Hands-on setup of moving meshes with guided examples
This beginner-level course provides a structured and practical introduction to mesh motion and dynamic mesh techniques in OpenFOAM. It is designed for learners who are new to moving and deforming meshes and want to understand how dynamic mesh simulations are set up, configured, and executed in OpenFOAM.
What you’ll learn
- Understand the theoretical foundations of mesh motion and dynamic mesh methods in OpenFOAM.
- Distinguish between rigid body motion, prescribed motion, and mesh deformation approaches.
- Set up and run dynamic mesh simulations using sixDoFMeshMotion, solidBodyMotion, and codedMotion.
- Configure and control mesh deformation and remeshing strategies for moving boundaries.
- Implement and troubleshoot overset (chimera) mesh simulations in OpenFOAM.
- Apply dynamic mesh techniques to practical problems involving rotating machinery and one-way fluid–structure interaction (FSI).
- Build complete OpenFOAM workflows for moving and deforming geometries using 2D test cases.
- Analyze solver stability, mesh quality, and numerical performance in dynamic mesh simulations.
- Modify motion laws and boundary behavior through dictionaries and coded motion functions.
- Confidently extend the learned methods to their own engineering or research problems involving moving meshes.
Course Content
- Introduction –> 1 lecture • 1min.
- Moving Rigid Bodies –> 1 lecture • 43min.
- Dynamic Mesh Refinement –> 1 lecture • 37min.
- Overset Meshes: Overlapped Meshes –> 2 lectures • 58min.
- Arbitrary Mesh Interface –> 3 lectures • 1hr.
- All kinds of mesh motion libraries in OpenFOAM –> 1 lecture • 1min.
Requirements
This beginner-level course provides a structured and practical introduction to mesh motion and dynamic mesh techniques in OpenFOAM. It is designed for learners who are new to moving and deforming meshes and want to understand how dynamic mesh simulations are set up, configured, and executed in OpenFOAM.
The course emphasizes learning through simple, well-chosen example problems. All demonstrations are based on 2D cases, allowing you to focus on the mechanics of mesh motion, solver configuration, and dictionary setup without being distracted by complex physics or large computational costs. Each example walks step by step through the required files, explaining why specific settings are used and how they affect the simulation.
You will learn how to work with commonly used motion models such as solidBodyMotion, sixDoFMeshMotion, and codedMotion, including how to prescribe translations, rotations, and combined motions. The course also introduces mesh deformation and remeshing strategies, explaining when and why they are needed, as well as the fundamentals of overset (chimera) mesh methods.
Rather than covering fully coupled fluid–structure interaction, the course focuses on one-way interaction and prescribed motion, making it ideal for beginners who want to build a strong foundation before moving to advanced topics. Attention is given to solver stability, mesh quality, and common setup mistakes, helping learners diagnose and avoid typical issues encountered in dynamic mesh simulations.
All example case files used in the lectures are provided, enabling you to run the simulations exactly as shown. In addition, supplementary PDF material is included, covering key theoretical concepts, motion model descriptions, and setup guidelines for future reference.
By the end of the course, learners will be comfortable setting up and running basic dynamic mesh simulations in OpenFOAM and will be well prepared to extend these workflows to more complex problems involving rotating machinery, moving boundaries, and deforming domains.