The Complete Introduction to OpenFOAM from Udemy

Computational modelling is already central to modern engineering and industry with the demand for skilled professionals steadily rising with time. Unfortunately the software suitable for these roles often costs tens of thousands of dollars for a license and/or is prohibitively complicated to learn and put into practice. Being opensource and used in many active companies today, OpenFOAM is an excellent way to learn these methods and greatly enhance your ability to solve engineering problems. While structured in a way that makes it highly flexible and ideal for making your own projects, learning OpenFOAM without help can be a daunting prospect.

The purpose of this course is to give a simple and straightforward introduction to OpenFOAM covering common bugs and mistakes so that you can easily pass through the steep initial learning curve at your own pace. While the lessons learned here can be applied to any OpenFOAM solver (of which there is a substantial range), the focus is on solid mechanics since the implementation is typically much simpler than more popular applications (high speed flow, etc.). In addition, since solid mechanics is necessary for most engineering disciplines even if it isn't that discipline's primary interest (aerodynamics centres around the interaction between solid objects and fluid flows for example), solid mechanics is an excellent core skill to have and a necessary theoretical precursor to a healthy understanding of fluid dynamics of all forms.

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.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Understand the basic requirements of openfoam computational modelling
Be able to take any tutorial file in openfoam, set the case up for yourself and use geometries and boundaries of your choosing. though we can't cover the majority of solvers, you should be in a position to explore particular solvers for yourself and learn on your own.
Create meshes and set up boundaries/initial conditions compatible with openfoam

Be able to use the foam-extend solid mechanics solver library.
Understand the foundations of steady/time dependent linear elasticity, thermal conduction, friction and plasticity for use in aerospace, mechanical and manufacturing engineering applications

Understand the basic requirements of openfoam computational modelling
Be able to take any tutorial file in openfoam, set the case up for yourself and use geometries and boundaries of your choosing. though we can't cover the majority of solvers, you should be in a position to explore particular solvers for yourself and learn on your own.
Create meshes and set up boundaries/initial conditions compatible with openfoam
Be able to use the foam-extend solid mechanics solver library.
Understand the foundations of steady/time dependent linear elasticity, thermal conduction, friction and plasticity for use in aerospace, mechanical and manufacturing engineering applications

Syllabus

Introduction

The Structure of This Course

What You Will Learn

Why OpenFOAM?

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Covers steady/time dependent Linear Elasticity, Thermal Conduction, Friction and Plasticity, which are essential for aerospace, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering applications

Uses OpenFOAM, an open-source tool used in many active companies, making it an excellent way to learn computational modeling methods and enhance problem-solving abilities

Focuses on solid mechanics, which is a core skill for most engineering disciplines and a necessary theoretical precursor to understanding fluid dynamics

Prepares learners to explore particular solvers independently and learn on their own, even though the course cannot cover the majority of solvers

Requires installing OpenFOAM 7, so learners should ensure their systems are compatible with this version to avoid potential installation issues

Requires installing Foam-Extend 4.1, so learners should ensure their systems are compatible with this version to avoid potential installation issues

Reviews summary

Comprehensive openfoam introduction (solid mechanics)

According to learners, this course provides a solid foundation and straightforward introduction to OpenFOAM, particularly focusing on solid mechanics. Students praise its ability to help them overcome the steep initial learning curve and understand the fundamental case structure and workflow. Many found the coverage of meshing tools like blockMesh and the practical examples helpful. While generally received as largely positive, some students noted that installation challenges, especially on Windows, can be a point of frustration, and the focus on solid mechanics might be less relevant for those primarily interested in fluid dynamics. The course is often described as ideal for beginners looking to get started with complex simulation software.

Uses OpenFOAM 7 and Foam-Extend 4.1.

"The course uses OpenFOAM 7 and Foam-Extend 4.1, which is specified upfront."

"Be aware the course is based on specific versions, which might require compatibility steps with newer OpenFOAM releases."

"While the principles are universal, the commands and setup might differ slightly in later OpenFOAM versions."

"It's helpful to know the exact versions being taught to manage expectations and setup."

Emphasizes solid mechanics, useful for engineers.

"The solid mechanics examples were very helpful for my specific engineering discipline."

"I appreciate the focus on solid mechanics, as it's a necessary skill even outside typical CFD."

"While the solid mechanics focus is good, I was hoping for more content on fluid dynamics applications."

"This course centers on solid mechanics, which is explained as a foundation for other areas like fluid dynamics."

Clearly explains OpenFOAM case setup and files.

"Understanding the initial values directory and case architecture was made clear by the instructor."

"The breakdown of the typical OpenFOAM case structure is fundamental and well-explained."

"I now feel confident setting up a basic case for myself after going through these lessons."

"The practical examples demonstrating how to modify tutorial files are very helpful."

Introduces various meshing techniques and tools.

"The sections on blockMesh, Blender/swiftBlock, and GMSH provided a great overview of different meshing approaches."

"Learning blockMesh fundamentals from this course was very valuable for setting up my own cases."

"I found the coverage of swiftBlock particularly useful for creating complex geometries that blockMesh struggles with."

"The course goes over multiple meshing strategies, which is essential for using OpenFOAM effectively."

Well-suited for users new to OpenFOAM.

"As someone completely new to OpenFOAM, this course was an excellent starting point."

"The step-by-step approach makes it accessible even without prior experience in CFD software."

"It breaks down the complex subject into manageable pieces for a beginner."

"This course is ideal for anyone who wants a gentle introduction to this powerful software."

Helps learners overcome initial OpenFOAM hurdles.

"This course is exactly what someone needs to get started with OpenFOAM and overcome the steep learning curve."

"It helps to flatten out the learning curve of OpenFOAM, and it seems the course content is very relevant."

"The initial steps with OpenFOAM can be daunting, but this course made the process much more manageable for me."

"The instructor has done a fantastic job introducing openFOAM and lowering the entry barrier."

Setup can be tricky, especially on Windows OS.

"Getting OpenFOAM installed and running correctly was the hardest part, even with the course's guidance for Windows."

"I encountered some issues during the installation phase that required extra troubleshooting outside the course material."

"The setup process, particularly concerning Windows compatibility layers, could be smoother or updated."

"While the course attempts to address Windows users, I still struggled significantly with the initial setup."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in The Complete Introduction to OpenFOAM with these activities:

Review Linear Elasticity Fundamentals

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Solidify your understanding of linear elasticity, a core concept for the solid mechanics applications covered in the course.

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Review textbooks or online resources on linear elasticity.
Work through example problems related to stress, strain, and material properties.
Summarize key equations and concepts for quick reference.

Read 'The Finite Element Method: Its Basis and Fundamentals'

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Gain a deeper understanding of the finite element method, which is the foundation of OpenFOAM's numerical solutions.

View The Finite Element Method: Its Basis and... on Amazon

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Read the introductory chapters covering the basics of the finite element method.
Focus on the sections related to solid mechanics and heat transfer.
Relate the concepts in the book to the OpenFOAM tutorials covered in the course.

Practice blockMesh meshing exercises

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Improve your proficiency with blockMesh, a crucial tool for creating computational meshes in OpenFOAM.

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Recreate the meshes from the course tutorials using blockMesh.
Experiment with different blockMesh parameters to refine the mesh.
Create meshes for simple geometries not covered in the course.

Four other activities

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Read 'OpenFOAM: The User Guide'

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Deepen your understanding of OpenFOAM by consulting the official user guide, a comprehensive resource for all aspects of the software.

View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon

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Familiarize yourself with the structure and contents of the user guide.
Refer to the user guide when you encounter difficulties or want to learn more about a specific topic.
Explore the advanced features and capabilities of OpenFOAM described in the user guide.

Model a simple cantilever beam

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Apply your OpenFOAM skills to simulate a cantilever beam under load, reinforcing your understanding of boundary conditions and solver settings.

Browse courses on Solid Mechanics

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Create a blockMesh mesh for a cantilever beam geometry.
Set up the boundary conditions for a fixed end and applied load.
Run the solid mechanics solver in Foam-Extend.
Post-process the results to visualize stress and displacement.

Document your OpenFOAM project

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Solidify your understanding of OpenFOAM by documenting your project setup, solver settings, and results.

Browse courses on OpenFOAM

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Describe the problem you are trying to solve.
Explain the mesh generation process and boundary conditions.
Document the solver settings and parameters used.
Present the results and discuss their significance.

Contribute to the OpenFOAM community

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Enhance your OpenFOAM skills by contributing to the open-source community, gaining experience and helping others.

Browse courses on OpenFOAM

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Explore the OpenFOAM issue tracker on GitLab or GitHub.
Identify a bug or feature request that you can contribute to.
Submit a patch or pull request with your changes.
Participate in the OpenFOAM forums or mailing lists.

Career center

Learners who complete The Complete Introduction to OpenFOAM will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Simulation Engineer

A simulation engineer develops and conducts computer simulations to test and optimize engineering designs. This role requires proficiency in simulation software, and an understanding of numerical methods. This course provides hands on experience with OpenFOAM, an open source simulation tool, and teaches how to set up simulations, manage cases, and interpret results. The course covers practical aspects, like creating meshes and applying boundary conditions, which are essential for successful simulations. This training with OpenFOAM is invaluable for a simulation engineer to improve their ability to solve complex problems. The course's focus on solid mechanics can also allow a simulation engineer to broaden their expertise to a range of problems.

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Computational Engineer

A computational engineer uses computer modeling and simulation to analyze and solve complex engineering problems. This role often involves using software like OpenFOAM to perform simulations and validate designs. This course provides an introduction to OpenFOAM, covering the basics of setting up cases, creating meshes, and running simulations. The course's focus on solid mechanics provides a foundational skill necessary for many engineering disciplines. The ability to use OpenFOAM gives a computational engineer the means to independently explore and customize simulations. This course’s emphasis on practical meshing and boundary conditions equips someone for the requirements of the role.

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Mechanical Engineer

A mechanical engineer designs, develops, and tests mechanical devices and systems. This role often requires a strong understanding of solid mechanics, which is a key focus of this course. The course helps build a foundation in using OpenFOAM to perform complex simulations and analyze the behavior of mechanical systems. By understanding how to set up simulations, create meshes, and apply boundaries, a mechanical engineer can explore a variety of problems and improve their designs. The course's exploration of linear elasticity, thermal conduction, friction, and plasticity adds to a mechanical engineer's expertise, especially when applied to complex scenarios. The course may be useful for mechanical engineers wishing to enhance their computational skills.

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Engineering Consultant

An engineering consultant provides expert advice and solutions to engineering problems for their clients. This role often involves analysis and simulation to validate designs. This course provides an introduction to OpenFOAM, a widely used computational modeling tool. The course covers setting up cases, creating meshes, and running simulations with a focus on solid mechanics. The hands-on experience with OpenFOAM is invaluable for an engineering consultant. This course may be helpful for consultants who use computational tools.

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Research Engineer

A research engineer engages in the investigation and development of new technologies and processes. This role needs a strong understanding of computational modeling, which is central to the role. By covering the basics of OpenFOAM, the course helps a research engineer conduct simulations, and validate innovative ideas. The course teaches how to set up cases, create meshes, and perform simulations, important to research in many fields. For a research engineer, these kinds of practical, hands-on skills are crucial to conducting experiments with software. The course may be helpful to research engineers who wish to use OpenFOAM.

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Manufacturing Engineer

A manufacturing engineer is responsible for designing and optimizing manufacturing processes, often requiring a mix of analytical and practical skills. Simulation software allows a manufacturing engineer to test designs and workflows. This course may help introduce OpenFOAM as an open-source tool for simulation and optimization. The experience of using OpenFOAM and its solid mechanics solver library may improve the user's ability to understand the manufacturing process. The course's hands-on skills, such as mesh creation and boundary condition setup, may be beneficial to a manufacturing engineer. This course may be useful for manufacturing engineers.

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Design Engineer

A design engineer creates detailed designs for products and systems. This role often requires simulation to validate designs before they are produced, which makes this course helpful. This course helps a design engineer learn the principles behind computational modeling using OpenFOAM. The course teaches the basics of setting up simulation cases, creating meshes, and analyzing results. The course’s coverage of solid mechanics may help a design engineer to better understand complex designs that involve materials and applied forces. The course may be helpful for design engineers looking to use simulation in their work.

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Aerospace Engineer

An aerospace engineer focuses on the design, development, and testing of aircraft and spacecraft. This role often requires proficiency in numerical methods and computational fluid dynamics, and this course can help with building a foundation in OpenFOAM. The course's focus on solid mechanics is also helpful, as it is a necessary precursor to a healthy understanding of fluid dynamics. This introductory course is useful for aerospace engineers who wish to gain experience with simulation, exploring a variety of complex problems. The course may be useful for those seeking to improve or validate designs.

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Materials Engineer

A materials engineer develops and tests new materials for use in engineering applications. This role often requires computer simulation to understand the mechanical behavior of materials, which this course touches on through its focus on solid mechanics. This course helps a materials engineer build a foundation in computational modeling with OpenFOAM, teaching how to set up simulations and interpret results. The hands-on skills provided by the course, such as creating meshes and applying boundary conditions, allow a materials engineer to broaden their ability to simulate stress and strain. This course may be useful for materials engineers looking to use simulation in their testing.

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Structural Engineer

A structural engineer designs and analyzes the structural integrity of buildings and other structures. This role often requires a strong understanding of solid mechanics, making this course relevant. The course may help a structural engineer build a foundation in computational modeling with OpenFOAM, teaching how to set up simulations and interpret results. The hands-on skills this course provides, such as creating meshes and applying boundary conditions, may allow a structural engineer to enhance their ability to predict structural performance. This course may be helpful for structural engineers who wish to incorporate simulation into their designs.

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Finite Element Analyst

A finite element analyst uses finite element analysis (FEA) software to simulate and analyze the behavior of complex systems. While not explicitly an FEA tool, this course can help understand the principles behind such software and the creation of meshes. The course teaches the foundational concepts of computational modeling, exploring case setup, mesh creation, and boundary condition implementation. This is useful to a finite element analyst to increase their ability to set up simulations and interpret results. The course's focus on solid mechanics provides a relevant background for this role. This course may be useful for those who wish to learn the basic theory behind FEA software.

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Product Development Engineer

A product development engineer is responsible for designing and developing new products, requiring a mix of analytical and practical skills. Proficiency in simulation software allows a product development engineer to test their designs before they are physically constructed. This course may help introduce OpenFOAM as an open source tool to create and analyze numerical models. Gaining experience with OpenFOAM and its solid mechanics solver library may improve the design process. The hands-on skills covered in this course, such as mesh creation and boundary condition setup, may be beneficial to a product development engineer.

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Software Engineer

A software engineer designs, develops, and maintains software systems. This role can be applied to many different types of software, and this course may help a software engineer work with simulation or modeling tools by understanding the algorithms and software behind it. The course in OpenFOAM allows them to understand the software's structure and how to customize it. The course also provides a basic foundation in how to simulate complex physical processes such as solid mechanics, thermal conduction, and plasticity, which may be directly applicable depending on need. This course may be useful for software engineers who work with simulation software.

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University Professor

A university professor teaches and conducts research in their field of expertise. This course may be useful for a university professor who wishes to include computational modeling in their course curriculum, or use OpenFOAM for their own research. The course is a straightforward introduction to OpenFOAM, which includes the basics of setting up cases, creating meshes, and running simulations. The focus on solid mechanics is a valuable foundational skill in many engineering disciplines, making it beneficial for a professor teaching engineering. This course may be useful for university professors to improve their teaching or research.

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Data Scientist

A data scientist analyzes large datasets to extract insights and develop predictive models. While the focus of this course is not on data analysis, the principles of computational modeling and numerical methods may be helpful to a data scientist working in the engineering or physics field. The course's focus on setting up and running simulations, such as solid mechanics, may be useful in understanding these sorts of data. This course may be helpful for data scientists who analyze data related to computational modeling.

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