Truchas - a multi-physics tool for casting simulation

The Truchas code was developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory under the Advanced Simulation and Computing Program. This open source multi-physics simulation software is designed to run in a scalable parallel computing environment. The capabilities of the code and numerical implementation are briefly described. The advantages and limitations of large three dimensional simulations will be discussed, and two example simulations are shown that demonstrate the utility of the fluid flow, heat transfer, phase change and solid mechanics capabilities. Validation of a code such as Truchas is a difficult task because of the complexity of the coupling between different physical phenomena being modelled and the poor understanding of phenomena such as heat transfer across interfaces. The challenges associated with verification and validation of complex simulation tools and integration into the design process are also discussed.