shockFluidX: A novel OpenFOAM-based modular solver for high-speed flows

High-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations play a vital role in advancing hypersonic technologies for aerospace applications. Despite the availability of open-source CFD frameworks like OpenFOAM, existing density-based solvers face significant limitations in meeting the demanding requirements of modern hypersonic vehicle design. This study presents shockFluidX, a novel modular compressible flow solver based on OpenFOAM v12. Building upon the existing shockFluid framework, the solver introduces several key innovations: (1) integration of the PIMPLE algorithm within the latest modular framework, achieving stability comparable to Runge–Kutta temporal schemes while maintaining computational efficiency; (2) development of a flexible fluxScheme base class with Run-Time Selection mechanism for dynamic convective flux computation; (3) implementation of multiple high-resolution total variation diminishing flux limiter schemes (including sgva, sgvl, sgprk, and SSFL) along with the ROUND family schemes; and (4) generalization of the three-dimensional Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) capabilities in OpenFOAM to support multi-dimensional AMR (1D, 2D, 2.5D, and 3D) with dynamic load balancing. Comprehensive verification and validation studies through systematic comparisons with rhoCentralFoam and blastFoam demonstrate that shockFluidX significantly enhances computational efficiency while maintaining solution accuracy, particularly in handling complex high-speed flow problems. This solver represents a significant advancement toward realizing the high-fidelity simulation capabilities outlined in the CFD Vision 2030 Study, providing a powerful numerical simulation tool for aerospace engineering applications.