CodeAster:

Code_Aster is an open-source software for finite element analysis (FEA) developed by EDF (French electric company). It can be used to solve a wide range of problems, including heat transfer problems. It is primarily written in Fortran language and provides a comprehensive set of features for solving both steady-state and transient heat transfer problems.

Code_Aster’s heat transfer capabilities include both conduction and convection modes of heat transfer and it can handle various types of heat sources, heat sinks, and boundary conditions. The software can be used to simulate problems with complex geometry and interfaces, and it can also handle non-linear and non-homogeneous materials.

Code_Aster provides both 2D and 3D meshing capabilities and supports parallel computation using MPI. It also includes tools for post-processing, visualization and data analysis.

Code_Aster is widely used in industry and academia, it also provides a well-documented user manual, a set of tutorials and online community that contribute to the development of the software. The software is known for its robustness and reliability, and it is able to solve complex problems, including non-linear, multi-physics and multi-field ones.

deal.ii:

deal.II is an open-source software library for solving partial differential equations using the finite element method. It is written in C++ and provides a wide range of features for solving both scalar and vector-valued problems, including heat transfer problems.

deal.II includes several solvers for heat transfer problems, such as the Galerkin method, which is well-suited for problems where conduction is the dominant mode of heat transfer, it also can handle non-linear, time dependent, and adaptive problems. The library also provides tools for meshing and post-processing results, and it can handle heat sources, heat sinks, and various types of boundary conditions.

deal.II supports both steady-state and transient heat transfer simulations and can handle various types of heat sources and heat sinks. It also supports parallel computation using MPI, and also can handle problems with complex geometry and interfaces.

The library provides a C++ interface and requires some programming knowledge, but it also provides a lot of freedom and flexibility to the user. It has an active user community that shares their own codes and solutions, which helps to improve and add features to the library. It’s been used in industry and academia, and it is known for its robustness and scalability.

GetFEM++:

GetFEM++ is an open-source C++ library for solving partial differential equations using the finite element method. It provides a wide range of features for solving both scalar and vector-valued problems, including heat transfer problems.

GetFEM++ includes several solvers for heat transfer problems, such as the Galerkin method, which is well-suited for problems where conduction is the dominant mode of heat transfer, and also supports other methods like mixed finite element method and XFEM. The library also provides tools for meshing and post-processing results, and it can handle heat sources, heat sinks, and various types of boundary conditions.

It supports both steady-state and transient heat transfer simulations, it can handle various types of heat sources and heat sinks, and also can handle problem with complex geometry and interfaces. GetFEM++ supports parallel computation using MPI and can be used to solve problems on both structured and unstructured meshes.

GetFEM++ is known for its flexibility and easy integration with other libraries, which allows it to be used in a wide range of applications, from simple linear problems to complex nonlinear multi-physics ones. It is also actively maintained, and has a large and helpful user community that contribute to the development and maintenance of the library.

ngsolve:

Netgen and NGSolve are open-source software libraries for solving partial differential equations using the finite element method.

Netgen is an open-source mesh generation software, which can create high quality, unstructured meshes with both 2D and 3D geometries. It can handle complex geometries and it can also perform some basic mesh modification tasks such as smoothing and coarsening. The software is written in C++ and it has a python interface to make it more accessible to users.

NGSolve (Next Generation Solver) is a C++ library built on top of Netgen which provides advanced numerical methods for solving partial differential equations. NGSolve can solve a wide range of problems including heat transfer, fluid dynamics and linear elasticity. The library can use high-order elements, adaptive refinement and supports parallel computation using MPI. It also includes tools for post-processing, visualization and data analysis.

Together, Netgen and NGSolve provide a powerful suite of tools for solving partial differential equations using the finite element method. The combination of high-quality mesh generation capabilities of Netgen and advanced numerical methods of NGSolve make it a suitable option for solving heat transfer problems with complex geometries and multiple physics.

gmsh:

Gmsh is an open-source 3D finite element mesh generator that can be used to create high-quality, unstructured meshes for solving partial differential equations, including heat transfer problems.

Gmsh is written in C++ and provides a wide range of features for generating meshes for both 2D and 3D geometries. It can handle complex geometries and it also provides built-in CAD features, which allows to directly import CAD models or to generate geometric entities using scripting.

The software includes several algorithms for mesh generation, such as Delaunay, Frontal, and Advancing Front, it also supports various types of elements, like tetrahedral, hexahedral, and quadrilateral, and can generate high-order elements. Gmsh also allows for the customization of the meshing process and can handle multiple physics problems by allowing to define different physical groups of elements and boundary conditions.

Gmsh also provides an extensive set of tools for post-processing, visualization, and data analysis, it can export meshes to various formats, including the widely used format used in FEA software.

Overall, Gmsh is a powerful tool for generating high-quality meshes for solving partial differential equations, including heat transfer problems, it is versatile and user-friendly with a friendly graphical user interface, it’s actively maintained and has a large and helpful user community that contribute to the development and maintenance of the software.