SU2

SU2 is a free, open-source software package for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and multi-physics simulations. It is designed to enable aerodynamic analysis and optimization workflows and is maintained by a worldwide community of researchers. The codebase is written in C++ with interfaces to Python and MATLAB, and runs on major operating systems. The project emphasizes modularity, extensibility, and reproducible workflows.

SU2 solves the Navier-Stokes equations on unstructured meshes using finite-volume methods, supporting both compressible and incompressible flows, as well as inviscid, viscous, steady, and unsteady simulations. It includes turbulence modeling options, heat transfer, and multi-physics coupling capabilities, enabling problems ranging from external aerodynamics to internal flows.

One of SU2's core strengths is adjoint-based optimization and design optimization tooling. The software provides gradient computations for objective and constraint functions, facilitating aerodynamic shape optimization, airfoil design, and multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO). It also supports mesh refinement and adaptation to improve accuracy in critical regions.

SU2 is parallelized with MPI for high-performance computing and offers scripting via Python and integration with external meshing tools. Users configure simulations through text configuration files, and workflows can be automated with scripts. The project is hosted as an open-source repository with extensive documentation, tutorials, and example cases, and contributions are welcome from the research community.

Because of its open-source nature and active development, SU2 is widely used in universities and industry for education, research, and preliminary design studies. It is commonly cited in CFD literature as a versatile platform for learning, testing optimization strategies, and conducting multiphysics simulations.