[cheonghm]

I'm running design optimization problems in Python and require a CFD solver to compute objectives and their gradients. The problem involves an object (rigid body) going through both translational and rotational motions and a flow going over it.

It seems like OpenFOAM can simulate this type of problem using dynamic meshes...(http://www.wolfdynamics.com/training...s_2021_OF8.pdf)

Is there any open-source Python CFD library that has the same capability?

[FliegenderZirkus]

Python isn't normally used for writing CFD solvers because it would be much slower than when using, say, C++ or Fortran. But you could do the optimization bit in Python and only call OpenFOAM to execute the CFD solution, can't you?

[cheonghm]

Originally Posted by FliegenderZirkus

Python isn't normally used for writing CFD solvers because it would be much slower than when using, say, C++ or Fortran. But you could do the optimization bit in Python and only call OpenFOAM to execute the CFD solution, can't you?

Yes, but this would make the optimization slow because I can only treat the CFD solver as a black box... I want to use gradient-based optimization and possibly implement gradients (adjoints) myself.