Introduction
In this post, the coupling of an OpenFOAM (v 4.0) simulation and Dakota (v6.4) optimization software will be discussed. The optimization goal is to find the angle-of-attack (AoA)
value that yields to the minimum drag coefficient of the airfoil. The case presented here is the RANS simulation of the flow around the NACA 5410 airfoil. This case is presented for tutorial purposes to establish the connection between the simulation I/O parameters (OpenFOAM) and the optimization I/O parameters (DAKOTA). In general, Dakota can be
coupled with any simulation model regardless of the physics. Sometimes,
the simulation model is referred to as the black box model, somewhat
emphasizing the fact that Dakota is a flexible tool that can be used in
various cases. We hope it will serve as an understanding point for OpenFOAM+DAKOTA coupling. For more information about Dakota, please check out our blog post.
