featool-multiphysics

USE FOR:

• "simulate heat transfer / fluid flow / structural analysis"
• "finite element analysis (FEA) setup and workflow"
• "CFD modeling with OpenFOAM or FEniCS"
• "multiphysics coupling (thermal + structural + fluid)"
• "engineering simulation for research or education"
• "custom PDE solver setup"
• "parametric simulation and post-processing"

tags: [FEA, CFD, simulation, multiphysics, engineering, physics, OpenFOAM, FEniCS, SU2, heat-transfer, structural-mechanics] kind: tool category: scientific-computing

What Is FEATool Multiphysics?

FEATool (Finite Element Analysis Toolbox) is an integrated simulation platform for modeling coupled physics phenomena, continuum mechanics, and engineering problems. Tagline: "Physics Simulation Made Easy"

• GitHub: https://github.com/precise-simulation/featool-multiphysics
• Docs: https://featool.com/doc
• Latest: v1.18 (February 2026) · 428 GitHub stars

Supported Physics Domains

Solver Integrations

Standard Modeling Workflow (6 Steps)

1. Geometry   → define 1D/2D/3D shapes (CAD primitives or import)
2. Grid       → automatic mesh generation (structured/unstructured)
3. Equation   → select physics mode or enter custom PDEs
4. Boundary   → assign boundary conditions (Dirichlet, Neumann, Robin)
5. Solve      → run solver (built-in or external: OpenFOAM/FEniCS/SU2)
6. Post       → visualize results (ParaView, Plotly web plots, export)

Installation

Stand-alone (Windows/Linux/macOS)

# Download installer from GitHub Releases
# https://github.com/precise-simulation/featool-multiphysics/releases
# Minimum: 64-bit OS, 4 GB RAM, up to 10 GB disk

MATLAB Toolbox

% Install .mlappinstall via MATLAB APPS toolbar
% Then launch:
featool

Python (FEniCS integration)

# FEniCS must be installed separately
pip install fenics-dolfinx  # or via conda

Python API Scripting

FEATool supports programmable workflows via Python scripts:

import featool

# Load a model
model = featool.load('heat_exchanger.fea')

# Run solver
model.solve()

# Extract results
T = model.get_field('T')  # Temperature field
print(f"Max temperature: {max(T):.2f} K")

# Export to ParaView
model.export('results.vtk')

MATLAB API Scripting

% Create new model
fea = feamodel();
fea.sdim = {'x', 'y'};         % 2D problem

% Define geometry
fea.geom = gobj_rectangle(0, 1, 0, 1);

% Set physics (heat equation)
fea = addphys(fea, @heattransfer);
fea.phys.ht.bdr.coef{2,end} = 100;  % Boundary temp = 100°C

% Mesh and solve
fea = parsephys(fea);
fea = parsegeom(fea);
fea = meshgeo(fea, 'hmax', 0.05);
fea = solvetime(fea);

% Post-process
postplot(fea, 'surfexpr', 'T');

Custom PDE Definition

Enter equations in natural notation:

∂u/∂t - ∇·(k∇u) = f

# In FEATool syntax:
# Equation: ut - k*(uxx + uyy) = f
# Where k = thermal conductivity coefficient

Export Formats

Use Case Examples

Heat Exchanger Analysis

% Load built-in example
fea = ex_heattransfer1();
fea = solvetime(fea);
postplot(fea, 'surfexpr', 'T', 'title', 'Temperature Distribution')

Fluid Flow (Navier-Stokes)

fea = feamodel();
fea = addphys(fea, @navierstokes);
% Set Reynolds number, inlet velocity, solve
fea = solvetime(fea);
postplot(fea, 'surfexpr', 'sqrt(u^2+v^2)', 'title', 'Velocity magnitude')

Structural Mechanics

fea = feamodel();
fea = addphys(fea, @linearelasticity);
% Define material (E, nu), boundary loads
fea = solvetime(fea);
postplot(fea, 'surfexpr', 'von_mises', 'title', 'Von Mises Stress')

When to Use Which Solver

Key Tips

• Use model examples (File → Model Examples) to bootstrap any physics type
• Parametric expressions allow sweeping parameters without re-building geometry
• For large 3D problems, export to OpenFOAM for HPC cluster execution
• Results can be exported to Plotly for shareable interactive web reports
• FEniCS export generates standalone Python scripts — useful for CI/automation