variable for equations of other variables.
• Multiphase: improved models for mass, momentum and heat transfer, and solid phases.
• Turbulence Modelling: robust limiting of fields simplified and corrected wall functions.
• Heat: added viscous heating model and improved naming in thermodynamic properties.
• Particle Tracking: generalised injection and particle distributions.
• Meshes: upgraded mesh generation and coupling of multiple mesh regions.
• Parallel Running: efficient options for load-balancing, decomposition and redistribution.
• Function Objects: moved to a system/functions file, and added new function objects.
• Models: added volume and mass sources which are added to mass continuity.
• Boundary Conditions: new pressure, velocity and temperature boundary conditions.
• Case Configuration: parameters can include units, e.g. [bar]
• Programming: foamFind script to search source code; example coded function objects.
• Other: Easier installation of ParaView and decomposition libraries.