openfoam-sim

name	openfoam-sim
description	Use when the user asks Codex, Claude Code, or another AI coding agent to run, inspect, or debug OpenFOAM cases through sim-cli. Supports case checks, solver execution, log inspection, result artifacts, replayable CFD workflows, and benchmark tasks.

openfoam-sim

You are driving OpenFOAM through sim-cli. This file is the index. Detail lives in references/ — load progressively, only what the task needs.

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How to load this skill

Don't read every reference up front — context is precious. Walk this list:

1. Always read references/case-setup.md before authoring any case.
2. Pick a solver via references/solver-selection.md.
3. Look up the fields & dictionaries you'll need in references/field-and-dictionary-matrix.md.
4. For boundary conditions: references/boundary-conditions.md.
5. If the case has turbulence: references/turbulence-setup.md.
6. If the case is multiphase / VOF: references/multiphase-vof.md.
7. If the case has heat or buoyancy: references/heat-transfer.md (and references/conjugate-heat-transfer.md for solid+fluid).
8. For mesh generation: references/mesh-and-blockmesh.md.
9. For schemes / solvers / relaxation: references/numerics-and-schemes.md.
10. For runtime monitors / probes / forces: references/function-objects.md.
11. For parallel execution and decomposition: references/parallel-execution.md.
12. For runtime log diagnosis: references/log-parsing-and-residuals.md.
13. For post-processing (sample lines, point queries, integrals): references/post-processing.md.
14. For complete case skeletons by scenario: references/case-recipes.md.
15. When something fails: references/error-recovery.md — decision tree + fix sequences.

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sim-cli integration (one-shot mode)

Most benchmark/single-shot use is one-shot:

# 1. Write your driver script. Conventionally `solve.py`.
#    The script invokes blockMesh / solver / postProcess via subprocess,
#    parses the result, and writes the answer to disk.

# 2. Run via sim-cli:
uv run sim run solve.py --solver openfoam

# sim wraps the script in a RunResult (exit_code, stdout, stderr, duration,
# errors) and stores it under `.sim/runs/`. Browse with:
uv run sim logs                     # list runs
uv run sim logs last                # full last RunResult
uv run sim logs last --field exit_code

Persistent-session mode (uv run sim serve + uv run sim connect/exec/inspect/disconnect) is supported when sim-server is reachable, but is not required for typical case authoring.

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Work sequence (the protocol)

Before writing any OpenFOAM file, classify the case:

• Time: steady or transient?
• Compressibility: incompressible or compressible?
• Phases: single-phase, two-phase (VOF), or multi-region?
• Turbulence: laminar, RANS (k-ε / k-ω SST / SpalartAllmaras), or LES/DNS?
• Heat/buoyancy: isothermal, forced convection, or buoyancy-driven?

This classification fixes the solver family (see solver-selection.md), the required field set (see field-and-dictionary-matrix.md), and the turbulence boundary recipe (see turbulence-setup.md).

Then, in this order:

1. Mesh (blockMesh or snappyHexMesh); validate with checkMesh.
2. Fields in 0/: one per required field; consistent patch names with the mesh.
3. Properties in constant/: transport, turbulence, thermophysical (when relevant).
4. Numerics in system/: controlDict, fvSchemes, fvSolution. Start conservative (upwind, low CFL, tight relaxation) and upgrade after the case is stable.
5. Run the chosen solver; tail the log; check the convergence signals (references/log-parsing-and-residuals.md).
6. Post-process to extract the requested KPI.

Validate at every layer — don't push to "run solver" before checkMesh is clean and the field files reference patches that exist in the mesh.

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Hard guardrails

These are mistakes LLMs make often. Don't.

• Don't invent dictionary keys, patch types, or solver names. Every key in controlDict / fvSchemes / fvSolution / transportProperties / field files comes from a closed vocabulary. If you're not sure the key exists, look it up rather than guess.
• Don't mix turbulence-model fields. k-ε needs k + epsilon + nut; k-ω SST needs k + omega + nut; Spalart-Allmaras needs nuTilda + nut. Mixing fields across models causes solver to abort at startup.
• Don't use p when the solver expects p_rgh. Buoyant solvers (buoyantBoussinesqSimpleFoam, buoyantSimpleFoam, chtMultiRegionFoam) and VOF (interFoam) want p_rgh. Pure incompressible (icoFoam, simpleFoam, pimpleFoam) want p.
• Don't use linear (central differencing) for alpha.water convection in VOF. It's unbounded; alpha will blow past [0,1]. Use vanLeer or MUSCL via the interfaceCompression family.
• Don't set relaxation factors to 1.0 in steady-state SIMPLE without consistent yes (SIMPLEC). It's a recipe for divergence on most cases.
• Don't keep aggressive second-order convection schemes on a fragile case. Stabilize with upwind first, upgrade to linearUpwind once residuals are well-behaved.
• Don't treat checkMesh warnings as optional if the log is already diverging. Most divergence on a fresh case is a mesh-quality issue.
• Don't assume 0/ exists. Many tutorials ship 0.orig/ and rely on Allrun to copy it; if you skip Allrun, do it yourself: cp -r 0.orig 0.
• Don't run on more MPI ranks than numberOfSubdomains in decomposeParDict. They must match, or will hang or crash.

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Output expected

When you finish, produce a short summary that states:

• Solver and physics family chosen
• Required fields and dictionaries authored
• Turbulence model + wall treatment (if any) + estimated inlet turbulence
• Numerical schemes used and any relaxation choices
• Convergence signal observed (End reached? final residuals? continuity errors?)
• The requested KPI value, with units
• Any stability concerns or follow-up recommendations

For benchmark/grader contexts, this summary is implicit in the produced /tmp/agent/result.json — you still benefit from doing the mental checklist before submitting.

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Reference index

File	When to read
references/case-setup.md	Always, first
references/solver-selection.md	Picking a solver / pressure convention
references/field-and-dictionary-matrix.md	"What files do I need?" lookup
references/boundary-conditions.md	Concrete BC syntax per type
references/turbulence-setup.md	Any turbulent case
references/mesh-and-blockmesh.md	Mesh generation, blockMesh, checkMesh
references/numerics-and-schemes.md	fvSchemes, fvSolution, relaxation, algorithm controls
references/multiphase-vof.md	Two-phase / VOF cases
references/heat-transfer.md	Buoyant or compressible-thermal
references/conjugate-heat-transfer.md	Multi-region fluid + solid
references/parallel-execution.md	decomposePar, MPI, reconstructPar
references/log-parsing-and-residuals.md	Diagnosing solver progress + convergence
references/post-processing.md	postProcess, sample, point queries
references/function-objects.md	Runtime monitors (probes, forces, yPlus)
references/case-recipes.md	Complete skeletons by scenario
references/error-recovery.md	Failure decision tree + fix sequences
references/failure_patterns.md	Catalog of historical failures (legacy)