Development of an application with a graphical user interface (GUI) to compute in parallel in the OpenFOAM environment

Abstract

Means of man-computer interaction have passed a complicated path of development. Nowadays they look like visually easily understandable interfaces with graphical elements on a monitor screen. Interfaces allow forming initial data (ID) for a program and visualizing results. A major part of software has in-built graphical environments to interact with a user. Some open source environments, e.g., the OpenFOAM used for numerical simulation of continuum mechanics (CM) problems, have no in-built graphical means and are designed to operate with a command line. Even though some developers of software environment have provided their decisions of the problem, the problem remains acute as the available decisions are not lacking in drawbacks. The paper focuses on the description of features of the creation of an original graphical environment to operate with OpenFOAM for CM problems computing in parallel. With this aim in mind a list of required tasks is made out and the needed tools are designated: programming language Python 3.5, framework of graphical elements PyQt5 and development environment PyCharm. Diagrams describing structure and behavior of the developed application are worked out. The results of development and testing of the application are shown through the example of one of standard training tasks of the OpenFOAM distributive. Statements that have scientific novelty of the development are formulated, the practical use of the development is defined. A balance of work is stricken and prospects of further study in the direction are identified.