Presentation by Johannes Probst, SimScale on their in-browser cloud front-end for openFoam. The presentation was part of the openFoam Hangout on Air meeting #2 - recording available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiGWPNQYcJg&feature=share

1. SimScale – Browser-based CAE.
An online simulation platform in the cloud - including OpenFOAM.
SimScale GmbH
Lichtenbergstraße 8
85748 Garching bei München
+49 (0) 160 97383156 1
www.simscale.de

2. Outline
1) Who are we?
2) The concept behind SimScale
3) Feature overview
a) Pre-processing
b) OpenFOAM solvers
c) Visualization and Post-processing
4) Enabling users
5) Cloud and collaboration
© SimScale GmbH, 2014 – www.simscale.de
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3. 1. Who are we?
The team behind SimScale.
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Founded in 2011 as a CAE consultancy
Started by young TU Munich alumni:
Mechanical engineering,
Computer science,
Mathematics
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Platform development started in 2012
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Platform launch: August 2013
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Based in Garching (near TUM campus)
© SimScale GmbH, 2014 – www.simscale.de
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4. The idea
A browser-based platform for an easier access to CAE.
CAD Upload
Simulation
© SimScale GmbH, 2014 – www.simscale.de
Design decision
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5. 2. The Concept
A distributed software system with scalable infrastructure.
Users
Frontend
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Internet access
& modern
browser
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Completely
web-based
„Desktop look-andfeel“
JavaScript, WebGL,
HTML
CAE Backend
Web Server
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Data management,
storage & backup
Load balancing
and cloud
management
© SimScale GmbH, 2014 – www.simscale.de
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On-demand
cloud computing
resources
Infrastructure as a
service (IaaS)
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6. 3.1 Pre-processing
Geometry handling and meshing.
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Geometry workflow
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Format support (STEP, IGES, BREP, STL)
In-browser 3D visualization
Meshing
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3D Tetrahedral workflow
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Fully automated
Optional prismatic boundary layers
snappyHexMesh
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Support for all types of refinements
Automated for internal and external flow
Quality control
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mesh clip
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checkMesh
© SimScale GmbH, 2014 – www.simscale.de
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7. 3.2 CFD
Using OpenFOAM in the backend.
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OpenFOAM and SU2 are supported so far
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OpenFOAM is used as default for most applications
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Currently integrated functionality
Incompressible
icoFoam, pisoFoam, simpleFoam
Turbulence
laminar, k-epsilon, k-omega, k-omega-SST
Multiphase
interFoam, interDyMFoam
Compressible
rhoPimpleFoam, rhoSimpleFoam, rhoCentralFoam
Conjugate heat transfer
chtMultiRegionSimpleFoam
Buoyancy
buoyantPimpleFoam, buoyantSimpleFoam
+ Most other OpenFOAM solvers are accessible via case upload
© SimScale GmbH, 2014 – www.simscale.de
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8. 3.2 CFD
Why OpenFOAM?
OpenFOAM is a very mature framework for fluid mechanics
✔ Brings solvers for many technical problems
✔ Very large user community
✔ Widely used across various industries
✔ Well validated for many use cases
✔ Stringent and modular architecture
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Consistent input file format (dictionaries)
→ OpenFOAM is a sustainable choice for the CFD backend
© SimScale GmbH, 2014 – www.simscale.de
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9. 3.3 Visualization & Post-processing
Different technologies for client side and remote rendering.
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Pre-processing:
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Client-side visualization for
fast and intuitive
interaction
Remote Post-processing
Rendering via WebGL
Compute nodes
Client
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Post-processing:
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SSL
based on ParaViewWeb
datasets are loaded remotely
Displaying,
interaction
Data processing,
Rendering
Rendering via WebGL or
image streaming
(JPEG/PNG)
© SimScale GmbH, 2014 – www.simscale.de
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10. 4. Enabling users
How can the access to OpenFOAM be simplified?
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The learning curve for OpenFOAM is somewhat steep
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OpenFOAM provides features which are very powerful but hard to use
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Multi regions (conjugate heat transfer)
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AMI
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snappyHexMesh (≳ 70 settings for a simple mesh)
What can be done?
→ GUI & 3D interaction (e.g. for boundary condition creation)
→ Best-practice settings where applicable
→ Automated features
→ Library projects as template
© SimScale GmbH, 2014 – www.simscale.de
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11. 5. Collaboration
New perspectives by using cloud computing.
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Central data management in the cloud
→ Data is accessible
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from anywhere
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at any time
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by different users
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Project sharing & public links
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Project library
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Advanced features for collaboration
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Interactive, real-time work
on the same project
Interactive post-processing
© SimScale GmbH, 2014 – www.simscale.de
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12. 6. Backend
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) ensures scalability.
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SimScale owns almost no
computing resources
Computing jobs (meshing / solving)
are prepared on the server and
sent to the cloud provider.
The user can specify the hardware
on which the computation will be
carried out
Completely scalable, however slower
due to multi tenancy and
virtualization
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EC2
Specs
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Standard Instances up to 16 cores
Arbitrary connection possible
GPU acceleration possible
10 Gigabit Ethernet, No Infiniband
Virtualization & Multi Tenancy
effects → Speed down
© SimScale GmbH, 2014 – www.simscale.de
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13. Thank you.
© SimAcc Engineering, 2012 – www.simucloud.de
©SimScale, 2014 – www.simscale.de
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