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• date: 18 January 2026
• posted by: voska89

From Flow Simulation to Automated Shape and Topology Design
What you'll learn
✓ Understand CFD-based design optimization and the concepts of sensitivity, shape, and topology optimization using simple flow examples.
✓ Set up adjoint-based sensitivity analysis in OpenFOAM v2412 without prior knowledge of adjoint theory.
✓ Perform shape optimization for 2D flow past a square using control points and geometric constraints.
✓ Configure porosity-based topology optimization for 3D internal flows with one inlet and two outlets.
✓ Apply correct source-term coupling to link porosity fields with momentum equations.
✓ Create and manage cell sets and zones to control where optimization is allowed.
✓ Analyze optimization convergence using objective histories, sensitivities, and porosity evolution.
✓ Visualize optimized shapes and topologies using ParaView thresholding and iso-surfaces.
✓ Identify and fix common setup and convergence issues in CFD optimization workflows.
✓ Modify provided demonstration cases to explore different objectives and constraints.
Requirements
● Basic understanding of fluid mechanics and incompressible flow concepts
● Introductory knowledge of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
● Familiarity with finite volume discretization (recommended, not mandatory)
● Prior experience running simple OpenFOAM tutorials
● Ability to navigate Linux terminal and edit text-based case files
● OpenFOAM v2412 installed and correctly configured
● Basic familiarity with ParaView for post-processing (recommended)
Description
This course is a hands-on introduction to CFD-based design optimization using OpenFOAM, created to help learners move beyond flow visualization and into systematic, simulation-driven design improvement. The focus is on understanding how optimization problems are set up in CFD and why each configuration choice matters, rather than on solving large-scale industrial problems.
The course is intentionally built for learners who do not need prior knowledge of adjoint methods. All optimization concepts are introduced from a design and engineering perspective first, making it clear what is being optimized and how CFD can guide better designs. Mathematical complexity is kept to a minimum, while practical implementation details are emphasized throughout.
All example cases used in this course are simple and intentionally low-dimensional, developed solely for demonstrating the optimization workflow and solver setup. This ensures that learners can focus on understanding the methodology rather than dealing with complex geometries or large computational costs.
For sensitivity analysis and shape optimization, a 2D flow past a square cylinder is used as the primary example. This canonical problem allows clear visualization of sensitivities, objective-function behavior, and boundary deformation while keeping the physics and mesh handling straightforward.
For topology optimization, a 3D internal flow problem with one inlet and two outlets is considered. In this case, the flow domain is optimized using a porosity-based approach, allowing material to be added or removed within the domain to guide the flow efficiently toward the outlets. The geometry and flow conditions are deliberately simplified so that the evolution of topology and porosity can be easily interpreted and visualized.
The course uses OpenFOAM v2412, and all demonstrations, case files, and dictionaries are fully compatible with this version. You will work directly with OpenFOAM solvers, optimization dictionaries, and post-processing tools, learning how to configure sensitivity analysis, shape optimization, and topology optimization in a consistent and reproducible way.
Special attention is given to common implementation pitfalls, such as missing source-term coupling in porosity-based optimization, improper constraint definitions, and unstable optimization behavior. Rather than hiding these issues, the course explains why they occur and how to fix them, helping you build confidence in diagnosing real optimization problems.
To support hands-on learning, the course includes video lectures along with additional PDF notes, fully working OpenFOAM case files, and configuration templates. These resources are designed so that you can run the cases yourself, modify parameters, and extend the examples to your own CFD problems.
By the end of this course, you will have a clear understanding of how CFD-based optimization works in practice, how to set up and run optimization cases in OpenFOAM, and how to interpret optimization results from a physical and numerical perspective. This course equips you with the tools needed to use CFD not just for analysis, but as a powerful design and decision-making framework.
Who this course is for
■ Graduate and senior undergraduate students in mechanical, aerospace, civil, or chemical engineering
■ CFD users who regularly run OpenFOAM simulations and want to go beyond analysis into design optimization
■ Researchers interested in sensitivity analysis, shape optimization, or topology optimization for fluid flows
■ Industry engineers looking to explore optimization-driven design using open-source tools
■ Learners who prefer hands-on, case-based explanations rather than heavy mathematical derivations
Homepage

https://www.udemy.com/course/optimization-openfoam/

   
   
   

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