Hi, I'm not sure if this post
 

Hi, I'm not sure if this post should be broken up into more specific topics, but I'll start here.

I'm new to OpenFOAM (and Linux), but I'm really excited about the possibilities of this particular bit of software, particularly as relates to my present research problems.

I need to create some model for a surface-tension driven flow under MHD conditions. The surface tension flows are the result of thermal gradients along the surface of the liquid (e.g. Marangoni convection and other thermocapillary instabilities). My experimental apparatus will be looking at a tray with liquid metal in it with an applied heat flux on the surface to create these flows.

If any my questions are better answered on other threads, please feel free to point them out or a relevant search keyword.

1. Is there already a solver built in OpenFOAM that will solve incompressible flow with heat transport? Is there a resource already available to implement this?

2. Is there a method of setting a Neumann boundary condition for a specific velocity component in any of the solvers? (i.e. specify a shear at an interface as opposed to a velocity) Is there a resource on introducing such things?

2b. Is there a resource that generally discusses the various boundary conditions available in the solvers? For instance, if I applied a symmetry condition on the left wall of the "cavity" tutorial, what is "mirrored" on the other side/how are the vectors handled (i.e. no shear tangential to symmetry and no flux across symmetry plane?)

3. I'm sure I'll have more questions, but this is probably a start. I love the project so far and I can't wait to really apply it.

Regards,
Mike

Hi Michael, I am also tryin
 

Hi Michael,

I am also trying to do some marangoni boundary condition.

Are you still on it? Perhaps we can excange a little?

Regarding your questions:

1.) Hrvoje Jasak recently posted an incompressible solver, boussinesq approximation, with heat transfer:
http://www.cfd-online.com/OpenFOAM_D...ges/1/815.html

2.) I am trying to derive a new marangoni boundary condition from the fixedGradientFvPatchField B.C.
(see OpenFOAM/src/finiteVolume/fvPatchFields/basicFvPatchFields)

However, currently I even do not yet know how exactly to get the temperature gradient on my surface. Currently testing ...

Please let me know if you are still interested.

regards,

Thomas

Thomas, I would be interest
 

Thomas,

I would be interested in exchanging on this. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to really delve into the OpenFOAM aspects of my project as much as I would like. This was going to be something I dedicated more time to this summer.

However, what little I've worked with OpenFOAM's icoFoam solver, it strikes me that a non-uniform temperature field could be applied to the surface with the gradient on it. That might be one way to apply the temperature gradient. Because I didn't see an already-built-in way to define velocity gradients normal to a surface, I thought that was going to be the more challenging aspect for the solver.

Like I said, I should be able to apply more time to OpenFOAM this summer (maybe mid June or possibly in July). It's great to know someone else might be working on the same problem though.

-Mike