An open-source finite volume toolbox for solid mechanics and fluid-solid interaction simulations

Over the past 30 years, the cell-centred finite volume method has developed to become a viable alternative to the finite element method in the field of computational solid mechanics. The current article presents an open-source toolbox for solid mechanics and fluid-solid interaction simulations based on the finite volume library OpenFOAM. The object-oriented toolbox design is outlined, where emphasis has been given to code use, comprehension, maintenance and extension. The toolbox capabilities are demonstrated on a number of representative test problems, where comparisons are given with finite element solutions.Bekaert through the University Technology Centre (UTC)Irish Centre for Composites Research (IComp)Contacted author for further information, article has not been published and author agrees to put this through as a working paper. Item type changed from journal article to working paper - A