Concept reference

OpenFOAM

File-native CFD with full dictionary generation, function-object hooks, and benchmark-grade validation paths.

1 min read

Coverage

Steady and transient incompressible, compressible, buoyant, multiphase, conjugate heat transfer, LES, combustion, and MRF flows route from typed physics in the CaseSpec to the appropriate OpenFOAM application. Version pinned in the resource pack metadata.

Dictionaries the adapter writes

  • system/controlDict, system/fvSchemes, system/fvSolution — controls and numerics.
  • system/blockMeshDict (or system/snappyHexMeshDict) — mesh generation.
  • constant/transportProperties, constant/turbulenceProperties, constant/thermophysicalProperties — materials and physics.
  • 0/U, 0/p, 0/T, plus turbulence fields — initial and boundary conditions.
  • system/functions (or inline) — function-object hooks for forces, surface field values, sampling, residual probes.

Function objects do the evidence work

Every QoI in the CaseSpec compiles to an OpenFOAM function object — forceCoeffs, surfaceFieldValue, pressureDrop, wallShearStress, yPlus, sample. Solver-native extraction beats post-hoc parsing because the data ships with the run.

Meshing paths

Structured meshes flow through blockMesh with parameterized blocks; conformal meshes flow through snappyHexMesh with feature edges, surface refinement, and layer addition. Imported third-party meshes (Gmsh, Fluent, Star-CCM+) go through typed conversion provenance.

Built-in benchmark paths

The OpenFOAM resource pack can retrieve typed validation referents when a cited resource, geometry/physics applicability record, and QoI comparator values are available. The adapter does not treat a benchmark name alone as validation evidence.

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