OpenFOAM for Fusion Energy: Capabilities, Applications, and Future Directions

This talk will explore the capabilities and emerging applications of OpenFOAM, an open-source CFD framework, for solving complex problems in nuclear fusion systems. OpenFOAM’s extensive libraries support finite-volume discretization and a range of solvers and functionalities tailored to multiphysics phenomena, including heat transfer, magnetohydrodynamics, and neutronics. We will highlight OpenFOAM’s coupling capabilities with Monte Carlo and other computational tools, emphasizing their role in fusion reactor design and analysis. Case studies will showcase OpenFOAM’s potential for modeling fusion blankets for both magnetic and inertial confinement concepts. Lastly, we will discuss ongoing developments, including GPU deployment and enhanced solver integration through the foam-for-nuclear initiative—a collaborative effort to standardize and expand community-driven contributions for both fission and fusion energy applications.