OpenFOAM beginner core courses

Name: OpenFOAM beginner core courses
Rating: 4.4 (77 reviews)

Your first mandatory course of OpenFOAM before you can do your own cases

Created byCaesar Wiratama

Last updated 12/2025

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Understand the instalation of openFOAM
Able to utilise existing template folder to new case
Have a core understanding of meshing, boundary conditions, and computational scheme
Learn how to use code for efficient programming

Course content

5 sections • 23 lectures • 5h 2m total length

Introduction4:25
Install Openfoam and set up your working environment while learning core CFD concepts, mesh generation with block mesh and snappy hex, and practical case studies.
Course Structure5:34
Explore OpenFOAM from basics to your first simulations, including Linux commands and installation. Learn blockMesh, Paraview, boundary conditions, turbulence models, and snappy hex mesh for multiphase or realistic cases.
Why OpenFOAM7:58
Explore OpenFOAM, a free, open source CFD tool under the GPL, to view and modify solvers, customize parameters, and use it for academic papers, industrial projects, or consulting.
OpenFOAM Installation (Windows via WSL: openfoam.com)12:44
Set up Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and install OpenFOAM on Windows. Follow step-by-step guidance to configure the environment and verify the OpenFOAM installation.
OpenFOAM Installation (MacOS via Docker: openfoam.com)5:24
Install OpenFOAM on macOS via Docker by downloading Docker Desktop for Mac, selecting the hardware, and running the OpenFOAM Docker script to launch and verify; Paraview must be installed separately.
OpenFOAM installation (Windows via WSL: openfoam.org, optional)18:37
Install OpenFOAM on Windows via WSL, choose between Openfoam.org and Openfoam.com versions, then set up bashrc, run foamrun, install Paraview, and test with pitzDailySteady tutorials in a step-by-step workflow.
Some useful LINUX commands7:52
Discover essential linux commands for OpenFOAM users, including terminal navigation with cd and ls, folder management with mkdir and mv, and file editing with nano in WSL or docker.

Run your absolute first simulation8:59
OpenFOAM beginners run their first simulation using the incompressible simpleFoam case and standard solvers. Copy the tutorial folder, create a project folder, generate a mesh, and view results in Paraview.
OpenFOAM Standard Solvers6:14
Explore OpenFOAM standard solvers and tutorial cases across fluid flow, heat transfer, combustion, electromagnetics, and solid mechanics. Learn how to select and use the right solver for CFD applications.
"Tutorial" folder structure10:57
Explore the OpenFOAM case folder structure consisting of 0, constant and system, modify boundary conditions and mesh in a cavity flow example, run Icofom, and visualize results in Paraview.
Fundamental of blockMesh construction21:42
Construct a multi-block blockMesh for a lid-driven cavity by setting coordinates, defining blocks and boundaries, ensuring proper connectivity and orientation, then run and visualize the mesh and flow structures.
blockMesh grading15:57
Explore blockMesh grading to improve mesh efficiency by near-wall boundary layer resolution. Learn simple, h grading, and multi grading across x, y, and z directions.
post-processing with ParaView16:05
Learn how ParaView integrates with OpenFOAM for post-processing, including clipping and slicing, plotting, glyph-based vectors, streamlines, color maps, and exporting animations.

Internal Flow28:43
Explore internal flow in OpenFOAM with hands-on case study, focusing on boundary conditions, wall treatments, and snappy hex mesh setup to model velocity distribution and pressure drop in piping.
External Flow14:14
Explore external flow with free stream boundary conditions, moving walls, and angle of attack, using identical inlet/outlet velocity and pressure, and internal field inputs.
Turbulence Modeling13:01
Explore turbulence modeling within computational fluid dynamics, from direct numerical simulation and large eddy simulations to Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes, highlighting near-wall challenges, mesh needs, and tradeoffs.
RANS18:34
Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes offers low-cost drag, lift, and temperature trends, but misses detailed fluctuations; OpenFOAM uses models like Spalart-Allmaras, k-epsilon, and k-omega SST with wall functions.
LES13:25
Explore OpenFOAM large eddy simulation, resolving large eddies with a mesh and using subgrid models like Smagorinsky. Estimate the integral length scale to capture around 80% of turbulent kinetic energy.

Boundary Conditions16:01
Explore boundary conditions in OpenFOAM, including Dirichlet and Neumann values, fixed value and zero gradient options, no-slip walls, inlet/outlet patches, and symmetry or periodic boundaries for CFD simulations.
Computational Schemes and Solutions17:39
OpenFOAM beginner core courses introduce computational schemes and solutions, detailing Navier–Stokes discretization, finite volume schemes, interpolation and gradient operators, time schemes, and the simple, piso, and pimple solvers with under-relaxation.

Multiphase flow12:08
Explore multiphase flow in OpenFOAM using the volume of fluid model and alpha water to simulate air–water interfaces in a dam-break scenario. Set fields, gravity, and time-step controls for stability.
snappyHexMesh17:30
Explore snappyHexMesh to import CAD geometry (stl/obj) and convert it from block mesh into a refined hex mesh for OpenFOAM, snapping to surfaces for precise geometry capture.
Blender Basics8:23

Requirements

Basic fluid mechanics
No LINUX or other programming language basic needed

Description

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is an advanced tools to solve complex fluid dynamic and heat transfer equations using numerical method. OpenFOAM is an open-source and free to use CFD solver with the largest community in the world. Despite its powerful capability, its major drawback is the step learning process. By making this course, I hope I can reduce the effort of new learners to start learning using this amazing and powerful tool.

In this course, you will get hands-on experience using OpenFOAM following the core theories related to the setting used in the simulation simply and intuitively, so you can use it for your applications.

You don't have to have basic LINUX or other programming experience before this course; we will explain some basic useful LINUX commands only related to the operation of OpenFOAM, and some efficient programming tricks will be also explained during the course.

This course will be separated into five parts (1) introduction, (2) core knowledge, (3) useful cases, (4) some advanced theories, and (5) More "realistic" applications.

with the focus on the basic "tutorial" case folder, meshing using blockMesh and snappyHexMesh, geometry editing using Blender, post-processing, turbulent modeling, scheme and algorithm theory, and some "real-world" workflow.

Who this course is for:

New or beginner OpenFOAM learner who wants to understand the core knowledge

OpenFOAM beginner core courses

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction7 lectures • 1hr 3min

Core knowledge6 lectures • 1hr 20min

Useful Cases5 lectures • 1hr 28min

Some Advanced Theories2 lectures • 34min

More "Realistic" Applications3 lectures • 38min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: