OpenFOAM CFD Projects

OpenFOAM Transient CFD

Transient Airflow
Around a Racing Motorcycle

This OpenFOAM case demonstrates a complete external aerodynamics workflow for a motorcycle-rider configuration. The transient run captures velocity distribution, wake behavior, surface pressure loading, and airflow animation for engineering review and client presentation.

OpenFOAM v13 ParaView Post-processing Transient airflow

OpenFOAM velocity magnitude slice around motorcycle

Step 01

Transient Solution Output

The case was advanced to 100 seconds and exported as a time-resolved dataset. The transient field sequence enables a fixed-camera animation of airflow passing around the motorcycle instead of a simple orbiting camera preview.

Step 02

Velocity Magnitude Slice

A side slice through the computational domain visualizes local acceleration, separation pockets, and wake recovery behind the rider and tail section. This is the main visual used for the airflow animation.

Step 03

Wake and Streamline Interpretation

Streamlines and wake images show how the flow is guided around the fairing, rider helmet, wheels, and tail. These views support communication of aerodynamic behavior to non-specialist clients.

Geometry Preparation

3D Geometry &
Surface Mesh Visualization

The model includes a motorcycle and rider body, imported as an OBJ surface and prepared for snappyHexMesh. The workflow presents both clean geometry renders and mesh-oriented views from the OpenFOAM simulation process.

Step 01

OBJ Geometry Import

The motorcycle/rider model was loaded as a triangulated OBJ surface. The geometry contains detailed bodywork, wheels, rider posture, and local surface features required for external aerodynamic meshing.

Step 02

Surface Mesh Inspection

The meshed surface is reviewed from side, front, and top viewpoints to verify that fairing, wheels, helmet, tail, and underside features are represented before volume meshing.

Step 03

Top and Front Mesh Review

Additional mesh views confirm coverage around the front stagnation region, top rider silhouette, and underbody features that influence wake development.

Aerodynamic Loading

Pressure Contours
on Motorcycle Surfaces

Surface pressure contours are used to identify stagnation zones, suction regions, and areas of aerodynamic loading on the rider, fairing, wheels, and tail.

Step 01

Pressure Field Extraction

Pressure values were extracted on the external motorcycle/rider surfaces to evaluate aerodynamic loading distribution and surface-level flow interaction.

Step 02

Force Coefficient Tracking

The transient solution produces force coefficient outputs such as drag and lift indicators. These values support aerodynamic comparison between design variants or riding configurations.

Engineering Interpretation

The pressure contour is presented as an engineering result for design review. In production work, this workflow can be extended to compare fairing shape, rider posture, windshield height, drag coefficient, and wake stability under multiple inlet velocities.

OpenFOAM Animation Output

Transient Airflow
Animation Review

The transient animation was generated from ParaView frame output to show airflow development around the motorcycle from a fixed camera viewpoint.

✓Fixed-camera transient airflow presentation
✓OpenFOAM field data visualized in ParaView
✓Playback with controls and a representative preview frame

Output 01

Airflow Video

Short transient video showing how the airflow field develops around the motorcycle geometry.

Output 02

Velocity Preview Frame

A representative velocity frame supports quick review before playing the transient animation.

Output 03

Result Image Set

Geometry, mesh, pressure, streamline, and velocity images explain the full aerodynamic result set.

Velocity & Wake Field

3D Surface & Mesh

Surface Pressure Contours

Transient Animation

Transient Airflow
Around a Racing Motorcycle

Transient Solution Output

Velocity Magnitude Slice

Wake and Streamline Interpretation

3D Geometry &
Surface Mesh Visualization

OBJ Geometry Import

Surface Mesh Inspection

Top and Front Mesh Review

Pressure Contours
on Motorcycle Surfaces

Pressure Field Extraction

Force Coefficient Tracking

Engineering Interpretation

Transient Airflow
Animation Review

Airflow Video

Velocity Preview Frame

Result Image Set

OpenFOAM CFD Projects

Velocity & Wake Field

3D Surface & Mesh

Surface Pressure Contours

Transient Animation

Transient Airflow Around a Racing Motorcycle

Transient Solution Output

Velocity Magnitude Slice

Wake and Streamline Interpretation

3D Geometry & Surface Mesh Visualization

OBJ Geometry Import

Surface Mesh Inspection

Top and Front Mesh Review

Pressure Contours on Motorcycle Surfaces

Pressure Field Extraction

Force Coefficient Tracking

Engineering Interpretation

Transient Airflow Animation Review

Airflow Video

Velocity Preview Frame

Result Image Set

Transient Airflow
Around a Racing Motorcycle

3D Geometry &
Surface Mesh Visualization

Pressure Contours
on Motorcycle Surfaces

Transient Airflow
Animation Review