February 5, 2025
Updated July 13, 2025
19 minute read
An Introduction to OpenFOAM
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Find a path to becoming a OpenFOAM. Learn more at:
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Reading list
We've selected 19 books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
OpenFOAM.
This is the 2016 edition of the highly recommended book on the Finite Volume Method with OpenFOAM and Matlab. It provides a strong theoretical foundation and practical examples, making it suitable for advanced students and researchers. It is considered a key text for understanding the numerical methods in OpenFOAM.
Authored by key figures in the OpenFOAM community, this book focuses on the practical application of the finite volume method within OpenFOAM, specifically covering second-order FVM. It's a valuable resource for users looking to implement and understand higher-order schemes in their OpenFOAM simulations.
The official user guide is an essential resource for anyone using OpenFOAM. It provides detailed information on setting up cases, using utilities like blockMesh and snappyHexMesh, boundary conditions, models, solvers, and post-processing. While not a traditional textbook, it's a crucial reference for practical OpenFOAM usage. Different versions of the user guide are available for different OpenFOAM releases.
Authored by core OpenFOAM developers, this book offers a modern perspective on CFD with a focus on the finite volume method as implemented in OpenFOAM. It covers fluid dynamics, turbulence modeling, boundary conditions, numerical methods, and algorithms in a concise format. It's a good resource for understanding the principles behind OpenFOAM's implementation.
A comprehensive and widely respected book focusing specifically on turbulence and its modeling. Understanding turbulence is crucial for many OpenFOAM applications. provides the theoretical background necessary to effectively use and understand turbulence models within OpenFOAM.
Considered a classic introductory textbook to CFD and the Finite Volume Method. is highly recommended for beginners due to its clear explanations of governing equations, boundary conditions, turbulence modeling, and the FVM. While not specific to OpenFOAM, the foundational knowledge gained from this book is essential for anyone starting with CFD software like OpenFOAM.
This comprehensive book covers a wide range of numerical methods used in CFD, including the finite volume method. It delves into discretization and solution methods commonly found in commercial and open-source CFD programs like OpenFOAM. It's a valuable reference for understanding the mathematical and numerical underpinnings of CFD solvers.
This official guide is for those who want to delve into the OpenFOAM source code and customize or develop their own solvers and utilities. It requires a strong understanding of C++ programming and the underlying CFD principles. This key resource for advanced users and developers.
Focuses on a practical approach to CFD using OpenFOAM, prioritizing clarity over strict mathematical rigor. It aims to help users correctly configure CFD software and focuses on OpenFOAM as a free and open-source option. This book is scheduled for release in July 2025, indicating its contemporary relevance.
This classic text in the field of computational heat transfer and fluid flow, particularly known for its coverage of the SIMPLE algorithm, which is fundamental to many CFD solvers, including those in OpenFOAM. While older, the principles remain highly relevant for understanding pressure-velocity coupling methods.
Offers a clear and concise introduction to CFD fundamentals and methods. It is suitable for students and professionals who want to apply existing CFD software and understand its workings. The second edition includes updated information on finite volume discretization on unstructured grids and turbulence modeling, making it relevant to OpenFOAM users.
Serves as an extended user guide for OpenFOAM, offering practical insights into using the software. It is particularly helpful for those new to OpenFOAM and seeking to understand its structure and basic functionalities. While not a deep dive into theory, it's a valuable practical resource.
Provides a practical introduction to CFD fundamentals and commercial CFD software. While not solely focused on OpenFOAM, it helps bridge the gap between theory and practical application and is suitable for students and practicing engineers new to CFD. The third edition is updated and includes worked examples.
Foundational text in the field of computational heat transfer and fluid flow, particularly known for its clear explanation of the finite volume method and the SIMPLE algorithm. While published some time ago, the fundamental principles remain highly relevant to CFD and OpenFOAM. It's a valuable reference for understanding the numerical techniques used in many OpenFOAM solvers.
Provides practical examples and applications of OpenFOAM for simulating effluent discharges in environmental fluid mechanics. It bridges the gap between academia and industry and is valuable for researchers and engineers working on specific applications of OpenFOAM. Published recently, it covers contemporary topics in a specific domain.
Appears to be an earlier version or related material to 'The OpenFOAM Technology Primer'. It likely offers an introduction to getting started with OpenFOAM technology, suitable for beginners. Its value might be more as a foundational text compared to the updated Primer.
This textbook, based on OpenFOAM and Caeliux, provides an introduction to mathematical modeling and simulation. While broader than just CFD, it can be a useful resource for understanding the modeling aspects relevant to using OpenFOAM.
Aims to provide a practical guide to using OpenFOAM. While details on its content and reputation are less widely available compared to other texts, a practical guide would be beneficial for users focusing on applying OpenFOAM to solve problems. Its recency would need to be verified for contemporary relevance.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/topic/1drsrb/openfoa
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