Validation of OpenFOAM numerical methods and turbulence models for incompressible bluff body flows

•Grid verification and scalability studied of OpenFOAM.•Validate OpenFOAM numerical methods and turbulence models.•Validation for a range of canonical tests, and engineering application.•User guidelines for best scheme/model options in OpenFOAM. A verification and validation study was performed using the open source computational fluid dynamics solver OpenFOAM version 2.0.0 for incompressible bluff body fluid flows. This includes flow over a backward facing step, a sphere in the subcritical regime, and delta wing with sharp leading edge. The study investigates solver scalability, and accuracy of numerical methods and turbulence models available in the solver. Grid verification study shows mostly monotonic convergence with averaged grid uncertainty