Development and open source application progress of NNW-PHengLEI

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software constitutes a vital part of industrial software, and can be categorized into types such as commercial, in-house code, open-source software, each serving distinct requirements, application scenarios, and functional characteristics. As one of the foundational computational platforms of China’s National Numerical Wind-tunnel (NNW) project, PHengLEI was open-sourced nationwide in 2020, with the goal of building independent CFD infrastructure and a supporting ecosystem. This paper provides a systematic review of its latest R&D progress, technical features, and representative application cases. It first discusses the significance of open source for developing indigenous fluid dynamics industrial software and surveys the current landscape of well-known open-source CFD software both domestically and internationally. The development history and latest technical advances of PHengLEI are then outlined, with focus on its highly extensible framework design, efficient large-scale parallel computing capabilities, and recent progress in mesh generation, flow solving, and wind-energy applications for civilian needs. Furthermore, the application status since its open-source release is briefly summarized, illustrated through three representative cases that showcase its practical implementation patterns. Finally, existing technical shortcomings and directions for improvement are analyzed. In light of emerging open-source practice paradigms in the industrial software field, we advocate for collaborative innovation through open-source communities to enhance the technical system and engineering capabilities, thereby fostering the sustainable development of China’s independent fluid dynamics industrial software ecosystem.