Food4Rhino

CHAM presents RhinoCFD, a general-purpose Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software plugin, built directly into the Rhino environment and powered by CHAM's PHOENICS. It allows users to investigate the interaction of their model with the surrounding fluid, thus enabling rapid optimisation and testing without leaving the familiarity of the Rhino environment. Contact rhinocfd@cham.co.uk for sales and more information.

• Get a 1-month Trial Licence
• Get a 2-month Academic Trial

Latest Release - Version 3.1.1

Compatibility Update: RhinoCFD v3.1.1 is currently only supported on Rhino 8. We are also working on bringing the latest updates to Rhino 7. For now, users of Rhino 7 should continue using RhinoCFD v2.1.5.

The new version is now available and fully compatible with Rhino 8. Here's a snapshot of the most exciting upgrades:

• Rhino 8 Integration: Improved UI responsiveness and faster grid reactions to geometry changes.
• New Monitor Plot Window: Real-time tracking of residuals, corrections, and spot values in a decoupled, responsive window.
• Expanded Physics: Implementation of the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model and Pasquill stability criteria for wind characterisation.
• Advanced Modelling: New options for the Ergun equation (porous pressure drop) and thermal capacity effects in blockage regions.
• Enhanced Post-Processing: Mathematical expressions can now be used directly in scalar fields (e.g., "U1+V1"), and min/max locations are visualised as spheres.

FLAIR, our built environment module, includes:

• An aerosol deposition model is available.
• Wind conditions can be specified via Weibull coefficients.
• The Dutch and Belgian Fire standards are selectable.
• A comfort index is available: Universal Thermal Climate Index.

Have a look at the full list (and what it all means) here!

For older versions, please contact rhinocfd@cham.co.uk.

Applications

CFD can be used in any area where fluids may have an impact on a design. Therefore, its applications are numerous and are already used in a wide variety of industries, including:

• Architecture and Building Services: External and Internal Ventilation, HVAC, Contaminant Dispersion.
• Jewellery: Investment casting optimisation.
• Aerospace: Aerodynamics, turbomachinery, heat management.
• Medical: Arterial flow, respiratory flow, effects of non-Newtonian fluids.
• Transportation: Drag reduction, combustion processes, emissions testing.

Advantages

With RhinoCFD, Computational Fluid Dynamics is now available for Rhino3D users without having to leave the Rhino environment. It also makes complex subject matter accessible to many new users, reducing the learning curve necessary to perform the investigations.

RhinoCFD’s breadth of scope enables you to simulate complex phenomena, including multiple-phase and compressible flow, heat transfer within solids and between solids and fluids, radiation modelling, and non-Newtonian flows.

Key Features

• Serial and parallel processing options.
• Cartesian and Cylindrical Polar coordinate meshes.
• PARSOL cut-cell geometry detection simplifies the mesh generation process.
• PHOENICS structured sequential CFD solver (now benefiting from PHOENICS 2023/2025 enhancements, including VOF boiling/condensation)
• Numerous turbulence model options, including RANS, LES, and the newly added Spalart-Allmaras.
• Radiation modelling.
• Relational Data input without re-compiling.
• Post-processing is built into Rhino, including iso-surfaces, surface contours, streamlines, and custom math expressions.
• In-program and online help.

Special-purpose variant for the built environment: FLAIR

RhinoCFD can include a variant called FLAIR, which is specifically designed for architects and other engineers in the built environment. It includes:

• Pollutant hazards models for both internal and external flows.
• Comfort indices, draught ratings, dry and wet bulb calculations, humidity levels.
• Fire growth curves and smoke movement, density and visibility.
• Mean-age-of-Air and Air-Changes-per-Hour calculations.
• Various diffuser models.
• Vegetation drag and humidity models.

Special-purpose variant for the naval industry: Marine

RhinoCFD Marine enables users to quickly set up a free surface flow past their hull and extract information, such as velocities, pressures, and turbulence intensities, on it. Additionally, waves can also be specified as inflow conditions, allowing the user to see how these interact with their ship.

To this end, the menu is greatly simplified so only the relevant parameters are displayed, decreasing complexity and setup time.

RhinoCFD 1-month Trial

RhinoCFD Trial is a downloadable free trial version of RhinoCFD. It contains all of the physical models and capabilities of the full version of the software. This should allow you to get a flavour for how it works and ensure it's the right software for you before committing to buying a licence. Please register here.

Academic Licence​

We offer students and academics a free 2-month licence. To obtain this licence, you must register with us and provide proof of status. Please register here.

Tutorials

RhinoCFD tutorials are available on our website. We also offer a range of basic videos which are aimed at teaching the fundamentals of CFD.

Help

If you require help with RhinoCFD, we will be happy to assist. Visit us to have a quick chat!

To install, please see this tutorial.

For issues with the toolbar, please see this tutorial.

By downloading RhinoCFD, you agree to the terms and conditions of distributing and using CHAM's RhinoCFD Software. Terms and conditions can be downloaded below.