Dictionary Macro Expansion OpenFOAM dictionary files include a macro syntax to allow convenient configuration of case files. The syntax has the following form where the value for a (10) is substituted for b in the subsequent line through the $ macro substitution. a 10; b $a; In the latest version of OpenFOAM, this feature has […]

Changes to checkMesh The checkMesh utility can now read user-defined mesh quality settings that the user can specify in a separate meshQualityDict file in the system directory. The file has the same format as the meshQualityControls sub-dictionary in the snappyHexMeshDict configuration file for snappyHexMesh. For convenience, users may set up a meshQualityDict file, and simply […]

Arbitrary Mesh Interface (AMI) for non-conformal patches has been implemented based on the algorithm described in P. E. Farrell and J. R. Maddison, Comput. Methods Appl. Mech Engrg 200:89 (2011). AMI is a technique that allows simulation across disconnected, but adjacent, mesh domains. The domains can be stationary or move relative to one another. The […]

Cyclic Boundary Condition The cyclic boundary condition, also know as a periodic boundary condition, treats 2 boundary regions as if they are physically connected. They are used for repeated geometries , e.g. heat exchanger tube bundles. In versions of OpenFOAM before v2.0.0, a cyclic patch contained the faces for both regions of the boundary, i.e. cyclic […]

Run-time Code Compilation OpenFOAM now includes the capability to compile, load and execute C++ code at run-time. It includes a new general directive called #codeStream that can be used in any input files for run-time compilation. For example, the following code in the controlDict file looks up dictionary entries and does a simple calculation for […]

Discrete Element Modelling In this version of OpenFOAM an implementation of the discrete element method (DEM) has been introduced for particle simulations. The implementation of DEM includes the following features. runs efficiently in parallel with no restriction on the shape or size of mesh cells, and with interactions occurring between particles (and walls) in non-neighbouring […]