OpenFOAM vs Elmer

Struggling to choose between OpenFOAM and Elmer? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

OpenFOAM is a Science & Engineering solution with tags like cfd, fluid-flow, meshing, solvers, parallel-processing, visualization.

It boasts features such as Mesh generation and processing tools, Wide range of physical modeling capabilities including compressible/incompressible fluids, multiphase flows, chemical reactions, turbulence, heat transfer, electromagnetics, solid mechanics, Parallel processing support, Pre- and post-processing utilities for visualization and data analysis and pros including Free and open source, Large user community, Modular code structure allows customization, Good parallel scaling, Wide range of applications.

On the other hand, Elmer is a Science & Engineering product tagged with multiphysics, fluid-dynamics, thermal-modeling, mechanical-modeling.

Its standout features include Finite element analysis, Multiphysics modeling, Thermal and mechanical modeling, Fluid dynamics simulation, Mesh generation, Parallel computing support, and it shines with pros like Open source and free, Active development community, Extensible and customizable, Good documentation, Wide range of simulation capabilities.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

OpenFOAM

OpenFOAM

OpenFOAM is an open source computational fluid dynamics software package used to simulate fluid flow problems. It includes tools for meshing, solvers, parallel processing, visualization, etc.

Categories:
cfd fluid-flow meshing solvers parallel-processing visualization

OpenFOAM Features

  1. Mesh generation and processing tools
  2. Wide range of physical modeling capabilities including compressible/incompressible fluids, multiphase flows, chemical reactions, turbulence, heat transfer, electromagnetics, solid mechanics
  3. Parallel processing support
  4. Pre- and post-processing utilities for visualization and data analysis

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Large user community

Modular code structure allows customization

Good parallel scaling

Wide range of applications

Cons

Steep learning curve

Limited user-friendly interfaces

Lacks some features found in commercial CFD packages

Documentation can be lacking


Elmer

Elmer

Elmer is an open-source multiphysical simulation software mainly used for numerical simulation of industrial fluid dynamics problems. It has thermal and mechanical modeling capabilities.

Categories:
multiphysics fluid-dynamics thermal-modeling mechanical-modeling

Elmer Features

  1. Finite element analysis
  2. Multiphysics modeling
  3. Thermal and mechanical modeling
  4. Fluid dynamics simulation
  5. Mesh generation
  6. Parallel computing support

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Open source and free

Active development community

Extensible and customizable

Good documentation

Wide range of simulation capabilities

Cons

Steep learning curve

Limited user interface

Lacks some advanced features of commercial software