openeave

Openeave, sometimes written as OpenEAVE, is an open-source software framework intended to support multidisciplinary design optimization and collaborative engineering in aerospace and related fields. The project provides a modular plug-in architecture that enables researchers to connect diverse analysis tools—such as aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, and mission analysis—into a single end-to-end workflow. Openeave emphasizes transparency, reproducibility, and extensibility, allowing users to formulate optimization problems, run simulations, and share results within a community.

History and scope: Openeave emerged in the early 2000s as a collaborative effort among universities and research laboratories to enable open, reproducible design studies. Development has been community-driven, with contributions hosted on public repositories and coordinated through academic and industry partnerships. The framework is intended to be device- and domain-agnostic, supporting a range of aerospace concepts from aircraft configurations to propulsion-integrated systems.

Features: Core capabilities include a modular workflow engine, data exchange interfaces, and scripting support (commonly Python) for defining optimization problems. It facilitates coupling of external solvers and analysis tools, enabling end-to-end design studies. The framework aims to adhere to open standards to ease collaboration, validation, and knowledge transfer across institutions.

Applications: Openeave is used in academia for teaching and research in multidisciplinary design optimization, as well as in early-stage industry R&D to explore configurations, trade studies, and system integration scenarios. It serves as a platform for experimentation with new modeling approaches and collaborative workflows.

Limitations: As a community-driven project, documentation quality and project activity can vary over time, and users may need to contribute for sustained maintenance and support.

See also: OpenMDAO, Dymos, SU2.