Coolfluid 3 is a scientific software framework designed for the implementation of simulation techniques related to fluid dynamics, supporting multi-physics simulations. It was developed as an evolution from COOLFluiD 2, a code primarily developed at the Von Karman Institute for fluid dynamics (VKI). Coolfluid 3 is a major redesign, taking into account lessons learned from the previous developments, and the new code is being developed as a free software (under LGPL v3 license), with all developments happening in public on the github community site.
Project status
Development was kicked off in April 2010, with the design of a flexible component system that serves as the basis for the framework. In two years time, this system has been applied to create a flexible and powerful mesh structure, parallel processing capabilities and several research solvers. The system also features a Domain Specific Embedded Language (DSEL) for easy development of Finite Element codes. Furthermore, compatibility with existing software is ensured through numerous mesh readers and writers. The framework supports scripting through Python. Finally, a powerful GUI, based on a client/server system is available. Generation of the UI is automatic, so authors don't have to worry about GUI programming to take advantage of it.
Useful links
- Documentation Doxygen documentation, including installation guide and tutorials.
- Github page This is where all the development happens!
- The mailing list Discussion of CF3 development
- Dashboard Check the testing dashboard
- Gallery Showcase of some simulation results and screenshots