HZDR Multiphase Addon for OpenFOAM

The majority of the developments for numerical simulation of multiphase flows at HZDR are implemented in the open source library OpenFOAM. OpenFOAM is the leading open source software package for numerical simulations of fluid flows (Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD) in engineering applications. By signing the Contributors Agreement with the OpenFOAM Foundation in 2017, HZDR has the unique opportunity to actively participate in the development of OpenFOAM. An example is the contribution of the population balance modelling framework in 2017 together with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, which is continuously developed and improved since.

Besides, HZDR develops an extension for multiphase flows, the HZDR Multiphase Addon for OpenFOAM, and a validation database, the HZDR Multiphase Case Collection for OpenFOAM, both published via Rossendorfer Data Repository. Since 2019, HZDR coordinates the development work for OpenFOAM_RCS (RCS - Reactor Coolant System), which is an extension for OpenFOAM to simulate the primary cooling circuit in a nuclear power plant. As a member of the OpenFOAM Process Engineering Consortium, HZDR has established a strong cooperation with the chemical and process engineering industry to ensure that the research done on multiphase flows fits industrial needs.

Highlights

• OpenFOAM-Hybrid: A morphology adaptive two-fluid model
• OpenFOAM_RCS: Sustainable development of simulation software for modeling of reactor coolant systems
• Scientific workflow based on Snakemake workflow management
• more

Example of a simulation of a distillation column.

Contributor with an Addon

The open source library OpenFOAM is written in state-of-the-art, object-oriented C++ and licensed under GNU GPL v3 license. Excellent code quality and robustness of the OpenFOAM library is ensured by the maintenance work of the OpenFOAM Foundation, which is a major requirement for CFD software in industrial design processes. The OpenFOAM Foundation follows a continuous integration strategy to reduce the amount of bugs in the source code. This development strategy has higher demands on downstream developers, like HZDR. Contributions to the release are a key prerequisite for industrial application of our developments. However, the demands on software quality are high and cannot always be ensured in research.

Hence, HZDR develops the HZDR Multiphase Addon for OpenFOAM, which primarily includes prototype functionality. The flexible interfaces of OpenFOAM and a early communication with the core developers of OpenFOAM makes sure the maintenance generated by the add-on is minimised. A support contract with CFD Direct ensures that the long-term maintenance and the integration costs of HZDR's release contributions are covered.

Illustration of the linkage between OpenFOAM release and HZDR Multiphase Addon for OpenFOAM.