Applied CFD Tutorials

Welcome to the Applied Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Tutorials repository. This repository contains a series of hands-on tutorials designed to help undergraduate students learn and apply CFD principles using OpenFOAM, a leading open-source CFD software, and ParaView, a powerful visualization tool.

Repository Contents

0. Tutorial 0: Setting up WSL and OpenFOAM

   Learn how to install the Windows Subsystem for Linux (wsl) and OpenFOAM on your Windows machine. This tutorial includes step-by-step instructions to ensure a smooth installation process, especially for beginners.

1. Tutorial 1: Basic Case Setup - Lid-Driven Cavity (LDC)

   • Tutorial 1.1 – Introduction to CFD concepts and OpenFOAM
   • Tutorial 1.2 - Setting up the LDC problem
   • Tutorial 1.3 - Running the LDC simulation

   Dive into setting up your first CFD simulation case. This tutorial covers the initial steps of preparing the lid-driven cavity benchmark case and running it in OpenFOAM, and visualizing the results using ParaView.

2. Tutorial 2: Laminar Flow Over a Flat Plate

   • Tutorial 2.1 – Introduction to boundary layer and Blasius solution
   • Tutorial 2.2 – OpenFOAM setup
   • Tutorial 2.3 – Running the simulation and post-processing

   Explore the process of setting up and simulating laminar flow over a flat plate. This tutorial includes the theoretical background of boundary layer development, configuring the simulation in OpenFOAM, and analyzing the results using ParaView.

3. Tutorial 3: Turbulent Flow Over a Flat Plate

   • Tutorial 3.1 – Introduction to turbulence and the Law of the Wall
   • Tutorial 3.2 – OpenFOAM setup
   • Tutorial 3.3 – Running the simulation and post-processing

   Delve into the complexities of simulating turbulent flow over a flat plate. This tutorial covers the fundamental concepts of turbulence and the law of the wall, guides you through setting up a turbulent flow simulation in OpenFOAM, and instructs you on how to analyze the results using ParaView.

4. Tutorial 4: Flow Over a Backward-Facing Step

   This tutorial explores the flow over a backward-facing step (BFS), highlighting flow separation and reattachment phenomena. You will set up, run, and analyze a BFS simulation using OpenFOAM, and compare the results with experimental data.

5. Tutorial 5: Flow Over a Cylinder (Vortex Shedding)

   This tutorial introduces the simulation of flow over a circular cylinder, focusing on vortex shedding phenomena. You will learn how to set up and run this case in OpenFOAM and visualize the formation of the Von Kármán vortex street.

6. Tutorial 6: Flow Over NACA0012 Airfoil

   • Tutorial 6.1 – NASA-Provided Mesh Analysis for NACA0012 Airfoil Flow
   • Tutorial 6.2 - Custom Mesh Generation for NACA0012 Airfoil Using SnappyHexMesh

   Explore the aerodynamic characteristics of the NACA0012 airfoil using two approaches. The first sub-tutorial utilizes NASA's provided geometry and mesh to set up and simulate flow over the airfoil. The second sub-tutorial introduces snappyHexMesh, a tool within OpenFOAM for generating custom meshes. You will compare both approaches, validating your findings against NASA's experimental data.

Getting Started

To get started, begin with Tutorial 0: Setting up WSL and OpenFOAM. Follow the instructions carefully to prepare your system for running OpenFOAM simulations. Once set up, proceed to the subsequent tutorials to deepen your understanding and skills in CFD.

Contributing

We welcome contributions to enhance these tutorials. If you find any issues or have suggestions for improvement, please open an issue or submit a pull request.