When will we be able to run zCFD on Windows? It’s a question which our users have been asking for some time now. Now we’re pleased to share that zCFD can run on Windows, opening up further opportunities for people to use and benefit from the tool.

Offering CFD at scale, zCFD is a computational fluid dynamics solver, designed to make highly effective use of modern computer architectures. zCFD for Windows allows us to extend our reach to a broader user base, as Windows is the most common operating system. Now anyone with a Windows laptop/computer can now test out zCFD for themselves.

Initially, zCFD was designed to run on Linux and Windows now has the “Windows Subsystem for Linux” WSL that allows users to run Linux on Windows.

The ability to apply zCFD for Windows is particularly useful in the university sector for the increasing number of undergraduates who are using zCFD as part of their studies. Tom Wainwright from the University of Bristol expressed the benefits to us, especially in the age of hybrid working as an effect of the pandemic:

“Depending on where I am, I tend to jump around between Windows and Linux operating systems, so having the ability to run zCFD locally on windows via WSL has proven to be a massive benefit. Rather than using one OS for development and another for research/writing, I can jump freely around between the two, using GitHub for source control. In a year when working arrangements have been less than consistent, this has been something I’ve grown to appreciate.”

You can discover more about Tom’s work on renewable energy and how zCFD is helping here. 

How do I get started?

All you need to do is install WSL on your Windows computer and then download and install zCFD as described on the website in your Ubuntu terminal on Windows. You can get started with zCFD for free here.

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