OpenFOAM燃焼解析

Category: 解析 | Integrated 2026-04-06
CAE visualization for openfoam combustion theory - technical simulation diagram
OpenFOAM燃焼解析

Theory and Physics

Overview

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Teacher! Today's topic is about OpenFOAM combustion analysis, right? What is it like?


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It provides combustion solvers such as reactingFoam, XiFoam, fireFoam. Supports loading chemical reaction mechanisms, EDC, PaSR, flamelet/progress-variable models.



Governing Equations


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Expressing this in mathematical form, it looks like this.


$$\frac{\partial(\rho Y_k)}{\partial t} + \nabla\cdot(\rho\mathbf{U}Y_k) = \nabla\cdot(\rho D_k \nabla Y_k) + \dot{\omega}_k$$

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Hmm, just the equation doesn't really click for me... What does it represent?


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Reaction rate (Arrhenius equation):



$$k = A T^n \exp\left(-\frac{E_a}{RT}\right)$$

Theoretical Foundation

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I've heard of "theoretical foundation," but I might not fully understand it...


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The numerical methods for OpenFOAM combustion analysis are based on the Finite Volume Method (FVM) or the Finite Element Method (FEM). Being open source, its greatest advantage is the ability to examine and modify algorithm details at the source code level. Discretization schemes and convergence criteria logic, which are black boxes in commercial solvers, can be directly verified, making it particularly suitable for academic research and method development. Continuous improvement and bug fixes by the community ensure its quality.


🧑‍🎓

Wait, wait, you said numerical methods for combustion analysis, does that mean it can be used even in cases like this?


Theoretical Background of Numerical Methods

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Teacher, please teach me about the "theoretical background of numerical methods"!


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Explains the theoretical foundation of numerical methods implemented by open-source CAE tools.



Variational Principle of the Finite Element Method (FEM)

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Please teach me about the "Finite Element Method"!


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The principle of minimum potential energy, fundamental to structural analysis:



$$ \Pi(\mathbf{u}) = \frac{1}{2} \int_{\Omega} \boldsymbol{\sigma} : \boldsymbol{\varepsilon} \, d\Omega - \int_{\Omega} \mathbf{f} \cdot \mathbf{u} \, d\Omega - \int_{\Gamma_t} \mathbf{t} \cdot \mathbf{u} \, d\Gamma $$


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The displacement field $\mathbf{u}$ that makes $\Pi$ stationary is the equilibrium solution. CalculiX and Code_Aster implement the Galerkin method based on this variational principle.




Conservation Law of the Finite Volume Method (FVM)

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Please teach me about the "Finite Volume Method"!


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The FVM adopted by OpenFOAM is based on the integral conservation law for a control volume:



$$ \frac{\partial}{\partial t} \int_{V} \rho \phi \, dV + \oint_{S} \rho \phi \mathbf{u} \cdot d\mathbf{S} = \oint_{S} \Gamma \nabla \phi \cdot d\mathbf{S} + \int_{V} S_\phi \, dV $$


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Discrete equations are obtained by applying this integral form to each control volume and numerically evaluating the fluxes on the faces.



License and Quality Assurance

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Please teach me about "License and Quality Assurance"!


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Open-source CAE allows third-party verification of algorithms because the source code is publicly available. On the other hand, since there is no vendor support like with commercial tools, information sharing within user communities and forums is important.



Application Conditions and Precautions

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I've heard of "application conditions and precautions," but I might not fully understand it...


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  • OSS tool results must always be verified with known benchmark problems.
  • Be aware of version incompatibilities (especially differences between OpenFOAM forks).
  • It is recommended to confirm OSS accuracy by comparing results with commercial tools.
  • When documentation is lacking, direct reference to the source code may be necessary.

🧑‍🎓

So, if you cut corners on verifying the tool's results, you'll pay for it later. I'll keep that in mind!


Dimensionless Parameters and Dominant Scales

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Teacher, please teach me about "Dimensionless Parameters and Dominant Scales"!


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Understanding the dimensionless parameters governing the physical phenomenon being analyzed is the foundation for appropriate model selection and parameter setting.


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  • Peclet Number Pe: Relative importance of convection and diffusion. For Pe >> 1, convection dominates (stabilization techniques are required).
  • Reynolds Number Re: Ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces. A fundamental parameter for fluid problems.
  • Biot Number Bi: Ratio of internal conduction to surface convection. For Bi < 0.1, the lumped capacitance method is applicable.
  • Courant Number CFL: Indicator of numerical stability. For explicit methods, CFL ≤ 1 is required.

🧑‍🎓

Ah, I see! So that's how it works. Understanding the physical phenomenon being analyzed is the mechanism.



Verification by Dimensional Analysis

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Please teach me about "Verification by Dimensional Analysis"!


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Dimensional analysis based on Buckingham's Π theorem is effective for order-of-magnitude estimation of analysis results. Using characteristic length $L$, characteristic velocity $U$, and characteristic time $T = L/U$, the order of each physical quantity is estimated beforehand to confirm the validity of the analysis results.


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I see. So if you can understand the physical phenomenon being analyzed, you're basically okay to start?


Classification of Boundary Conditions and Mathematical Characteristics

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I've heard that if you get the boundary conditions wrong, everything falls apart...


TypeMathematical ExpressionPhysical MeaningExample
Dirichlet Condition$u = u_0$ on $\Gamma_D$Specification of variable valueFixed wall, specified temperature
Neumann Condition$\partial u/\partial n = g$ on $\Gamma_N$Specification of gradient (flux)Heat flux, force
Robin Condition$\alpha u + \beta \partial u/\partial n = h$Linear combination of variable and gradientConvective heat transfer
Periodic Boundary Condition$u(x) = u(x+L)$Spatial periodicityUnit cell analysis
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Choosing appropriate boundary conditions is directly linked to the uniqueness and physical validity of the solution. Insufficient boundary conditions lead to an ill-posed problem, while excessive boundary conditions cause contradictions.




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Yeah, you're doing great! Actually getting hands-on is the best way to learn. If you don't understand something, feel free to ask anytime.


Coffee Break Yomoyama Talk

The Flamelet Concept Changed Combustion CFD—The Legacy of Professor Peters

The "Flamelet" concept, central to turbulent combustion theory, was proposed by Norbert Peters in 1984. From the observation that combustion reactions concentrate in thin flame fronts, the idea emerged to separate chemical reactions from the flow field and tabulate them. This became the theoretical foundation for FGM (Flamelet Generated Manifold) and FPV (Flame Prolongation of ILDM). OpenFOAM's flameletFoam is an implementation that follows this lineage, and Professor Peters was also highly respected within the OpenFOAM community. When he passed away in 2015, numerous tribute messages were posted on the CFD-Online forum, an event that once again demonstrated the connection between the communities of theorists and implementers.

Physical Meaning of Each Term
  • Time derivative of conserved quantity: Represents the rate of change over time of the physical quantity in question. Becomes zero for steady-state problems. 【Image】When filling a bathtub with hot water, the water level rises over time—this "rate of change per time" is the time derivative. The state where the valve is closed and the water level is constant is "steady," and the time derivative is zero.
  • Flux term (flow term): Describes the spatial transport/diffusion of a physical quantity. Broadly classified into convection and diffusion. 【Image】Convection is like "a river's current carrying a boat," where something is carried along by the flow. Diffusion is like "ink naturally spreading in still water," where something moves due to concentration differences. The competition between these two transport mechanisms governs many physical phenomena.
  • Source term (generation/destruction term): Represents the local generation or destruction of a physical quantity due to external forces/reactions. 【Image】When a heater is turned on in a room, thermal energy is "generated" at that location. When fuel is consumed in a chemical reaction, mass is "destroyed." A term representing physical quantities injected into the system from the outside.
Assumptions and Applicability Limits
  • The continuum assumption holds for the spatial scale.
  • The constitutive laws of materials/fluids (stress-strain relationship, Newtonian fluid law, etc.) are within the applicable range.
  • Boundary conditions are physically reasonable and mathematically well-defined.
Dimensional Analysis and Unit Systems
VariableSI UnitNotes / Conversion Memo
Characteristic length $L$mMust match the unit system of the CAD model.
Characteristic time $t$sFor transient analysis, time step should consider CFL condition and physical time constants.

Numerical Methods and Implementation

Details of Numerical Methods

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Specifically, what kind of algorithm solves OpenFOAM combustion analysis?


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Explains the key points of numerical methods and implementation for OpenFOAM combustion analysis.


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Ah, I see! So that's the mechanism behind the numerical methods for combustion analysis.


Compilation and Build

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I've heard of "compilation and build," but I might not fully understand it...


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Building from source code uses CMake or dedicated build systems (like OpenFOAM's wmake). Proper version management of dependency libraries (MPI, PETSc, BLAS/LAPACK, etc.) is important. Linux environments are recommended, but using WSL2 or Docker containers makes it possible to set up on Windows as well.


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So, if you cut corners on building from source, you'll pay for it later. I'll keep that in mind!


Input File Structure

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Are there any points to note when transferring data between different software?


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Understanding the case file structure and major parameter settings is the first step in implementation. Dictionary file (dict) and command file formats are specific to each software, and editing from official tutorial templates is efficient.



Script Automation

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