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OpenFOAM Language — The Visual Room

1.1. OpenFOAM Language

This is the OpenFOAM language.

What are features of C++?

What is explicit evaluation?
What is implicit evaluation?
What are the higher level data types?
What are fields?
What are the three types?
What are the five basic classes?
What are the three space-time classes?
What are the three field algebra classes?
What are the two discretisation classes?
What is a geometricField<Type>?
What is the objectRegistry?
What is the IOobject?
How is a dictionary object read?
How is volVectorField read from disk?
How is volScalarField constructed?
What are the read and write options?
How are objects represented in OpenFOAM?
How is matrix inversion done in fvm?
What are lists?
What are fields?
How is memory accessed?
How is IO Communication done?
How are derivatives of fields evaluated?
What are the functions for discretisation?
How can are equations translated into code?
How is the PISO algorithm programmed?
What are header files?
What is wmake?

1.1.1. What are features of C++?

Feature Meaning
typedefs Alias for a possibly complex type name
function Group of statements that perform a task
pointers Data type that holds addresses to refer to values in memory (e.g. for dynamic memory allocation)
data structures Data members grouped under one name (e.g. the nodes in a linked list)
classes Data members and function members grouped under one name
constructor Function member that initialises the instance of it’s class
destructor Function member that destroys the instance of it’s class
friends Allows a function or class access to private or protected members of a class
inheritance Allows a class to be created based on another class (so code can be reused)
virtual member Member function that will be redefined in a derived class
functions
abstract class Class that contains at least one virtual function
template Family of classes (class template), functions (function template), variables (variable template) or alias
of a family of types (alias template)
namespace Prevents name conflicts in large projects

1.1.2. What is explicit evaluation?

Evaluate spatial derivatives at the current timestep

Uses known values

1.1.3. What is implicit evaluation?

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Evaluate spatial derivatives at future timestep
Uses unknown values - generates a matrix equation to be solved

1.1.4. What are the higher level data types?

Type Meaning
scalar, e.g. pressure
volScalarField

vector, e.g. velocity

volVectorField

tensor, e.g. Reynolds Stress

volTensorField

surface scalar, e.g. flux

surfaceScalarField

constant, e.g. viscosity

dimensionedScalar

1.1.5. What are fields?

Arrays of data stored at cell centres in the mesh

Include bouundary information

Three types
volScalarField
volVectorField
volTensorField

Values are stored in named dictionary files in named timestep directories e.g. case/0/p for pressure

1.1.6. What are the three types?

<Type> refers to:

scalar
vector
tensor

1.1.7. What are the five basic classes?

Class Meaning
Boundary conditions
fvPatchField

(and derived classes)

Sparse matrices
lduMatrix
fvMatrix

(and linear solvers)

1.1.8. What are the three space-time classes?

Class Meaning

polyMesh
Stands for polyhedral mesh
Most basic mesh class

Contains:
pointField
faceList
cellList
polyPatchList

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Class Meaning

fvMesh
Extends polyMesh contains:
Cell volumes (volScalarField)
Cell centres (volVectorField)
Face area vectors (surfaceVectorField)
Face centres (surfaceVectorField)
Face area magnitudes (surfaceScalarField)
Face motion centres (surfaceScalarField)

Time
Class to control time during OpenFOAM
Declared as variable runTime
Provides list of saved times runTime.times()
Timestep = deltaT()
Return current directory name = name()
Time increments = operator++() operator+=(scalar)
Write objects to disk = write()
Start time, end time = startTime(), endTime()

1.1.9. What are the three field algebra classes?

Class Meaning

Field<Type> Array template class, e.g. Field<vector> = vectorField

Renamed using typedef as:

scalarField
vectorField
tensorField
symmTensorField
tensorThirdField
symmTensorThirdField

dimensionedField

geometricField<Type>
Combination of:
Field
GeometricBoundaryField
fvMesh
dimensionSet

Defines values at all locations in domain with aliases:

volField<Type>
surfaceField<Type>
pointField<Type>

1.1.10. What are the two discretisation classes?

Class Meaning

fvc
Stands for finite volume calculus
Explicit derivative evaluation
Input = known geometricField<Type>
Output = geometricField<Type> object

fvm
Stands for finite volume method
Implicit derivative evaluation
Input = unknown geometricField<Type>
Output = fvMatrix<Type> object, which can be inverted in the matrix equation
Mx=y

1.1.11. What is a geometricField<Type>?

volField<Type>

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surfaceField<Type>
pointField<Type>

1.1.12. What is the objectRegistry?

Object registry of entities (dictionaries, fields) which are to be read in or written out

1.1.13. What is the IOobject?

Defines I/O attributes of entities managed by the object registry.

1.1.14. How is a dictionary object read?

Code Meaning

Info << "Reading transportProperties" << endl;

Send message to screen

IOdictionary transportProperties
Read in at creation
(
IOobject
(
"transportProperties",
runTime.constant(),
mesh,
IOobject::MUST_READ
IOobject::NO_WRITE
)
);

dimensionedScalar nu
Lookup viscosity in dictionary
(
transportProperties.lookup("nu")
);

1.1.15. How is volVectorField read from disk?

Code Meaning

volVectorField U
volVectorField read in from disk
( Associated with runTime database
IOobject Must be read
(
"U",
Times[i].name(),
runTime,
IOobject::MUST_READ
),
mesh
)

1.1.16. How is volScalarField constructed?

Code Meaning

volVectorField magU construct mag(U) object of type volScalarField called

( magU
IOobject write it out
(
"magU",
Times[i].name(),
runTime,
IOobject::NO_READ
IOobject::AUTO_WRITE
),
::mag(U)
);
magU.write();

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1.1.17. What are the read and write options?

Class Meaning
Object created
NO_READ

Object asked to read

MUST_READ
READ_IF_PRESENT

Object destroyed
NO_WRITE

Object asked to write

AUTO_WRITE

1.1.18. How are objects represented in OpenFOAM?

How to create an object that writes the magnitude of a velocity vector?

Class Meaning

#include "fvCFD.H" One block called main is needed

int main(int argc, char argv[]) #include to store commonly used code
{ runTime is a variable of the OpenFOAM Time class - for timestepping
# include "addTimeOptions.H" through code
# include "setRootCase.H"
# include "createTime.H"
instantList Times = runTime.times();
# include "createMesh.H"

for(label i=0; i<runTime.size(); i++) Loop over all possible times

{ Read in a volVectorField U
runTime.setTime(Times[i],i);
Info << "Time: " << runTime.value() << endl
volVectorField U
(
IOobject
(
"U",
Times[i].name(),
runTime,
IOobject::MUST READ
),
mesh
);

volScalarField magU Construct a volScalarField magU

( Write out the velocity
IOobject
(
"magU",
Times[i].name(),
runTime,
IOobject::NO READ,
IOobject::AUTO WRITE
),
::mag(U)
);
magU.write();
} return 0;}

1.1.19. How is matrix inversion done in fvm?

Each operator in fvm constructs particular entries in known M and y as a fvMatrix object
fvMatrix is a template class (actual classes are fvScalarMatrix etc)
fvMatrix handles storage via lduMatrix class
fvMatrix class also handles solution

1.1.20. What are lists?

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Class Meaning

List<Type> Array template class

Allows creation of a list of any object of a class e.g. List<vector>

PtrList<Type>
List of pointers

SLList<Type>
Non-intrusive singly-linked list

1.1.21. What are fields?

Class Meaning

Field<Type>
Array template class, e.g. Field<vector> = vectorField

Renamed as scalarField, vectorField, tensorField, symmTensorField,

tensorThirdField and symmTensorThirdField

1.1.22. How is memory accessed?

Arrays
Pointers
References

1.1.23. How is IO Communication done?

Code Meaning

Info << "Time = " << runTime.timeName() << nl << endl;

Info object is output to the screen

1.1.24. How are derivatives of fields evaluated?

Time derivative

Divergence (div)
Spatial derivative
Discretised using the flux at the faces
e.g. ∇ ⋅ (uq) (the advection term)

Gradient (grad)
Spatial derivative
e.g. ∇p in the momentum equation

Laplacian
Spatial derivative

Discretised as ∇ ⋅ μ∇q

gradient scheme for ∇q

interpolation for μ

discretisation for ∇⋅

e.g. 2
μ∇ q in the momentum equation

1.1.25. What are the functions for discretisation?

Function Meaning

fvc::ddt(A)
Time derivative
fvm::ddt(A) ∂ A/∂ t

A can be a scalar, vector or tensor

fvc::ddt(rho,A)
Density weighted time derivative
fvm::ddt(rho,A) ∂ ρA/∂ t

ρ can be any scalar field

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Function Meaning

fvc::d2dt2(rho,A)
Second density weighted time derivative
fvm::d2dt2(rho,A) ∂ /∂ t(ρ∂ A/∂ t)

fvc::grad(A)
Gradient
fvm::grad(A) A can be a scalar or a vector
Result is a volVectorField (from scalar) or a volTensorField (from vector)

fvc::div(A)
Divergence
fvm::div(A) A can be a vector or a tensor
Result is a volScalarField (from vector) or a volVectorField (from tensor)

fvc::laplacian(A)
Laplacian
2
fvm::laplacian(A) ∇ A

fvc::laplacian(mu, A)
Laplacian
fvm::laplacian(mu, A) ∇ ⋅ (μ∇A)

fvc::curl(A)
Curl
fvm::curl(A) ∇ × A

fvm::div(phi,A)
Divergence using flux to evaluate this
A can be a scalar, vector or a tensor

fvm::Sp(rho,A)
Implicit evaulation of source term

fvm::SuSp(rho,A)
Implicit or explicit evaulation of source term (depending on sign of rho

1.1.26. How can are equations translated into code?

Equation Code
∂q 2
+ ∇ ⋅ qu = μ∇ q fvScalarMatrix transport
∂t
(
fvm::ddt(q)
+ fvm::div(phi,q)
- fvm::laplacian(mu,q)
);

// phi is the flux from the momentum equation

∂T 2
= κ∇ T solve(fvm::ddt(T) == kappa*fvc::laplacian(T))
∂t

// T is a volScalarField defined on the mesh

// A discretised representation of the field variable T
// solve performs matrix inversion for one step

∂k T 2
+ ∇ ⋅ ku − ∇ ⋅ [(ν + νt )∇k] = νt [1/2(∇u + ∇u ] − ε/k solve(
∂t
fvm::ddt(k)
+ fvm::div(phi,k)
- fvm::laplacian(nu()+nut,k)
== nut*magSqr(symm(fvc::grad(U)))
- fvm::Sp(epsilon/k,k)
);

1.1.27. How is the PISO algorithm programmed?

The PISO (Pressure Implicit with Splitting of Operators) is an efficient method to solve the Navier-Stokes equations

The algorithm can be summed up as follows:

Set the boundary conditions.

Solve the discretized momentum equation to compute an intermediate velocity field.
Compute the mass fluxes at the cells faces.
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Solve the pressure equation.
Correct the mass fluxes at the cell faces.
Correct the velocities on the basis of the new pressure field.
Update the boundary conditions.
Repeat from 3 for the prescribed number of times.
Increase the time step and repeat from 1.

The implementation:

Define the equation for U

fvVectorMatrix UEqn
(
fvm::ddt(U)
+ fvm::div(phi, U)
- fvm::laplacian(nu, U)
);

Solve the momentum predictor

solve (UEqn == -fvc::grad(p));

Calculate the ap coefficient and calculate U

volScalarField rUA = 1.0/UEqn().A();

U = rUA*UEqn().H();

Calculate the flux

phi = (fvc::interpolate(U) & mesh.Sf())

+ fvc::ddtPhiCorr(rUA, U, phi);
adjustPhi(phi, U, p);

Define and solve the pressure equation and repeat for the prescribed number of non-orthogonal corrector steps

fvScalarMatrix pEqn
(
fvm::laplacian(rUA, p) == fvc::div(phi)
);
pEqn.setReference(pRefCell, pRefValue);
pEqn.solve();

Correct the flux

if (nonOrth == nNonOrthCorr)
{
phi -= pEqn.flux();
}

Calculate continuity errors

# include "continuityErrs.H"

Perform the momentum corrector step

U -= rUA*fvc::grad(p);
U.correctBoundaryConditions();

The following is from the OpenFOAM UK Users Group:

1.1.28. What are header files?

Sections of code in separate files that are widely used - all function prototypes in a header file

Equation Code

#include "CourantNumber.H"
File containing code for calculating Courant number

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1.1.29. What is wmake?

wmake is a make system – directs the compiler to compile specific files in particular ways.

Controlled through files in Make:

files – specifies which user-written files to compile and what to call the result
options – specifies additional header files/libraries to be included in the compilation.

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