Course overview

Open-source software offers several advantages in terms of code customization and work in a collaborative environment, making it an ideal tool to be applied for research purposes. The OpenFOAM code is a consolidated tool that is extensively adopted for Computational Fluid Dynamics modeling (CFD) both in industry and academia. Thanks to the wide community of users and developers, the code includes the state of the art of numerical and physical models; also, its object-oriented structure allows to easily implement new libraries and models in it. This course is thought for motivated PhD students, whose reasearch project mainly involves application and development of CFD models. The main focus will be on: 

• Computational fluid dynamics: fundamentals, turbulence modeling, incompressible, compressible and multiphase flows.
• Object oriented programming techniques applied for CFD model development
• Pre and post-processing techiques: case setup (initialization, mesh generation), analysis of results and validation with experimental data.

Detailed program

Lesson 1 - Prof. Tommaso Lucchini (Politecnico di Milano)

• Overview of the OpenFOAM structure: case setup, mesh generation, post-processing
• Hands-on session: simulation of the Ercoftact diffuser case. Validation with experimental data. 

Lesson 2 - Dr. Augusto Della Torre (Politecnico di Milano)

• Mesh generation in OpenFOAM: block-structured grids, use of open-source tools (snappyHexMesh, cfMesh), mesh conversion from Third Party software.
• Hands-on session: mesh generation and case setup for the Ahmed Body case

Lesson 3 - Prof. Tommaso Lucchini and Dr. Augusto Della Torre (Politecnico di Milano)

• Overview of OpenFOAM solvers for compressible flows, heat transfer, lagrangian tracking, reacting flows.

Lesson 4 - Prof. Gavin Tabor (Exeter University)

• Introduction to turbulence and its modeling. RANS, LES and DES turbulence modeling. Hands-on session with case studies.

Lesson 5 - Prof. Hrvoje Jasak (University of Zagreb)

• Object oriented programming language applied to CFD modeling. 
• Mesh management techniques: mesh deformation, topological changes, generalized grid interface, immersed boundary

Lesson 6 - Prof. Holger Marschall (Technical University of Darmstadt)

• Executive summary of simulation methods for multiphase flows
• High Resolution Schemes in OpenFOAM – Rationale and Design Principles
• specialisation to interface/shock capturing schemes, including hands-on session with benchmark test-case
• Advanced pre- and post-processing, error assessment

Expected Learning Outcomes

Deep understanding of the OpenFOAM code for both application to basic and advanced CFD problems and development.

• case setup (pre-processing, mesh generation, post-processing)
• results sensistivity to mesh, models and numerical methods
• application to different fields of computational fluid dynamics
• customization of the code to include new solvers, models, pre and post-processing tools

Students will be evaluated on the basis of different teamworks (max three students per group) including: 

- assignments provided during the different course lectures

- a short project about CFD modeling with OpenFOAM. Project topics are: OpenFOAM application/validation to literature test-cases, development/validation of specific models, application/development for configurations/problems of interest for the group.

Evaluation will be based on the material produced by every group (report, presentation, cases and code). At the end of the course, a small workshop will be organized where contributions from every group will be presented. 

Lessons will start in January 2020 and will be delivered in two blocks of three consecutive days (22-24 January, 17-19 March). 

Course calendar:

Lesson 1 (T. Lucchini): January 22nd, 10:00 - 13:00 / 14:00 - 16:00. 

Lesson 2 (A. Della Torre): January 23rd, 9:00 - 13:00

Lesson 3 (T. Lucchini and A. Della Torre): January 24th, 9:00 - 13.00

Lesson 4 (G. Tabor): March 17th, 9:00 - 12:00 / 14:00 - 16:00

Lesson 5 (H. Jasak): March 18th, 9:00 - 12:00 / 14:00 - 16:00

Lesson 6 (H. Marschall): March 19th, 9:00 - 12:00 / 14:00 - 16:00