CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research and the world’s leading laboratory for particle physics, has purchased a multi-user license for COMSOL Multiphysics and a number of its add-on modules. Through this licensing agreement, this software is now available CERN wide for engineers and researchers. COMSOL Multiphysics enables them to conduct real-world simulations of any physics-based system during research, system design and development.
CERN is run by 20 European Member States, but many non-European countries are also involved, and scientists come from around the world to use CERN’s facilities. The Laboratory’s scientific and technical staff design and build particle accelerators and ensure their smooth operation; they also help prepare, run, analyze and interpret the data from complex scientific experiments. CERN has a permanent staff of 2500 researchers along with some 9500 visiting scientists who represent 608 universities and 113 nationalities.
“CERN attracts the world’s top scientists and researchers, and we are extremely gratified that these experts recognize COMSOL as one of the leading modeling codes and have asked to have CERN add this software to its arsenal of tools,” says Dr. Sven Friedel, Managing Director of COMSOL’s Zurich office, which handled the transaction. “This purchase clearly confirms the value of our software in assisting in the development and running of the world’s largest scientific experiments.”
COMSOL has enjoyed a growing interest at CERN. Pierre Baehler, Manager of the CAD/CAE Support Team for the organization, notes that “the use of COMSOL products started in 2007 when one user purchased an individual license. He was very successful with it, his colleagues got interested in it and not long thereafter a few more licenses were acquired. Meanwhile, though, we see graduate students and researchers who have worked with COMSOL products at their universities coming to CERN for their research. Following an increasing number of requests from them and CERN researchers, our engineering software selection committee decided to purchase concurrent network licenses which allow a wider access to the tool. COMSOL clearly has the potential to become an important tool for engineering applications at CERN.”
“One aspect that makes COMSOL so attractive to these users is its flexibility,” so explains Bernardo Bordini, a researcher who previously used the software while at Fermilab (Chicago, IL) was also the first COMSOL license at CERN. “Here at CERN we’re dealing with very non-conventional problems. For instance, in my studies of the magneto-thermo stability of superconductors, we are pushing the Maxwell Equations into a very nonlinear region. We thus need to modify the standard equations, and COMSOL allows me to do exactly that. In addition, we strongly rely on the software’s multiphysics capabilities. For example in some of our systems where we are sending current from room ambient temperature into a cryogenic environment, we have to closely examine the interplay of heat transfer, structural dynamics and electromagnetic effects. It’s not easy to find other software that can do it this well”.
The multiphysics capabilities of COMSOL are also attractive to Rob Veenhof, who is a Convenor of the simulation group of RD51, an international consortium of 73 universities and research laboratories from 25 countries working on the study of gas-based detectors. Besides research, the group also conducts courses around the world that introduce simulation tools to PhD students and postdocs within the collaboration, and such a course was recently conducted at CERN. Says Veenhof, “COMSOL is one of the finite-element packages we use to produce field maps that we then input into our own Garfield simulator. Further, COMSOL makes it far easier to study the onset of ‘streamers’. Here we work with some differential equations, which we can input directly into the software.” Veenhof adds that they are also studying very damaging gas discharges in the detectors and look forward to using the Plasma Module, which he now has access due to the new licensing agreement.
Yet another CERN experiment where COMSOL was of benefit is CMS, one of the particles detector in the Large Hadron Collider, an underground particle collider with a circumference of 27 km. Here, Bertrand Baudouy of CEA (the French Atomic Energy Commission) used the software to help design the cryogenic cooling system that keeps the magnet of CMS at -269°C (4 K). Baudouy notes that “I can now design the cooling tubes for a superconducting magnet in a week or so, work that previously took two to three months.”
No limit on the number of cores
Returning to CERN’s decision to purchase the software, Pierre Baehler adds, “Another factor that was attractive was the fact that a single network license allows CERN to run a COMSOL job on any number of cores or a compute cluster. This contrasts to many other products with a per-core licensing scheme. Not having a limit to the number of cores is extremely convenient for us because we are constantly upgrading and expanding our compute resources. There’s no need to acquire more licenses, we can instead run the software on new hardware and make use of the full compute capacity as soon as the hardware is installed.”
COMSOL’s Friedel, who has been assisting CERN researchers in fully exploiting the software, summarizes the collaboration this way: “At CERN, the world’s leading researchers are pushing the state of the art in a number of disciplines and in modeling. It’s clear that COMSOL is a technology enabler that allows them to truly unleash their creativity. This fits in exactly with COMSOL’s culture of intensively working with its users to drive innovation on both sides. We look forward to seeing more CERN researchers joining our very active community.”
CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, operates the world’s leading laboratory for particle physics. Its business is fundamental physics, finding out what the universe is made of and how it works. Founded in 1954, CERN has become a prime example of international collaboration, with currently 20 Member States. Additional nations from around the globe also contribute to and participate in the research programs.
Showing posts with label COMSOL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label COMSOL. Show all posts
Nov 30, 2011
Oct 14, 2011
COMSOL Version 4.2a Unveiled at the COMSOL Conference in Boston
New version expanded with particle tracing, image-to-material conversion, and Digital Elevation Map import.
Today in Boston at its seventh annual User's Conference, COMSOL Inc. unveiled COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.2a, a major update of its market-leading multiphysics modeling and simulation environment. With the introduction of version 4.2a, which includes features that extend the reach of multiphysics analyses to new communities of engineers and scientists, COMSOL has created a tightly-integrated analysis platform that offers a breadth and depth unmatched in the industry. Version 4.2a sees the debut of two new products, Particle Tracing Module and LiveLink™ for Creo™ Parametric, as well as many new features that bring greater modeling power to the users of COMSOL Multiphysics and its application specific add-on modules.
“As more and more design teams turn to simulation for product innovation, COMSOL is committed to providing easy-to-use tools that support creativity and save precious development time,” comments Svante Littmarck, CEO of COMSOL. “With Version 4.2a we have made a significant upgrade of COMSOL Multiphysics’ core capabilities that will ensure all customers get the most out of their modeling tools throughout the product development process. We’re also very excited about making particle tracing available for both single physics and multiphysics simulations.”
Image-to-material conversion bypasses geometry creation and speeds up simulation
Image-to-material conversion can shorten time to solution for image-based simulation dramatically. With this new capability engineers and scientists in industries such as life science and semiconductors can now bypass both geometry creation and computational-demanding meshing of microscopic details. They can use image data to represent 2D material distributions or to identify regions with different materials by their color or gray scale. Images used in this way can have many origins such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
An important application of image import is the easy computation of equivalent volume-averaged material properties for highly inhomogeneous or porous materials. This includes properties such as conductivity, permittivity, elasticity, or porosity, and it allows for converting spatially distributed values to a single representative averaged value. Such equivalent material properties can then be used for simulations of larger structures, avoiding detailed microscopic information. This modeling approach has several advantages such as avoiding the often difficult operations of image segmenting and image-to-geometry conversion. It also brings greatly simplified meshing, less memory usage, and shorter computation times—all of which are crucial when the same analysis needs to be repeated many times for different images.
An imported image is made available as a general COMSOL interpolation function that can be used for any modeling purpose. Certain 3D analyses are made possible by importing multiple images representing sections of a 3D structure.
Digital Elevation Map import enables quick geometry creation for geophysics simulation
Version 4.2a also comes with a new Digital Elevation Map interpolation feature that directly supports the importation of topographical surface data formatted in the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Digital Elevation Map (DEM) file format. Users can freely combine DEM surfaces with other surfaces and solids to form a volumetric representation of both geometry and mesh. Multiple DEM surfaces can be combined and intersected as well as embedded inside of other geometrical objects to form composite structures. Geometric structures resulting from DEM import are generic in the COMSOL environment and handled in the same way as are mechanical CAD structures. This means that the full power of COMSOL Multiphysics is available for DEM geometry representations and can be applied to any single physics or multiphysics simulation such as subsurface flow, electromagnetics, acoustics, and geomechanics.
CAD modeling and new LiveLink™ for Creo™ Parametric
COMSOL is a firm believer in the collaboration within design teams and across departments. The new expansion of the COMSOL LiveLink™ CAD interoperability products to embrace Creo Parametric design software from PTC® is another major step in support of these efforts. With the new LiveLink for Creo Parametric, COMSOL Multiphysics seamlessly integrates with the latest design software from PTC. By establishing an associative connection between the two applications any changes to a feature in the Creo Parametric CAD model automatically update the geometry in COMSOL Multiphysics while retaining physics settings. Additionally, all parameters specified in Creo Parametric can be interactively linked with your simulation geometry, which enables multiphysics simulations involving parametric sweeps and design optimization to sync up with the CAD program. The LiveLink for Creo Parametric includes all the capabilities of the COMSOL CAD Import Module and enables import and defeaturing of CAD files from all major CAD packages.
The Parasolid® geometry kernel from Siemens PLM Software is now the default geometry kernel for users of the CAD Import Module and the LiveLink products for CAD. Parasolid enables the handling of more advanced geometry objects for users of any of the LiveLink products, which include versions for AutoCAD®, Autodesk® Inventor®, Creo™ Parametric, Pro/ENGINEER®, SolidWorks®, and SpaceClaim®.
COMSOL Multiphysics’ extensive Model Library is now accessible from within the One Window Interface that is included with the LiveLink for SolidWorks. Animations and images can now be created from the One Window Interface. Additionally, a series of performance enhancements make for quicker synchronization of large models.
Particle Tracing Module now available
The Particle Tracing Module extends the functionality of the COMSOL Multiphysics environment for computing the trajectory of particles in a fluid or electromagnetic field, including particle-field interactions. Any COMSOL add-on module combines seamlessly with the Particle Tracing Module, giving users access to additional modeling tools and fields to drive the particle motion. Applications include flow visualization, mixing, spraying, particle separation, mass spectrometry, ion optics, beam physics, ion energy distribution functions, acoustic streaming, and ray tracing.
“The new Particle Tracing Module is a game changer,” comments Bjorn Sjodin, VP of Product Management. “Now particle trajectories can be computed and visualized for any particle-field analysis. This will appeal to new groups of engineering communities that can use particle tracing for both traditional CFD and electromagnetics analysis and for more novel combinations with any other physics simulation. Customers will also appreciate the speed of the particle tracing, which makes it convenient to handle hundreds of thousands of particles in one and the same simulation.”
A variety of different forces are allowed to act on the particles, including forces on charged particles in electric or magnetic fields, drag forces in CFD, electrophoretic forces in microfluidics, acoustic streaming forces in acoustics, and user-defined forces. Loss or gain of mass, charge, or similar quantities may be represented as auxiliary variables and equations for each particle along its trajectory. Particles can be massless or have mass, where the movement is governed by Newtonian, Lagrangian, or Hamiltonian formulations from classical mechanics. Low-level access to the mathematical formalism is available for highly customized simulations.
Results and visualization
Version 4.2a's new Join Data Set function compares solutions corresponding to different meshes, time steps, or parameter values. Users can form combinations of solutions using the operation's difference, sum, product, quotient, and more general and explicit expressions. An important application for the Join Data Set is to plot and evaluate the difference between two solutions in a mesh convergence study.
Any scalar quantity of interest can be visualized by slice plots or isosurface plots. Quantities visualized can be one of many predefined expressions or be typed in as a user-defined expression. A new addition to slice and isosurface plots is the slide controller for the location of the slices and surfaces within the plots.
Incident sun radiation in the Heat Transfer Module
External radiation sources can now be defined in the Heat Transfer Module as sources at infinity or as point sources at a finite distance. This option is available in the Heat Transfer physics interface and any physics interface that supports surface-to-surface radiation. When defining a source at infinity, users input the power per unit area. This is typically applied for incident sun radiation in various types of renewable energy applications.
Another new important feature of the Heat Transfer Module is that users can define radiation on both sides of a boundary when surface-to-surface radiation is used. This new option is available in the Heat Transfer physics interface and any physics interface that supports surface-to-surface radiation.
Electromechanics multiphysics interface in the MEMS Module
A new Electromechanics multiphysics interface combines solid mechanics and electrostatics with a moving mesh to model the deformation of electrostatically actuated structures. Applications include biased resonator computations with modal and frequency-response analysis as well as pull-in voltage computations. A suite of new electromechanical tutorials are available showing 2D and 3D models of a biased resonator for stationary analysis, the frequency response, the normal modes, the pull-in voltage, and the transient response.
New communities of engineers and scientists
Multiphysics simulation technology is enabling engineers and scientists to realize their boldest design concepts and help businesses stay ahead of their competition. COMSOL Multiphysics Version 4.2a will make it easy for new user communities to find productive tools for solving their current design challenges.
Version 4.2a highlights
Fast particle tracking with particle-field interactions for CFD, electromagnetics, acoustics and other applications in the all-new Particle Tracing Module
LiveLink™ for Creo™ Parametric brings seamless bidirectional CAD integration with the latest design software from PTC®
Highly efficient simulation using image-to-material conversion based on photographic or scanned data; supported image formats are JPG, JPEG, BMP, PNG, and GIF.
Digital Elevation Map (DEM) import of topographical surface data for applications such as fluid flow, structural, or electromagnetics
Rapid post-processing of simulation results using interactive slice and isosurface plots with slider control
New user interface for large parametric sweeps and quick visualization of response surface plots
Check simulation results by comparing solutions corresponding to different meshes, time steps, or parameter values
Interpolation curves can be created from tabulated x,y or x,y,z data in both 2D and 3D to create new geometry objects
External radiation sources can now be defined in the Heat Transfer Module as sources at infinity or as point sources at a finite distance– typically used for incident sun radiation.
A new electromechanics physics interface in the MEMS Module combines solid mechanics and electrostatics with a moving mesh to model the deformation of electrostatically actuated structures. Applications include biased resonator computations with modal and frequency-response analysis as well as pull-in voltage computations.
For detailed information on COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.2a please visit www.comsol.com/4.2a
Today in Boston at its seventh annual User's Conference, COMSOL Inc. unveiled COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.2a, a major update of its market-leading multiphysics modeling and simulation environment. With the introduction of version 4.2a, which includes features that extend the reach of multiphysics analyses to new communities of engineers and scientists, COMSOL has created a tightly-integrated analysis platform that offers a breadth and depth unmatched in the industry. Version 4.2a sees the debut of two new products, Particle Tracing Module and LiveLink™ for Creo™ Parametric, as well as many new features that bring greater modeling power to the users of COMSOL Multiphysics and its application specific add-on modules.
“As more and more design teams turn to simulation for product innovation, COMSOL is committed to providing easy-to-use tools that support creativity and save precious development time,” comments Svante Littmarck, CEO of COMSOL. “With Version 4.2a we have made a significant upgrade of COMSOL Multiphysics’ core capabilities that will ensure all customers get the most out of their modeling tools throughout the product development process. We’re also very excited about making particle tracing available for both single physics and multiphysics simulations.”
Image-to-material conversion bypasses geometry creation and speeds up simulation
Image-to-material conversion can shorten time to solution for image-based simulation dramatically. With this new capability engineers and scientists in industries such as life science and semiconductors can now bypass both geometry creation and computational-demanding meshing of microscopic details. They can use image data to represent 2D material distributions or to identify regions with different materials by their color or gray scale. Images used in this way can have many origins such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
An important application of image import is the easy computation of equivalent volume-averaged material properties for highly inhomogeneous or porous materials. This includes properties such as conductivity, permittivity, elasticity, or porosity, and it allows for converting spatially distributed values to a single representative averaged value. Such equivalent material properties can then be used for simulations of larger structures, avoiding detailed microscopic information. This modeling approach has several advantages such as avoiding the often difficult operations of image segmenting and image-to-geometry conversion. It also brings greatly simplified meshing, less memory usage, and shorter computation times—all of which are crucial when the same analysis needs to be repeated many times for different images.
An imported image is made available as a general COMSOL interpolation function that can be used for any modeling purpose. Certain 3D analyses are made possible by importing multiple images representing sections of a 3D structure.
Digital Elevation Map import enables quick geometry creation for geophysics simulation
Version 4.2a also comes with a new Digital Elevation Map interpolation feature that directly supports the importation of topographical surface data formatted in the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Digital Elevation Map (DEM) file format. Users can freely combine DEM surfaces with other surfaces and solids to form a volumetric representation of both geometry and mesh. Multiple DEM surfaces can be combined and intersected as well as embedded inside of other geometrical objects to form composite structures. Geometric structures resulting from DEM import are generic in the COMSOL environment and handled in the same way as are mechanical CAD structures. This means that the full power of COMSOL Multiphysics is available for DEM geometry representations and can be applied to any single physics or multiphysics simulation such as subsurface flow, electromagnetics, acoustics, and geomechanics.
CAD modeling and new LiveLink™ for Creo™ Parametric
COMSOL is a firm believer in the collaboration within design teams and across departments. The new expansion of the COMSOL LiveLink™ CAD interoperability products to embrace Creo Parametric design software from PTC® is another major step in support of these efforts. With the new LiveLink for Creo Parametric, COMSOL Multiphysics seamlessly integrates with the latest design software from PTC. By establishing an associative connection between the two applications any changes to a feature in the Creo Parametric CAD model automatically update the geometry in COMSOL Multiphysics while retaining physics settings. Additionally, all parameters specified in Creo Parametric can be interactively linked with your simulation geometry, which enables multiphysics simulations involving parametric sweeps and design optimization to sync up with the CAD program. The LiveLink for Creo Parametric includes all the capabilities of the COMSOL CAD Import Module and enables import and defeaturing of CAD files from all major CAD packages.
The Parasolid® geometry kernel from Siemens PLM Software is now the default geometry kernel for users of the CAD Import Module and the LiveLink products for CAD. Parasolid enables the handling of more advanced geometry objects for users of any of the LiveLink products, which include versions for AutoCAD®, Autodesk® Inventor®, Creo™ Parametric, Pro/ENGINEER®, SolidWorks®, and SpaceClaim®.
COMSOL Multiphysics’ extensive Model Library is now accessible from within the One Window Interface that is included with the LiveLink for SolidWorks. Animations and images can now be created from the One Window Interface. Additionally, a series of performance enhancements make for quicker synchronization of large models.
Particle Tracing Module now available
The Particle Tracing Module extends the functionality of the COMSOL Multiphysics environment for computing the trajectory of particles in a fluid or electromagnetic field, including particle-field interactions. Any COMSOL add-on module combines seamlessly with the Particle Tracing Module, giving users access to additional modeling tools and fields to drive the particle motion. Applications include flow visualization, mixing, spraying, particle separation, mass spectrometry, ion optics, beam physics, ion energy distribution functions, acoustic streaming, and ray tracing.
“The new Particle Tracing Module is a game changer,” comments Bjorn Sjodin, VP of Product Management. “Now particle trajectories can be computed and visualized for any particle-field analysis. This will appeal to new groups of engineering communities that can use particle tracing for both traditional CFD and electromagnetics analysis and for more novel combinations with any other physics simulation. Customers will also appreciate the speed of the particle tracing, which makes it convenient to handle hundreds of thousands of particles in one and the same simulation.”
A variety of different forces are allowed to act on the particles, including forces on charged particles in electric or magnetic fields, drag forces in CFD, electrophoretic forces in microfluidics, acoustic streaming forces in acoustics, and user-defined forces. Loss or gain of mass, charge, or similar quantities may be represented as auxiliary variables and equations for each particle along its trajectory. Particles can be massless or have mass, where the movement is governed by Newtonian, Lagrangian, or Hamiltonian formulations from classical mechanics. Low-level access to the mathematical formalism is available for highly customized simulations.
Results and visualization
Version 4.2a's new Join Data Set function compares solutions corresponding to different meshes, time steps, or parameter values. Users can form combinations of solutions using the operation's difference, sum, product, quotient, and more general and explicit expressions. An important application for the Join Data Set is to plot and evaluate the difference between two solutions in a mesh convergence study.
Any scalar quantity of interest can be visualized by slice plots or isosurface plots. Quantities visualized can be one of many predefined expressions or be typed in as a user-defined expression. A new addition to slice and isosurface plots is the slide controller for the location of the slices and surfaces within the plots.
Incident sun radiation in the Heat Transfer Module
External radiation sources can now be defined in the Heat Transfer Module as sources at infinity or as point sources at a finite distance. This option is available in the Heat Transfer physics interface and any physics interface that supports surface-to-surface radiation. When defining a source at infinity, users input the power per unit area. This is typically applied for incident sun radiation in various types of renewable energy applications.
Another new important feature of the Heat Transfer Module is that users can define radiation on both sides of a boundary when surface-to-surface radiation is used. This new option is available in the Heat Transfer physics interface and any physics interface that supports surface-to-surface radiation.
Electromechanics multiphysics interface in the MEMS Module
A new Electromechanics multiphysics interface combines solid mechanics and electrostatics with a moving mesh to model the deformation of electrostatically actuated structures. Applications include biased resonator computations with modal and frequency-response analysis as well as pull-in voltage computations. A suite of new electromechanical tutorials are available showing 2D and 3D models of a biased resonator for stationary analysis, the frequency response, the normal modes, the pull-in voltage, and the transient response.
New communities of engineers and scientists
Multiphysics simulation technology is enabling engineers and scientists to realize their boldest design concepts and help businesses stay ahead of their competition. COMSOL Multiphysics Version 4.2a will make it easy for new user communities to find productive tools for solving their current design challenges.
Version 4.2a highlights
Fast particle tracking with particle-field interactions for CFD, electromagnetics, acoustics and other applications in the all-new Particle Tracing Module
LiveLink™ for Creo™ Parametric brings seamless bidirectional CAD integration with the latest design software from PTC®
Highly efficient simulation using image-to-material conversion based on photographic or scanned data; supported image formats are JPG, JPEG, BMP, PNG, and GIF.
Digital Elevation Map (DEM) import of topographical surface data for applications such as fluid flow, structural, or electromagnetics
Rapid post-processing of simulation results using interactive slice and isosurface plots with slider control
New user interface for large parametric sweeps and quick visualization of response surface plots
Check simulation results by comparing solutions corresponding to different meshes, time steps, or parameter values
Interpolation curves can be created from tabulated x,y or x,y,z data in both 2D and 3D to create new geometry objects
External radiation sources can now be defined in the Heat Transfer Module as sources at infinity or as point sources at a finite distance– typically used for incident sun radiation.
A new electromechanics physics interface in the MEMS Module combines solid mechanics and electrostatics with a moving mesh to model the deformation of electrostatically actuated structures. Applications include biased resonator computations with modal and frequency-response analysis as well as pull-in voltage computations.
For detailed information on COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.2a please visit www.comsol.com/4.2a
Filed under:
COMSOL
Oct 6, 2011
Breakthrough in Preventing Food-borne Illnesses Wins $20,000 Grand Prize in Global Design Contest
"Create the Future" Design Contest, sponsored by PTC®, COMSOL, and Tech Briefs Media attracts over 900 innovative product ideas from engineers and students in 50 countries.
A new invention could protect millions from contracting food-borne illnesses. The αScreen is a portable, rapid pathogen screener that could allow screening of up to 100% of food produced in processing plants, before it is delivered to the consumer. αScreen is highly accurate, can detect as low as a single bacteria, and is approximately 50 times less expensive than the established, currently used detection methods.
Monika Weber of New Haven, CT, a graduate student at Yale University, is the team leader on this design project. She and a select team of students at Yale University's School of Engineering and Applied Science are responsible for the advancement of the design. Monika spent two years working on preliminary projects in bio-detection before the design for the αScreen was finalized.
After hearing the news that she was the grand prize winner of the "Create the Future" Design Contest, Ms. Weber replied, "Winning the Create the Future Design Contest was far beyond my expectations and I am really honored by receiving this award. I feel by winning this contest, it will give me the exposure needed to bring this product to market."
The Create the Future Design Contest is sponsored by PTC, COMSOL, and Tech Briefs Media Group. The αScreen bacteria detection device was among the more than 900 new product ideas submitted in the ninth design contest, which was established to recognize and reward engineering innovations that benefit humanity, the environment, and the economy.
In addition to the grand prize, first-place winners (of Hewlett-Packard workstations) were named in seven categories:
Consumer Products
UVA+B Sunfriend
Karin Edgett and Shahid Aslam
A wristband that provides effective and inexpensive UVA and UVB monitoring.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1501
Electronics – sponsored by Digi-Key (www.digikey.com)
iPecs Tech
Michael Leydet, College Park Industries
A tool to accurately measure human locomotion or gait parameters on users of lower limb prostheses.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1926
Machinery & Equipment
Hybrid Rotor Compressor for Natural Gas Extraction
Jeremy Pitts and Pedro Santos, OsComp Systems
A breakthrough natural gas compression technology that is 30% more energy-efficient than current compressors.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1879
Medical
XVIVO Organ Perfusion System
Chris Jaynes, Tom Taccini, and Tim Klug, XVIVO Perfusion
A mobile intensive care unit that can repair damaged organs ex vivo (out of the donor's body) for successful transplantation into a waiting recipient.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1468
Safety & Security
AquaSonus Passive-Sonar Pool Alarm
William C. Roberts, Bob Hoenig, and Paula Bailey, AquaSonus.com
State-of-the-art digital signal processor pool alarm system designed to prevent child drowning accidents.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1625
Sustainable Technologies
TO:CMA Spherical Generator
Angel Francisco Martinez, Delia Beatriz Martinez, and Trupti Bulbule, Cornell University
A generator that creates copious amounts of clean electricity out of ocean waves at costs below all major existing renewable energy sources.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1714
Transportation
Dynamic Aero-Shroud Oscillating Jet
Rebecca Farr, Endwell Daso, Victor Pritchett, and Ten-See Wang, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
This technology could enable hypersonic passenger transport connecting Earth's cities, dramatically shortening travel times.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1783
Finalists were selected by senior editors at Tech Briefs Media Group and judged by an independent panel of design engineers. Visitors to the contest Web site could vote on entries, with the 10 most popular designs awarded a SpaceNavigator 3D mouse from 3Dconnexion. Popular design winners and honorable mentions hailed from Canada, Mexico, Italy, and the Slovakia, in addition to the U.S. For more information, visit www.createthefuture2011.com.
A new invention could protect millions from contracting food-borne illnesses. The αScreen is a portable, rapid pathogen screener that could allow screening of up to 100% of food produced in processing plants, before it is delivered to the consumer. αScreen is highly accurate, can detect as low as a single bacteria, and is approximately 50 times less expensive than the established, currently used detection methods.
Monika Weber of New Haven, CT, a graduate student at Yale University, is the team leader on this design project. She and a select team of students at Yale University's School of Engineering and Applied Science are responsible for the advancement of the design. Monika spent two years working on preliminary projects in bio-detection before the design for the αScreen was finalized.
After hearing the news that she was the grand prize winner of the "Create the Future" Design Contest, Ms. Weber replied, "Winning the Create the Future Design Contest was far beyond my expectations and I am really honored by receiving this award. I feel by winning this contest, it will give me the exposure needed to bring this product to market."
The Create the Future Design Contest is sponsored by PTC, COMSOL, and Tech Briefs Media Group. The αScreen bacteria detection device was among the more than 900 new product ideas submitted in the ninth design contest, which was established to recognize and reward engineering innovations that benefit humanity, the environment, and the economy.
In addition to the grand prize, first-place winners (of Hewlett-Packard workstations) were named in seven categories:
Consumer Products
UVA+B Sunfriend
Karin Edgett and Shahid Aslam
A wristband that provides effective and inexpensive UVA and UVB monitoring.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1501
Electronics – sponsored by Digi-Key (www.digikey.com)
iPecs Tech
Michael Leydet, College Park Industries
A tool to accurately measure human locomotion or gait parameters on users of lower limb prostheses.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1926
Machinery & Equipment
Hybrid Rotor Compressor for Natural Gas Extraction
Jeremy Pitts and Pedro Santos, OsComp Systems
A breakthrough natural gas compression technology that is 30% more energy-efficient than current compressors.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1879
Medical
XVIVO Organ Perfusion System
Chris Jaynes, Tom Taccini, and Tim Klug, XVIVO Perfusion
A mobile intensive care unit that can repair damaged organs ex vivo (out of the donor's body) for successful transplantation into a waiting recipient.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1468
Safety & Security
AquaSonus Passive-Sonar Pool Alarm
William C. Roberts, Bob Hoenig, and Paula Bailey, AquaSonus.com
State-of-the-art digital signal processor pool alarm system designed to prevent child drowning accidents.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1625
Sustainable Technologies
TO:CMA Spherical Generator
Angel Francisco Martinez, Delia Beatriz Martinez, and Trupti Bulbule, Cornell University
A generator that creates copious amounts of clean electricity out of ocean waves at costs below all major existing renewable energy sources.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1714
Transportation
Dynamic Aero-Shroud Oscillating Jet
Rebecca Farr, Endwell Daso, Victor Pritchett, and Ten-See Wang, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
This technology could enable hypersonic passenger transport connecting Earth's cities, dramatically shortening travel times.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1783
Finalists were selected by senior editors at Tech Briefs Media Group and judged by an independent panel of design engineers. Visitors to the contest Web site could vote on entries, with the 10 most popular designs awarded a SpaceNavigator 3D mouse from 3Dconnexion. Popular design winners and honorable mentions hailed from Canada, Mexico, Italy, and the Slovakia, in addition to the U.S. For more information, visit www.createthefuture2011.com.
Jul 14, 2011
Major Upgrade to COMSOL's Acoustics Module Enables Realistic Acoustic Simulations of Mobile Devices and Automotive Components
COMSOL, Inc., today announced the release of a major upgrade of its add-on Acoustics Module for its flagship product COMSOL Multiphysics. This latest version of the Acoustics Module offers new capabilities and expanded multiphysics user interfaces for simulating thermoacoustic effects, poroelastic waves, acoustic-shell interactions, and piezo-acoustic devices. The new version of the Acoustics Module is available immediately.
“This release of the Acoustics Module brings a new level of predictive power to acoustic simulations,” says Dr. Mads J. Herring Jensen, technical product manager for acoustics at COMSOL. “For the first time, manufacturers of acoustic devices for smart phones, hearing aids, and earpieces can perform thermoacoustic simulations with an industry-standard commercial multiphysics software package. The ability to combine such simulations with electrical circuits and structural vibrations raises the bar for state-of-the-art acoustics simulations of mobile devices.”
Additional application areas for the Acoustics Module, adds Herring Jensen, include speakers, microphones, and sonar devices as well as noise control in areas such as muffler design, sound barriers, and building acoustics. The module's physics interfaces provide easy-to-use tools to model acoustic pressure wave propagation in air, water, and other fluids. The Acoustics Module also enables users to model vibrations and elastic waves in solids and piezoelectric materials, as well as their bidirectional interaction with a surrounding fluid, easily.
“Our analysis of acoustic applications has ranged from the design of miniature microphones and loudspeakers, development of MEMS-based photoacoustic and piezo-acoustic technologies, optimization of room design for acoustic energy distribution, and identification of sources for noise emission. Each of these applications has required the implementation of additional functionality into COMSOL Multiphysics to provide accurate analysis of real world systems,” comments Dr. Jeffrey S. Crompton, Principal of AltaSim Technologies, Columbus, OH. Through his company, Dr. Crompton provides a range of products and services such as customized computational analyses and the development of functional prototypes for market sectors including medical devices, defense, petrochemical refining, automotive, and materials development.
The new capabilities of the Acoustics Module are fully compatible with all the COMSOL add-on modules. Any acoustics phenomena can link to any other physics effect – a feature that is crucial for real-world precision simulations of acoustics devices. “The upgrades in this version of the Acoustics Module will provide all users with access to critical functionality associated with analysis of acoustics phenomena. These additions greatly enhance the flexibility of COMSOL Multiphysics and will allow users to integrate relevant phenomena more easily and develop more accurate simulations of real-world performance. This will benefit all developers of new products and technologies and increase the rate at which new technologies can reach the marketplace,” concludes Dr. Crompton.
Mobile Devices and Thermoacoustics Simulations
The new modeling tools for thermoviscous acoustics in the Acoustics Module enable highly accurate simulation of miniaturized speakers and microphones for hand-held devices. The ability to include thermoviscous acoustics, also known as thermoacoustics, in a simulation is necessary to accurately model acoustics in geometries with small dimensions. Near walls, viscosity and thermal conduction become important considerations because they create a viscous and a thermal boundary layer where losses are significant. The new thermoacoustics capabilities of the Acoustics Module take such effects fully into account.
Automotive Components and Poroelastic Waves
When creating a virtual prototype of an automotive component with a fibrous or porous filling, how to represent the filling's acoustic damping properties has been a challenge. The Acoustics Module’s new poroelastic wave functionality offers a new and more accurate approach to this challenge.
With traditional simulation methods, engineers confronting this challenge would approximate their filling with a so-called equivalent fluid model. This approach often produced an approximation of reality that was too rough. Using the new poroelastic wave functionality in the Acoustics Module, engineers enter solid and fluid properties into their model directly and the damping is accounted for in the simulation automatically.
“Determining the damping properties of an equivalent fluid model requires a lot of engineering experience,” comments Dr. Herring Jensen. “Even if you've been successful in the past, it is often not valid for the full range of studied parameters. It will never be as accurate as the Acoustics Module's new poroelastic model, which can be used to model virtually any porous medium for a wide range of frequencies.”
Acoustics Module Version 4.2 Highlights
Enables rapid prototyping and optimization of acoustic devices and transducers
Accelerates the investigation of acoustic-induced vibration phenomena in devices
Ideal for the study of material-dependent acoustic phenomena
Works with real CAD geometry models and leading CAD software and formats
User interfaces for:
Simulations in the time and frequency domains
Pressure acoustics
Solid-acoustic interactions
Piezo-acoustic devices
Poroelastic and elastic waves
Thermoacoustics
Combines with the Structural Mechanics Module for shell-acoustic interactions with dedicated user interfaces
Combines with the AC/DC Module for simulations such as electromagnetics and electrical circuits
“This release of the Acoustics Module brings a new level of predictive power to acoustic simulations,” says Dr. Mads J. Herring Jensen, technical product manager for acoustics at COMSOL. “For the first time, manufacturers of acoustic devices for smart phones, hearing aids, and earpieces can perform thermoacoustic simulations with an industry-standard commercial multiphysics software package. The ability to combine such simulations with electrical circuits and structural vibrations raises the bar for state-of-the-art acoustics simulations of mobile devices.”
Additional application areas for the Acoustics Module, adds Herring Jensen, include speakers, microphones, and sonar devices as well as noise control in areas such as muffler design, sound barriers, and building acoustics. The module's physics interfaces provide easy-to-use tools to model acoustic pressure wave propagation in air, water, and other fluids. The Acoustics Module also enables users to model vibrations and elastic waves in solids and piezoelectric materials, as well as their bidirectional interaction with a surrounding fluid, easily.
“Our analysis of acoustic applications has ranged from the design of miniature microphones and loudspeakers, development of MEMS-based photoacoustic and piezo-acoustic technologies, optimization of room design for acoustic energy distribution, and identification of sources for noise emission. Each of these applications has required the implementation of additional functionality into COMSOL Multiphysics to provide accurate analysis of real world systems,” comments Dr. Jeffrey S. Crompton, Principal of AltaSim Technologies, Columbus, OH. Through his company, Dr. Crompton provides a range of products and services such as customized computational analyses and the development of functional prototypes for market sectors including medical devices, defense, petrochemical refining, automotive, and materials development.
The new capabilities of the Acoustics Module are fully compatible with all the COMSOL add-on modules. Any acoustics phenomena can link to any other physics effect – a feature that is crucial for real-world precision simulations of acoustics devices. “The upgrades in this version of the Acoustics Module will provide all users with access to critical functionality associated with analysis of acoustics phenomena. These additions greatly enhance the flexibility of COMSOL Multiphysics and will allow users to integrate relevant phenomena more easily and develop more accurate simulations of real-world performance. This will benefit all developers of new products and technologies and increase the rate at which new technologies can reach the marketplace,” concludes Dr. Crompton.
Mobile Devices and Thermoacoustics Simulations
The new modeling tools for thermoviscous acoustics in the Acoustics Module enable highly accurate simulation of miniaturized speakers and microphones for hand-held devices. The ability to include thermoviscous acoustics, also known as thermoacoustics, in a simulation is necessary to accurately model acoustics in geometries with small dimensions. Near walls, viscosity and thermal conduction become important considerations because they create a viscous and a thermal boundary layer where losses are significant. The new thermoacoustics capabilities of the Acoustics Module take such effects fully into account.
Automotive Components and Poroelastic Waves
When creating a virtual prototype of an automotive component with a fibrous or porous filling, how to represent the filling's acoustic damping properties has been a challenge. The Acoustics Module’s new poroelastic wave functionality offers a new and more accurate approach to this challenge.
With traditional simulation methods, engineers confronting this challenge would approximate their filling with a so-called equivalent fluid model. This approach often produced an approximation of reality that was too rough. Using the new poroelastic wave functionality in the Acoustics Module, engineers enter solid and fluid properties into their model directly and the damping is accounted for in the simulation automatically.
“Determining the damping properties of an equivalent fluid model requires a lot of engineering experience,” comments Dr. Herring Jensen. “Even if you've been successful in the past, it is often not valid for the full range of studied parameters. It will never be as accurate as the Acoustics Module's new poroelastic model, which can be used to model virtually any porous medium for a wide range of frequencies.”
Acoustics Module Version 4.2 Highlights
Enables rapid prototyping and optimization of acoustic devices and transducers
Accelerates the investigation of acoustic-induced vibration phenomena in devices
Ideal for the study of material-dependent acoustic phenomena
Works with real CAD geometry models and leading CAD software and formats
User interfaces for:
Simulations in the time and frequency domains
Pressure acoustics
Solid-acoustic interactions
Piezo-acoustic devices
Poroelastic and elastic waves
Thermoacoustics
Combines with the Structural Mechanics Module for shell-acoustic interactions with dedicated user interfaces
Combines with the AC/DC Module for simulations such as electromagnetics and electrical circuits
Filed under:
COMSOL
Jun 16, 2011
New Electrodeposition Module for COMSOL Multiphysics Released
Expansion module empowers shape and composition modeling and simulation of electrodeposits for metallic electroplating, electroforming, and decorative, wear and corrosion-protective coating.
COMSOL, Inc., today announced the release of the Electrodeposition Module, a new add-on expansion module for the company's flagship product COMSOL Multiphysics. The Electrodeposition Module provides engineers the ability to model and simulate the shape and composition of electrodeposits for such processes as copper and gold electroplating in the electronics industry, wear and corrosion-protective coatings of mechanical parts, decorative coatings such as chrome and nickel plating of automotive parts, as well as electroforming of thin and complex manufactured parts.
"The Electrodeposition Module allows for very accurate descriptions of the electrochemistry, heat transfer, and fluid flow in electrochemical cells used for electrodeposition,” says Dr Henrik Ekstrom, technical program manager for electrochemical applications at COMSOL. “With this tool, developers can run realistic simulations of electrodeposition processes, from the micro-scale on up, using interfaces tailored for exactly these applications. This saves a lot of time and money in the development process."
The Electrodeposition Module enables realistic simulations for investigating the influence of cell and electrode geometry, chemistry, material properties, and operating conditions. The shape and composition of a deposited metal layer is modeled with either a thickness variable for very thin layers or as a moving boundary for thicker layers.
"You don’t have to be a modeling expert to make good use of COMSOL," comments Dr. Philippe Gendre, head of research and development at the electroplating firm PEM in Siaugues, France. "By using COMSOL we have made significant advances, often including savings between 10% and 30% of the metal we deposit during electrolysis. With the new Electrodeposition Module, model set up of the electroplating process is very easy. The module includes all the electroplating physical effects in a single user interface, including conductive media for the electrical current, Navier-Stokes for the electrolyte flow, and electrokinetic flow to simulate the transport of species."
Tailored Interfaces and Model Library
The Electrodeposition Module has interfaces for secondary and tertiary current distribution. Laminar flow and heat transfer interfaces, including predefined couplings for electrochemical cells, are also included in the module. Turbulent flow and two-phase flow capabilities are available in combination with COMSOL’s CFD Module.
The secondary current distribution interfaces handle the electrode kinetics at the electrode surfaces and the current conduction in the electrodes and electrolyte. The tertiary current distribution interfaces also include the material balances of the ions in the electrolyte, with transport by diffusion, migration, and convection, which can be modeled together with fluid flow in the cell.
Both the secondary and tertiary current distribution interfaces include detailed modeling of multiple electrode reactions (using, for example, Butler-Volmer expressions), the shape and composition of the deposited layer, and also of possible dissolution processes at the anode.
Each of these functionalities are available as predefined options in the graphical user interface and in combination with any other COMSOL add-on product. The Electrodeposition Module comes with a model library that includes tutorials and benchmark models demonstrating its workflow and capabilities.
“Modeling and simulation are cost effective ways for understanding, optimizing, and controlling electrodeposition processes, so it’s great news for the simulation community that we now offer the Electrodeposition Module for COMSOL’s powerful multiphysics environment,” comments Dr. Ekstrom. “Electrodeposition processes previously beyond reach for simulations are now available in a standard simulation environment with an easy-to-use user interface.”
Electrodeposition Module Highlights
Work with real CAD geometry models and leading CAD formats.
Multiple reactions using full electrode kinetic expressions for the charge transfer for estimating the composition of different metals of the deposit and the extent of hydrogen evolution.
Electroless deposition: Mixed electrode potential and current density calculations at zero net current.
Shape and composition calculations of electrodeposits using Faraday's law and material balances for the deposited or dissolved metal at the electrode surfaces.
Moving boundaries with automatic remeshing for large changes in cathode and anode shape.
Material balances in the electrolyte, including transport by diffusion, migration, convection, and homogenous electrolyte reactions.
Surface chemistry of adsorbed species.
Charge balances using electroneutrality or Poisson's equation.
Current and potential distribution in the electrolyte, at the electrode surfaces, and in the electrodes in the cell.
Fluid flow and heat transfer coupled to ion transport, electric conduction in the electrode, and electrode charge transfer reactions.
COMSOL, Inc., today announced the release of the Electrodeposition Module, a new add-on expansion module for the company's flagship product COMSOL Multiphysics. The Electrodeposition Module provides engineers the ability to model and simulate the shape and composition of electrodeposits for such processes as copper and gold electroplating in the electronics industry, wear and corrosion-protective coatings of mechanical parts, decorative coatings such as chrome and nickel plating of automotive parts, as well as electroforming of thin and complex manufactured parts.
"The Electrodeposition Module allows for very accurate descriptions of the electrochemistry, heat transfer, and fluid flow in electrochemical cells used for electrodeposition,” says Dr Henrik Ekstrom, technical program manager for electrochemical applications at COMSOL. “With this tool, developers can run realistic simulations of electrodeposition processes, from the micro-scale on up, using interfaces tailored for exactly these applications. This saves a lot of time and money in the development process."
The Electrodeposition Module enables realistic simulations for investigating the influence of cell and electrode geometry, chemistry, material properties, and operating conditions. The shape and composition of a deposited metal layer is modeled with either a thickness variable for very thin layers or as a moving boundary for thicker layers.
"You don’t have to be a modeling expert to make good use of COMSOL," comments Dr. Philippe Gendre, head of research and development at the electroplating firm PEM in Siaugues, France. "By using COMSOL we have made significant advances, often including savings between 10% and 30% of the metal we deposit during electrolysis. With the new Electrodeposition Module, model set up of the electroplating process is very easy. The module includes all the electroplating physical effects in a single user interface, including conductive media for the electrical current, Navier-Stokes for the electrolyte flow, and electrokinetic flow to simulate the transport of species."
Tailored Interfaces and Model Library
The Electrodeposition Module has interfaces for secondary and tertiary current distribution. Laminar flow and heat transfer interfaces, including predefined couplings for electrochemical cells, are also included in the module. Turbulent flow and two-phase flow capabilities are available in combination with COMSOL’s CFD Module.
The secondary current distribution interfaces handle the electrode kinetics at the electrode surfaces and the current conduction in the electrodes and electrolyte. The tertiary current distribution interfaces also include the material balances of the ions in the electrolyte, with transport by diffusion, migration, and convection, which can be modeled together with fluid flow in the cell.
Both the secondary and tertiary current distribution interfaces include detailed modeling of multiple electrode reactions (using, for example, Butler-Volmer expressions), the shape and composition of the deposited layer, and also of possible dissolution processes at the anode.
Each of these functionalities are available as predefined options in the graphical user interface and in combination with any other COMSOL add-on product. The Electrodeposition Module comes with a model library that includes tutorials and benchmark models demonstrating its workflow and capabilities.
“Modeling and simulation are cost effective ways for understanding, optimizing, and controlling electrodeposition processes, so it’s great news for the simulation community that we now offer the Electrodeposition Module for COMSOL’s powerful multiphysics environment,” comments Dr. Ekstrom. “Electrodeposition processes previously beyond reach for simulations are now available in a standard simulation environment with an easy-to-use user interface.”
Electrodeposition Module Highlights
Work with real CAD geometry models and leading CAD formats.
Multiple reactions using full electrode kinetic expressions for the charge transfer for estimating the composition of different metals of the deposit and the extent of hydrogen evolution.
Electroless deposition: Mixed electrode potential and current density calculations at zero net current.
Shape and composition calculations of electrodeposits using Faraday's law and material balances for the deposited or dissolved metal at the electrode surfaces.
Moving boundaries with automatic remeshing for large changes in cathode and anode shape.
Material balances in the electrolyte, including transport by diffusion, migration, convection, and homogenous electrolyte reactions.
Surface chemistry of adsorbed species.
Charge balances using electroneutrality or Poisson's equation.
Current and potential distribution in the electrolyte, at the electrode surfaces, and in the electrodes in the cell.
Fluid flow and heat transfer coupled to ion transport, electric conduction in the electrode, and electrode charge transfer reactions.
Filed under:
COMSOL
Jun 13, 2011
COMSOL Announces ATOA Scientific Technologies as Certified Consultant
Bangalore – COMSOL, developer of the award-winning COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software, announces that engineering simulations solution provider ATOA Scientific Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (ATOAST) has become its first COMSOL Certified Consultant in India. ATOAST provides advanced engineering simulation, industrial technology, and research services in such areas as engineered materials, product, process, and system design. The company specializes in helping its clients accelerate product development and reduce costs through multiphysics optimization of product designs in such areas as acoustics, chemical, electromagnetics, flow, optical, structural, and thermal.
“We’re delighted to announce the certification of ATOA Scientific Technologies as the first COMSOL Certified Consultant in the Indian Subcontinent,” says Vineet Dravid, Managing Director of COMSOL Multiphysics Pvt. Ltd. "ATOAST enables us to better serve leading-edge industries researching and developing new products and breakthrough technologies in areas as diverse as nano mechanics, nano biometrics, multimaterials, and composite materials.”
Headquartered in Bangalore and serving a global client base, ATOAST provides multiphysics expertise that can help manufacturers, developers, and researchers solve complex problems involving computational mechanics, multiphysics modeling, engineered materials, systems, and application technology. Multiscale simulations for linking macro engineering to micro mechanics to nano mechanics for products engineered from atomic level is a key area of the company's expertise. Additionally, ATOAST offers clients services for material characterization, prototyping, experimental testing for validation and verification, and part performance evaluation through its technology partner network.
"We work collaboratively with our clients to develop new products and technologies as well as to improve the performance and reduce costs of existing products and processes," says Dr. Raj C. Thiagarajan, Managing Director at ATOAST. "We leverage state-of-the-art simulation tools, such as COMSOL Multiphysics, and the most modern methodologies to provide high-level engineering simulation, research, and virtual product development services."
ATOAST developed its core competency in multiphysics modeling over decades of practical experience. It has worked with clients in diverse set of industries including aerospace, automotive, industrial, medical, and renewable energy. Multiphysics application areas frequently encountered include aero-acoustics, aero-elasticity, biomechanics, chemical transport, conjugate heat transfer, fluid structure, piezoelectrics, RF heating, and thermo electricity.
"The business vision of ATOAST is to become a global leader in providing multiphysics engineering simulation services and solutions," says Dr. Thiagarajan. "Our technical vision is to proliferate multiphysics engineering simulations and material unity for innovative material, product, process, and system design by bridging atom to application."
"Achieving recognition as a COMSOL Consultant," adds Dr. Thiagarajan, "means that we are able to offer manufacturers and product developers certified engineering simulation expertise using world leading multiphysics analysis system."
The worldwide group of experts that are COMSOL Certified Consultants are innovative problem solvers who use their extensive experience with COMSOL Multiphysics and its discipline-specific products to deliver turnkey solutions for a wide range of modeling projects. COMSOL Certified Consultants produce ready-to-run models and reports as well as in-depth analyses of simulation results. The collective expertise of the COMSOL Certified Consultant group covers a breadth of applications and has resulted in the commercialization of many patented products.
“We’re delighted to announce the certification of ATOA Scientific Technologies as the first COMSOL Certified Consultant in the Indian Subcontinent,” says Vineet Dravid, Managing Director of COMSOL Multiphysics Pvt. Ltd. "ATOAST enables us to better serve leading-edge industries researching and developing new products and breakthrough technologies in areas as diverse as nano mechanics, nano biometrics, multimaterials, and composite materials.”
Headquartered in Bangalore and serving a global client base, ATOAST provides multiphysics expertise that can help manufacturers, developers, and researchers solve complex problems involving computational mechanics, multiphysics modeling, engineered materials, systems, and application technology. Multiscale simulations for linking macro engineering to micro mechanics to nano mechanics for products engineered from atomic level is a key area of the company's expertise. Additionally, ATOAST offers clients services for material characterization, prototyping, experimental testing for validation and verification, and part performance evaluation through its technology partner network.
"We work collaboratively with our clients to develop new products and technologies as well as to improve the performance and reduce costs of existing products and processes," says Dr. Raj C. Thiagarajan, Managing Director at ATOAST. "We leverage state-of-the-art simulation tools, such as COMSOL Multiphysics, and the most modern methodologies to provide high-level engineering simulation, research, and virtual product development services."
ATOAST developed its core competency in multiphysics modeling over decades of practical experience. It has worked with clients in diverse set of industries including aerospace, automotive, industrial, medical, and renewable energy. Multiphysics application areas frequently encountered include aero-acoustics, aero-elasticity, biomechanics, chemical transport, conjugate heat transfer, fluid structure, piezoelectrics, RF heating, and thermo electricity.
"The business vision of ATOAST is to become a global leader in providing multiphysics engineering simulation services and solutions," says Dr. Thiagarajan. "Our technical vision is to proliferate multiphysics engineering simulations and material unity for innovative material, product, process, and system design by bridging atom to application."
"Achieving recognition as a COMSOL Consultant," adds Dr. Thiagarajan, "means that we are able to offer manufacturers and product developers certified engineering simulation expertise using world leading multiphysics analysis system."
The worldwide group of experts that are COMSOL Certified Consultants are innovative problem solvers who use their extensive experience with COMSOL Multiphysics and its discipline-specific products to deliver turnkey solutions for a wide range of modeling projects. COMSOL Certified Consultants produce ready-to-run models and reports as well as in-depth analyses of simulation results. The collective expertise of the COMSOL Certified Consultant group covers a breadth of applications and has resulted in the commercialization of many patented products.
Filed under:
COMSOL
May 30, 2011
COMSOL Introduces the Microfluidics Module
The new Microfluidics Module from COMSOL provides an integrated environment for modeling microfluidic and rarefied flows.
COMSOL, Inc., the makers of the award winning COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software, today announced the release of the Microfluidics Module. Based on COMSOL Multiphysics, the Microfluidics Module brings easy-to-use tools for the study of microfluidic devices and rarefied gas flows. The module is designed for researchers, engineers, and experimentalists in the fields of microfluidics and vacuum science. Target application areas include lab-on-chip devices, digital microfluidics, biosensors, electrokinetic and magnetokinetic devices, inkjet technology, and vacuum system design. The module is accompanied by a suite of tutorial and industrially relevant models that serve as both instructional examples and as a foundation for future work.
“The simulation of microfluidic devices frequently requires multiple physical effects to be incorporated,” comments Dr. James Ransley, developer of the Microfluidics Module with COMSOL, Inc. “The Microfluidics Module offers a range of tools to deal with single- and multi-phase flows, transport and chemical reactions, flow in porous media, and rarefied flows. Thanks to the single user-interface in COMSOL for modeling all physics, these phenomena can be seamlessly coupled with thermal and electromagnetic effects.”
Specialized Microfluidics Interfaces
The Microfluidics Module includes interfaces for single-phase flow. With these interfaces users can simulate such applications as compressible gas flows at low pressures, non-Newtonian flows (for example blood flow), and laminar and creeping flows that typically occur in lab-on–a-chip systems.
A particular strength in this module is its modeling interfaces for executing two-phase flow simulations using the level set, phase field, and moving mesh methods. A variety of important fluid-interface effects are included such as surface tension forces, capillary forces, and Marangoni effects.
These flow simulation tools and the multiphysics capabilities of COMSOL make it easy to set up coupled electrokinetic and magnetohydrodynamic models for the simulation of electrophoresis, magnetophoresis, dielectrophoresis, electroosmosis, and electrowetting effects that are used alone or in combinations in both existing and emerging passive electronic display technologies for their basic function.
The COMSOL Model Wizard lets Microfluidics Module users choose from a wide range of functionalities to address fluid flow and other coupled phenomena.
“We strongly believe that the Microfluidics Module will offer a very attractive set of tools for our electronic display customers,” comments Dr. Ransley. Chemical diffusion for multiple dilute species is also included in the module, enabling the simulation of processes occurring in lab-on-chip devices and biosensors.
Molecular Flow
The Microfluidics Module comes with a new free molecular flow interface that uses the fast angular coefficient method and allows for simulations where the molecular mean free path is much longer than the geometric dimensions. Combined with COMSOL’s LiveLink interfaces for industry-standard CAD packages, this tool is invaluable for vacuum system design because it enables users to run quick parametric studies of chamber geometries and pump configurations.
Tutorials
The Microfluidics Module is supplied with a set of fully documented industrially relevant and tutorial models:
Capillary Rise
Jet Instability
Drug Delivery System
Electrokinetic Valve
Electroosmotic Mixer
Electrowetting Lens
Lamella Mixer
Star Chip
Viscous Catenary
Vacuum Capillary
Ion Implanter
“The Microfludics Module combines proven and robust multiphysics solvers with the easy-to-use user interface of COMSOL together with a range of solutions targeted at microfluidics applications,” concludes Dr. Ransley. “The net result is a product with unprecedented ease of use which can handle arbitrarily complicated industrial and academic problems.”
Microfluidics Module Highlights
COMSOL, Inc., the makers of the award winning COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software, today announced the release of the Microfluidics Module. Based on COMSOL Multiphysics, the Microfluidics Module brings easy-to-use tools for the study of microfluidic devices and rarefied gas flows. The module is designed for researchers, engineers, and experimentalists in the fields of microfluidics and vacuum science. Target application areas include lab-on-chip devices, digital microfluidics, biosensors, electrokinetic and magnetokinetic devices, inkjet technology, and vacuum system design. The module is accompanied by a suite of tutorial and industrially relevant models that serve as both instructional examples and as a foundation for future work.
“The simulation of microfluidic devices frequently requires multiple physical effects to be incorporated,” comments Dr. James Ransley, developer of the Microfluidics Module with COMSOL, Inc. “The Microfluidics Module offers a range of tools to deal with single- and multi-phase flows, transport and chemical reactions, flow in porous media, and rarefied flows. Thanks to the single user-interface in COMSOL for modeling all physics, these phenomena can be seamlessly coupled with thermal and electromagnetic effects.”
Specialized Microfluidics Interfaces
The Microfluidics Module includes interfaces for single-phase flow. With these interfaces users can simulate such applications as compressible gas flows at low pressures, non-Newtonian flows (for example blood flow), and laminar and creeping flows that typically occur in lab-on–a-chip systems.
A particular strength in this module is its modeling interfaces for executing two-phase flow simulations using the level set, phase field, and moving mesh methods. A variety of important fluid-interface effects are included such as surface tension forces, capillary forces, and Marangoni effects.
These flow simulation tools and the multiphysics capabilities of COMSOL make it easy to set up coupled electrokinetic and magnetohydrodynamic models for the simulation of electrophoresis, magnetophoresis, dielectrophoresis, electroosmosis, and electrowetting effects that are used alone or in combinations in both existing and emerging passive electronic display technologies for their basic function.
The COMSOL Model Wizard lets Microfluidics Module users choose from a wide range of functionalities to address fluid flow and other coupled phenomena.
“We strongly believe that the Microfluidics Module will offer a very attractive set of tools for our electronic display customers,” comments Dr. Ransley. Chemical diffusion for multiple dilute species is also included in the module, enabling the simulation of processes occurring in lab-on-chip devices and biosensors.
Molecular Flow
The Microfluidics Module comes with a new free molecular flow interface that uses the fast angular coefficient method and allows for simulations where the molecular mean free path is much longer than the geometric dimensions. Combined with COMSOL’s LiveLink interfaces for industry-standard CAD packages, this tool is invaluable for vacuum system design because it enables users to run quick parametric studies of chamber geometries and pump configurations.
Tutorials
The Microfluidics Module is supplied with a set of fully documented industrially relevant and tutorial models:
Capillary Rise
Jet Instability
Drug Delivery System
Electrokinetic Valve
Electroosmotic Mixer
Electrowetting Lens
Lamella Mixer
Star Chip
Viscous Catenary
Vacuum Capillary
Ion Implanter
“The Microfludics Module combines proven and robust multiphysics solvers with the easy-to-use user interface of COMSOL together with a range of solutions targeted at microfluidics applications,” concludes Dr. Ransley. “The net result is a product with unprecedented ease of use which can handle arbitrarily complicated industrial and academic problems.”
Microfluidics Module Highlights
- Model single-phase, multiphase, and porous media flows with dedicated physics interfaces.
- Multiphase flows can be simulated with Level Set, Phase field, and Moving Mesh physics interfaces.
- Incorporation of essential microfluidic effects such as electrophoresis, magnetophoresis, dielectrophoresis, electroosmosis, and electrowetting.
- Model chemical diffusion with multiple dilute species. Diffusion and reactions in one phase of a two-phase flow with the two-phase flow moving mesh interface.
- Solve stationary, highly rarefied flows, such as flows in high vacuum systems, using the free molecular flow interface.
Filed under:
COMSOL
May 19, 2011
Expanding Multiphysics Applications with COMSOL Version 4.2
Burlington, MA — COMSOL, Inc., announced today the release of the latest version of COMSOL Multiphysics, its award-winning simulation environment. Version 4.2, which expands the scope of applications covered by COMSOL, is now available and will be shipped to all customers with current subscriptions.
“The vision behind Version 4 was to provide a foundation for our customers to reach broader audiences,” says Svante Littmarck, President and CEO of COMSOL. “The implication, and what we’re delivering with 4.2, is an expanded product offering based on that platform.”
Version 4.2 expands the applications covered by COMSOL with three new application modules – Microfluidics, Geomechanics, and Electrodeposition – and new LiveLink interfaces for AutoCAD® and SpaceClaim®.
“This release really bolsters our offerings to meet market demands in several directions,” says Littmarck. “Mechanical, electromagnetic, chemical, fluid, and CAD interoperability are all covered in this release. Even areas not explicitly addressed will benefit from the improved solver technology.”
“The list of features included in Version 4.2 is indeed impressive,” adds Littmarck. “By any measure, this is a major release. General geometry and meshing, solvers, postprocessing, and, as COMSOL’s customers have come to expect, user interface enhancements have all been upgraded. These new capabilities reach all products throughout the COMSOL environment, both existing and new.”
Core multiphysics capabilities accelerate simulation performance
Central to this release are the core development initiatives undertaken by COMSOL. The result is improved and expanded multiphysics simulation performance for all users. New capabilities target geometry, mesh, and solver functionality. The impact is primarily on what is already a strength of COMSOL: speed.
Version 4.2 includes new virtual geometry tools for creating a mesh that identifies the essential parts of the original CAD model to enable faster and more memory efficient solving. Time-dependent adaptive meshing and automatic remeshing tightly link solvers and meshing algorithms for any moving mesh analysis. Models with moving diffusion fronts are solved more efficiently as are simulations involving removal and deposition of materials.
The new Parametric Surfaces feature allows for creation of surfaces based on analytical expressions or look-up table data. This is especially crucial for importing topographical data for earth science applications.
The COMSOL direct solvers have been multicore and cluster-enabled for several years. With Version 4.2, the multiphysics assembly algorithms and iterative solvers have now also been parallelized, bringing you faster and more memory-efficient computations on virtually any type of computer platform, from laptop to cluster.
“The parallelized assembly means that a lot of users get a lot of speed,” comments Bjorn Sjodin, Vice President of Product Management with COMSOL. “Benchmark tests indicate a speed-up of 425% for a laminar flow static mixer and 164% increase for a microfluidic lab-on-a-chip simulation.”
Updated Model Builder brings new convenience tools to the modeling desktop
In Version 4.2, COMSOL has responded to customers requests with a new Report Generator for publishing results data. For a given model, this integrated, customizable tool lets users create data-rich HTML reports of varying degrees of detail, from brief to complete. Several reports can be added to a single model, enabling users to communicate all their important data in a well-organized, easy-to-read format.
The COMSOL Desktop with the Model Builder is COMSOL’s breakthrough user interface first introduced with Version 4.0. Drag-and-drop is now supported in the Model Builder tree to quickly edit the contents of a model. The presentation of simulation results is also updated. In the Model Builder, default plots are customized to adapt to the physics in the model with descriptive names. New plot types include histogram plots for statistical analysis, Nyquist plots for frequency response studies, and ribbon plots for flows.
CAD interoperability
CAD interoperability has always been important to COMSOL users, and this core aspect of simulation has been expanded significantly in Version 4.2.
The LiveLink for SolidWorks® interface has been extended with a One Window Interface where a SolidWorks user can stay inside of the SolidWorks environment and work synchronously with COMSOL Multiphysics.
The new LiveLink for SpaceClaim interface fuses direct modeling and multiphysics simulation in a tightly integrated environment. Similarly, with the new LiveLink for AutoCAD users can transfer a 3D geometry from AutoCAD to COMSOL Multiphysics. For both products, the synchronized geometry in the COMSOL model stays associative with the CAD geometry in its native format. This means that settings applied to the geometry, such as physics or mesh settings, are retained after subsequent synchronizations. The LiveLink interface is also bidirectional, allowing users to initiate a change of the CAD geometry from the COMSOL model.
Application-specific news
The Acoustics Module features new dedicated modeling tools for thermoviscous acoustics that enable highly accurate simulations of miniaturized speakers and microphones in cell phones and other handheld devices. This type of analysis will be increasingly more important as markets come to expect full, high-quality audio experiences in small packages.
The Structural Mechanics, MEMS, and Acoustics Modules offer new powerful and easy-to-use tools for prestressed analysis of eigenmodes and frequency response. Structures modeled with the Solid Mechanics interface can be prestressed by mechanical, thermal, or arbitrary multiphysics-based loads.
The new High-Mach Number Fluid Flow interface in the CFD Module applies to viscous, compressible flows with velocities greater than 0.3 times the speed of sound. The flow can be choked or non-choked and shock waves may or may not be present. The interface is suitable for designing nozzles, pipe networks, and valves, and for modeling aerodynamic phenomena.
For heat transfer in thin layers, a new multilayer option in the Heat Transfer Module makes it easy to model thin structures with multiple layers of different conductivity quickly.
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module and the Plasma Module have been enhanced with new surface reaction tools for bidirectional adsorption-type simulations where surface species communicate with species of the surrounding bulk. Important applications include chemical vapor deposition (CVD) as well as plasma-enhanced CVD. The Batteries & Fuel Cells Module now features a new AC Impedance Study type for simulating electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A new Surface Reactions interface enables modeling of surface reactions on boundary surfaces. The updated Batteries and Fuel Cells Material Library now comes with common battery electrode materials and electrolytes.
The RF Module features new tools for efficient plasmonics simulations where coefficients for refraction, specular reflection, and first-order diffraction are all computed as functions of the angle of incidence. This analysis is made possible by a new Floquet-type periodic boundary condition.
The Microfluidics Module
The new Microfluidics Module brings easy-to-use tools for the study of microfluidic devices and rarefied gas flows. Important applications include simulations of lab-on-a-chip devices, digital microfluidics, electrokinetic and magnetokinetic devices, inkjets, and vacuum systems.
In addition to enhanced interfaces for single-phase flow, Microfluidics Module users have dedicated interfaces for two-phase flow using the level set, phase field, and moving mesh methods. Each of these interfaces includes surface tension forces, capillary forces, and Marangoni effects.
COMSOL’s general-purpose multiphysics features make it easy to set up coupled electrokinetic and magnetodynamic simulations such as electrophoresis, magnetophoresis, dielectrophoresis, electroosmosis, and electrowetting. The chemical diffusion and reactions for dilute species interfaces included in the Microfluidics Module enable the simulation of processes occurring in lab-on-a-chip devices. For simulating rarefied gas flows, specialized boundary conditions that activate flow simulation in the slip flow regime are provided.
A new free molecular flow interface using the fast angular coefficient method allows for simulations where the molecular mean free path is much longer than the geometric dimensions. Combined with COMSOL’s LiveLink interfaces for industry-standard CAD packages, this tool is invaluable for vacuum system design, allowing quick parametric studies of chamber geometries and pump configurations.
The Geomechanics Module
The new Geomechanics Module is a specialized add-on to the Structural Mechanics Module that enables simulations of geotechnical applications such as tunnels, excavations, slope stability, and retaining structures. The module features tailored interfaces to study plasticity, deformation, and failure of soils and rocks, as well as their interaction with concrete and human-made structures.
A variety of material models for soils are provided: Cam-clay, Drucker-Prager, Mohr-Coulomb, Matsuoka-Naka, and Lade-Duncan. In addition to the built-in plasticity models, user-defined yield functions can be created using the equation-based user interface provided by the COMSOL Multiphysics environment. Dependencies of a computed temperature field as well as other field quantities can be blended into these material definitions.
The Geomechanics Module is also a powerful tool for modeling concrete and rock materials. The Willam-Warnke, Bresler-Pister, Ottosen, and Hoek-Brown models, which are available as built-in options, can be adapted and extended by users to a more general class of brittle materials. Additionally, the Geomechanics Module can easily be combined with analyses from other COMSOL modules such as the porous media flow, poroelasticity, and solute transport functionality of the Subsurface Flow Module.
The Electrodeposition Module
Modeling and simulations are cost effective ways for understanding, optimizing, and controlling electrodeposition processes. A typical simulation yields the current distribution at the surface of the electrodes and the thickness and composition of the deposited layer. They are used to study important parameters such as cell geometry, electrolyte composition, electrode kinetics, operating voltages and currents, as well as temperature effects.
The Electrodeposition Module brings the power of COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate electrodeposition processes. Easy-to-use physics interfaces are provided for primary, secondary, and tertiary current distribution models, while very accurate geometric representations of deposited layer buildup are included as model parameters.
The Electrodeposition Module is applicable to a variety of diverse applications including; metal deposition for electronics and electrical parts, corrosion and wear protection, decorative electroplating, electroforming of parts with thin and complex structures, and metal electrowinning.
The expanding multiphysics universe
COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2 represents a significant expansion of the software’s applications, features, and functionality. Version 4.2 empowers current users to do more with their simulation environments, while new industries will now be able to leverage the innovation of multiphysics simulation. With this release, COMSOL continues to deliver on its promise to supply the science and engineering markets with the state-of-the-art simulation products for an expanding set of applications.
Version 4.2 highlights
Microfluidics Module brings easy-to-use tools for the study of microfluidic devices and rarefied gas flows.
Geomechanics Module enables multiphysics modeling in geotechnical applications such as tunnels, excavations, slope stability, and retaining structures.
Electrodeposition Module brings the power of COMSOL to electrochemical processes for chrome plating, e-coating, electro-coloring, decorative electroplating, and electrodeposition.
LiveLink for AutoCAD makes COMSOL Multiphysics simulations in 3D available for AutoCAD users.
LiveLink for SpaceClaim brings the fusion of direct modeling and multiphysics simulation in a tightly integrated environment.
One Window Interface for the LiveLink for SolidWorks allows SolidWorks user to stay inside of the SolidWorks environment and work synchronously with COMSOL Multiphysics.
Fast multiphysics assembly brings faster and more memory efficient computations on virtually any type of computer platform, from laptop to cluster.
Report Generator creates HTML reports for models of varying degrees of detail, from brief to complete.
Compressible High-Mach Number Flow for designing nozzles, pipe networks, and valves, and for modeling aerodynamic phenomena.
Virtual Geometry tools allow for modification of CAD models without changing the underlying surface curvature and enable very efficient meshing.
Time-dependent adaptive meshing automatically resolves sharp diffusion fronts in two-phase flow simulations, bringing faster and more accurate simulations.
Automatic Remeshing makes more extreme deformation states possible where a simulation with moving mesh is used.
“The vision behind Version 4 was to provide a foundation for our customers to reach broader audiences,” says Svante Littmarck, President and CEO of COMSOL. “The implication, and what we’re delivering with 4.2, is an expanded product offering based on that platform.”
Version 4.2 expands the applications covered by COMSOL with three new application modules – Microfluidics, Geomechanics, and Electrodeposition – and new LiveLink interfaces for AutoCAD® and SpaceClaim®.
“This release really bolsters our offerings to meet market demands in several directions,” says Littmarck. “Mechanical, electromagnetic, chemical, fluid, and CAD interoperability are all covered in this release. Even areas not explicitly addressed will benefit from the improved solver technology.”
“The list of features included in Version 4.2 is indeed impressive,” adds Littmarck. “By any measure, this is a major release. General geometry and meshing, solvers, postprocessing, and, as COMSOL’s customers have come to expect, user interface enhancements have all been upgraded. These new capabilities reach all products throughout the COMSOL environment, both existing and new.”
Core multiphysics capabilities accelerate simulation performance
Central to this release are the core development initiatives undertaken by COMSOL. The result is improved and expanded multiphysics simulation performance for all users. New capabilities target geometry, mesh, and solver functionality. The impact is primarily on what is already a strength of COMSOL: speed.
Version 4.2 includes new virtual geometry tools for creating a mesh that identifies the essential parts of the original CAD model to enable faster and more memory efficient solving. Time-dependent adaptive meshing and automatic remeshing tightly link solvers and meshing algorithms for any moving mesh analysis. Models with moving diffusion fronts are solved more efficiently as are simulations involving removal and deposition of materials.
The new Parametric Surfaces feature allows for creation of surfaces based on analytical expressions or look-up table data. This is especially crucial for importing topographical data for earth science applications.
The COMSOL direct solvers have been multicore and cluster-enabled for several years. With Version 4.2, the multiphysics assembly algorithms and iterative solvers have now also been parallelized, bringing you faster and more memory-efficient computations on virtually any type of computer platform, from laptop to cluster.
“The parallelized assembly means that a lot of users get a lot of speed,” comments Bjorn Sjodin, Vice President of Product Management with COMSOL. “Benchmark tests indicate a speed-up of 425% for a laminar flow static mixer and 164% increase for a microfluidic lab-on-a-chip simulation.”
Updated Model Builder brings new convenience tools to the modeling desktop
In Version 4.2, COMSOL has responded to customers requests with a new Report Generator for publishing results data. For a given model, this integrated, customizable tool lets users create data-rich HTML reports of varying degrees of detail, from brief to complete. Several reports can be added to a single model, enabling users to communicate all their important data in a well-organized, easy-to-read format.
The COMSOL Desktop with the Model Builder is COMSOL’s breakthrough user interface first introduced with Version 4.0. Drag-and-drop is now supported in the Model Builder tree to quickly edit the contents of a model. The presentation of simulation results is also updated. In the Model Builder, default plots are customized to adapt to the physics in the model with descriptive names. New plot types include histogram plots for statistical analysis, Nyquist plots for frequency response studies, and ribbon plots for flows.
CAD interoperability
CAD interoperability has always been important to COMSOL users, and this core aspect of simulation has been expanded significantly in Version 4.2.
The LiveLink for SolidWorks® interface has been extended with a One Window Interface where a SolidWorks user can stay inside of the SolidWorks environment and work synchronously with COMSOL Multiphysics.
The new LiveLink for SpaceClaim interface fuses direct modeling and multiphysics simulation in a tightly integrated environment. Similarly, with the new LiveLink for AutoCAD users can transfer a 3D geometry from AutoCAD to COMSOL Multiphysics. For both products, the synchronized geometry in the COMSOL model stays associative with the CAD geometry in its native format. This means that settings applied to the geometry, such as physics or mesh settings, are retained after subsequent synchronizations. The LiveLink interface is also bidirectional, allowing users to initiate a change of the CAD geometry from the COMSOL model.
Application-specific news
The Acoustics Module features new dedicated modeling tools for thermoviscous acoustics that enable highly accurate simulations of miniaturized speakers and microphones in cell phones and other handheld devices. This type of analysis will be increasingly more important as markets come to expect full, high-quality audio experiences in small packages.
The Structural Mechanics, MEMS, and Acoustics Modules offer new powerful and easy-to-use tools for prestressed analysis of eigenmodes and frequency response. Structures modeled with the Solid Mechanics interface can be prestressed by mechanical, thermal, or arbitrary multiphysics-based loads.
The new High-Mach Number Fluid Flow interface in the CFD Module applies to viscous, compressible flows with velocities greater than 0.3 times the speed of sound. The flow can be choked or non-choked and shock waves may or may not be present. The interface is suitable for designing nozzles, pipe networks, and valves, and for modeling aerodynamic phenomena.
For heat transfer in thin layers, a new multilayer option in the Heat Transfer Module makes it easy to model thin structures with multiple layers of different conductivity quickly.
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module and the Plasma Module have been enhanced with new surface reaction tools for bidirectional adsorption-type simulations where surface species communicate with species of the surrounding bulk. Important applications include chemical vapor deposition (CVD) as well as plasma-enhanced CVD. The Batteries & Fuel Cells Module now features a new AC Impedance Study type for simulating electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A new Surface Reactions interface enables modeling of surface reactions on boundary surfaces. The updated Batteries and Fuel Cells Material Library now comes with common battery electrode materials and electrolytes.
The RF Module features new tools for efficient plasmonics simulations where coefficients for refraction, specular reflection, and first-order diffraction are all computed as functions of the angle of incidence. This analysis is made possible by a new Floquet-type periodic boundary condition.
The Microfluidics Module
The new Microfluidics Module brings easy-to-use tools for the study of microfluidic devices and rarefied gas flows. Important applications include simulations of lab-on-a-chip devices, digital microfluidics, electrokinetic and magnetokinetic devices, inkjets, and vacuum systems.
In addition to enhanced interfaces for single-phase flow, Microfluidics Module users have dedicated interfaces for two-phase flow using the level set, phase field, and moving mesh methods. Each of these interfaces includes surface tension forces, capillary forces, and Marangoni effects.
COMSOL’s general-purpose multiphysics features make it easy to set up coupled electrokinetic and magnetodynamic simulations such as electrophoresis, magnetophoresis, dielectrophoresis, electroosmosis, and electrowetting. The chemical diffusion and reactions for dilute species interfaces included in the Microfluidics Module enable the simulation of processes occurring in lab-on-a-chip devices. For simulating rarefied gas flows, specialized boundary conditions that activate flow simulation in the slip flow regime are provided.
A new free molecular flow interface using the fast angular coefficient method allows for simulations where the molecular mean free path is much longer than the geometric dimensions. Combined with COMSOL’s LiveLink interfaces for industry-standard CAD packages, this tool is invaluable for vacuum system design, allowing quick parametric studies of chamber geometries and pump configurations.
The Geomechanics Module
The new Geomechanics Module is a specialized add-on to the Structural Mechanics Module that enables simulations of geotechnical applications such as tunnels, excavations, slope stability, and retaining structures. The module features tailored interfaces to study plasticity, deformation, and failure of soils and rocks, as well as their interaction with concrete and human-made structures.
A variety of material models for soils are provided: Cam-clay, Drucker-Prager, Mohr-Coulomb, Matsuoka-Naka, and Lade-Duncan. In addition to the built-in plasticity models, user-defined yield functions can be created using the equation-based user interface provided by the COMSOL Multiphysics environment. Dependencies of a computed temperature field as well as other field quantities can be blended into these material definitions.
The Geomechanics Module is also a powerful tool for modeling concrete and rock materials. The Willam-Warnke, Bresler-Pister, Ottosen, and Hoek-Brown models, which are available as built-in options, can be adapted and extended by users to a more general class of brittle materials. Additionally, the Geomechanics Module can easily be combined with analyses from other COMSOL modules such as the porous media flow, poroelasticity, and solute transport functionality of the Subsurface Flow Module.
The Electrodeposition Module
Modeling and simulations are cost effective ways for understanding, optimizing, and controlling electrodeposition processes. A typical simulation yields the current distribution at the surface of the electrodes and the thickness and composition of the deposited layer. They are used to study important parameters such as cell geometry, electrolyte composition, electrode kinetics, operating voltages and currents, as well as temperature effects.
The Electrodeposition Module brings the power of COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate electrodeposition processes. Easy-to-use physics interfaces are provided for primary, secondary, and tertiary current distribution models, while very accurate geometric representations of deposited layer buildup are included as model parameters.
The Electrodeposition Module is applicable to a variety of diverse applications including; metal deposition for electronics and electrical parts, corrosion and wear protection, decorative electroplating, electroforming of parts with thin and complex structures, and metal electrowinning.
The expanding multiphysics universe
COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2 represents a significant expansion of the software’s applications, features, and functionality. Version 4.2 empowers current users to do more with their simulation environments, while new industries will now be able to leverage the innovation of multiphysics simulation. With this release, COMSOL continues to deliver on its promise to supply the science and engineering markets with the state-of-the-art simulation products for an expanding set of applications.
Version 4.2 highlights
Microfluidics Module brings easy-to-use tools for the study of microfluidic devices and rarefied gas flows.
Geomechanics Module enables multiphysics modeling in geotechnical applications such as tunnels, excavations, slope stability, and retaining structures.
Electrodeposition Module brings the power of COMSOL to electrochemical processes for chrome plating, e-coating, electro-coloring, decorative electroplating, and electrodeposition.
LiveLink for AutoCAD makes COMSOL Multiphysics simulations in 3D available for AutoCAD users.
LiveLink for SpaceClaim brings the fusion of direct modeling and multiphysics simulation in a tightly integrated environment.
One Window Interface for the LiveLink for SolidWorks allows SolidWorks user to stay inside of the SolidWorks environment and work synchronously with COMSOL Multiphysics.
Fast multiphysics assembly brings faster and more memory efficient computations on virtually any type of computer platform, from laptop to cluster.
Report Generator creates HTML reports for models of varying degrees of detail, from brief to complete.
Compressible High-Mach Number Flow for designing nozzles, pipe networks, and valves, and for modeling aerodynamic phenomena.
Virtual Geometry tools allow for modification of CAD models without changing the underlying surface curvature and enable very efficient meshing.
Time-dependent adaptive meshing automatically resolves sharp diffusion fronts in two-phase flow simulations, bringing faster and more accurate simulations.
Automatic Remeshing makes more extreme deformation states possible where a simulation with moving mesh is used.
Filed under:
COMSOL
May 4, 2011
SB Microsystems Becomes COMSOL Certified Consultant
Consultancy, specializing in the design, simulation, prototyping, and testing of micro-fluidic devices and micro electro-mechanical system fabrication, certified as COMSOL Multiphysics experts.
BURLINGTON, MA – COMSOL, Inc., developer of the industry-leading COMSOL Multiphysics modeling and simulation environment for scientists and engineers, announces that SB Microsystems has achieved COMSOL Certified Consultant status. SB Microsystems provides its clients engineering expertise in MEMS (micro electro-mechanical systems) and micro-fluidic device design, simulation, prototyping, testing, and fabrication. It offers particular expertise in medical and scientific sensors and instrumentation in which micro-scale miniaturization and low power consumption are critical criteria for its clients' success.
“We’re delighted to announce the certification of SB Microsystems as a COMSOL Consultant,” says Bernt Nilsson, Senior VP of Marketing, COMSOL, Inc. "SB Microsystems enables us to better serve our users developing micro-fluidic devices as well as those researching and developing new products leveraging MEMS-based technologies in such emerging fields as implantable biological sensors, miniature analytical instruments, and sensors for point-of-care medical testing."
Headquartered in Columbia, MD, SB Microsystems provides research, development, and consulting services for clients both public and private worldwide. The company works with clients at any step within the MEMS and micro-fluidic device development and fabrication lifecycle. Additional services rendered include process design as well as detailed design ranging from final mask-level layout, circuit design, and CAD drawings of traditionally machined parts. SB Microsystems also maintains in-house testing facilities that can meet requirements ranging from simple acceptance testing through to complete bench-top and environmental characterization.
"Many of our projects begin with theoretical proof-of-concept and continue right on through the formalization of agreements with semiconductor foundries and vendors," says Brian Jamieson, President of SB Microsystems.
A key to SB Microsystems' attention to good engineering design is its extensive, hands-on experience with such state-of-the-art techniques and tools as the COMSOL MEMS Module, according to Jamieson. The module, which solves problems that couple structural mechanics, microfluidics, and electromagnetics, extends the core capabilities of the COMSOL Multiphysics modeling and simulation environment for the unique engineering problems encountered in the design and modeling of microscale electro-mechanical systems.
Its use of the COMSOL MEMS Module enables SB Microsystems to address almost all simulations in the microscale domain. "As a COMSOL Certified Consultant," says Jamieson, "we are able to offer manufacturers and developers of highly miniaturized sensors and instruments unparalleled, certified expertise in the modeling and simulation of the coupled mechanical, thermal, and electrical phenomena inherent in MEMS and micro-fluidic devices."
The worldwide group of experts that are COMSOL Certified Consultants are innovative problem solvers who use their extensive experience with COMSOL Multiphysics and its discipline-specific products to deliver turnkey solutions for a wide range of modeling projects. COMSOL Certified Consultants produce ready-to-run models and reports as well as in-depth analyses of simulation results. The collective expertise of the COMSOL Certified Consultant group covers a breadth of applications and has resulted in the commercialization of many patented products.
BURLINGTON, MA – COMSOL, Inc., developer of the industry-leading COMSOL Multiphysics modeling and simulation environment for scientists and engineers, announces that SB Microsystems has achieved COMSOL Certified Consultant status. SB Microsystems provides its clients engineering expertise in MEMS (micro electro-mechanical systems) and micro-fluidic device design, simulation, prototyping, testing, and fabrication. It offers particular expertise in medical and scientific sensors and instrumentation in which micro-scale miniaturization and low power consumption are critical criteria for its clients' success.
“We’re delighted to announce the certification of SB Microsystems as a COMSOL Consultant,” says Bernt Nilsson, Senior VP of Marketing, COMSOL, Inc. "SB Microsystems enables us to better serve our users developing micro-fluidic devices as well as those researching and developing new products leveraging MEMS-based technologies in such emerging fields as implantable biological sensors, miniature analytical instruments, and sensors for point-of-care medical testing."
Headquartered in Columbia, MD, SB Microsystems provides research, development, and consulting services for clients both public and private worldwide. The company works with clients at any step within the MEMS and micro-fluidic device development and fabrication lifecycle. Additional services rendered include process design as well as detailed design ranging from final mask-level layout, circuit design, and CAD drawings of traditionally machined parts. SB Microsystems also maintains in-house testing facilities that can meet requirements ranging from simple acceptance testing through to complete bench-top and environmental characterization.
"Many of our projects begin with theoretical proof-of-concept and continue right on through the formalization of agreements with semiconductor foundries and vendors," says Brian Jamieson, President of SB Microsystems.
A key to SB Microsystems' attention to good engineering design is its extensive, hands-on experience with such state-of-the-art techniques and tools as the COMSOL MEMS Module, according to Jamieson. The module, which solves problems that couple structural mechanics, microfluidics, and electromagnetics, extends the core capabilities of the COMSOL Multiphysics modeling and simulation environment for the unique engineering problems encountered in the design and modeling of microscale electro-mechanical systems.
Its use of the COMSOL MEMS Module enables SB Microsystems to address almost all simulations in the microscale domain. "As a COMSOL Certified Consultant," says Jamieson, "we are able to offer manufacturers and developers of highly miniaturized sensors and instruments unparalleled, certified expertise in the modeling and simulation of the coupled mechanical, thermal, and electrical phenomena inherent in MEMS and micro-fluidic devices."
The worldwide group of experts that are COMSOL Certified Consultants are innovative problem solvers who use their extensive experience with COMSOL Multiphysics and its discipline-specific products to deliver turnkey solutions for a wide range of modeling projects. COMSOL Certified Consultants produce ready-to-run models and reports as well as in-depth analyses of simulation results. The collective expertise of the COMSOL Certified Consultant group covers a breadth of applications and has resulted in the commercialization of many patented products.
Filed under:
COMSOL
Apr 26, 2011
Veryst Engineering LLC Becomes COMSOL Certified Consultant
Firm with international expertise in nonlinear solid and fluid modeling certified as COMSOL experts.
BURLINGTON, MA – COMSOL, Inc., developer of the industry-leading COMSOL Multiphysics modeling and simulation environment for scientists and engineers, announces that Veryst Engineering LLC has become a COMSOL Certified Consultant. Veryst provides premium engineering services and consulting at the interface of technology and manufacturing. Located in the Boston area and serving a global client base, Veryst specializes in addressing complex, coupled, and nonlinear engineering problems. With its emphasis on manufacturing processes and product design, Veryst bases its services on technical fundamentals, employing grounded knowledge of mechanics, physics, and manufacturing to produce practical, useful results. Veryst consultants' backgrounds encompass teaching, extensive publications, industrial experience, and research.
“We’re delighted to partner with an industry leader such as Veryst Engineering,” says Bernt Nilsson, Senior VP of Marketing, COMSOL Inc. “Veryst further extends the value of COMSOL's technologies to our growing base of customers using COMSOL Multiphysics in the design of polymeric products and processes. Veryst already had a world reputation in the simulation of nonlinear materials and their processing. We are pleased to welcome them into the rapidly growing group of highly-skilled consultants that provide solutions based on the use of COMSOL.”
Veryst serves clients in such industries as medical devices, energy, consumer products, transportation, metal forming, and heavy manufacturing as well as government agencies. Veryst’s resources include PolyUMod, a proprietary library of material models tailored for the design and analysis of rubber, thermoset, thermoplastic, advanced biomaterials, and other polymeric products. PolyUMod is relied upon by manufacturers and designers of diverse range of products including medical devices and implants, packaging, hoses, tires, films, foams, and injection molded components.
COMSOL's ability to couple multiple nonlinear processes enhances Veryst’s expertise by enabling the analysis of processes previously considered too complex to simulate. "As certified COMSOL Consultant," says Dr. Stuart Brown, Managing Principal of Veryst Engineering, "we can help our clients to solve today’s challenging design and manufacturing problems by analyzing coupled, multiple physics problems that other software cannot address.”
“We frequently encounter complex engineering problems that include coupled fluid flow, thermal effects, and structural deformations," adds Dr. Nagi Elabbasi, Senior Engineer, Veryst Engineering. "Demanding simulations like these are tailor-made for the multiphysics capabilities of COMSOL.”
The group of experts that are COMSOL Certified Consultants are innovative problem solvers who use their extensive experience with COMSOL Multiphysics and its discipline-specific products to deliver turnkey solutions for a wide range of modeling projects. COMSOL Certified Consultants produce ready-to-run models and reports as well as in-depth analyses of simulation results. The collective expertise of the COMSOL Certified Consultant group covers a breadth of applications and has resulted in the commercialization of many patented products.
BURLINGTON, MA – COMSOL, Inc., developer of the industry-leading COMSOL Multiphysics modeling and simulation environment for scientists and engineers, announces that Veryst Engineering LLC has become a COMSOL Certified Consultant. Veryst provides premium engineering services and consulting at the interface of technology and manufacturing. Located in the Boston area and serving a global client base, Veryst specializes in addressing complex, coupled, and nonlinear engineering problems. With its emphasis on manufacturing processes and product design, Veryst bases its services on technical fundamentals, employing grounded knowledge of mechanics, physics, and manufacturing to produce practical, useful results. Veryst consultants' backgrounds encompass teaching, extensive publications, industrial experience, and research.
“We’re delighted to partner with an industry leader such as Veryst Engineering,” says Bernt Nilsson, Senior VP of Marketing, COMSOL Inc. “Veryst further extends the value of COMSOL's technologies to our growing base of customers using COMSOL Multiphysics in the design of polymeric products and processes. Veryst already had a world reputation in the simulation of nonlinear materials and their processing. We are pleased to welcome them into the rapidly growing group of highly-skilled consultants that provide solutions based on the use of COMSOL.”
Veryst serves clients in such industries as medical devices, energy, consumer products, transportation, metal forming, and heavy manufacturing as well as government agencies. Veryst’s resources include PolyUMod, a proprietary library of material models tailored for the design and analysis of rubber, thermoset, thermoplastic, advanced biomaterials, and other polymeric products. PolyUMod is relied upon by manufacturers and designers of diverse range of products including medical devices and implants, packaging, hoses, tires, films, foams, and injection molded components.
COMSOL's ability to couple multiple nonlinear processes enhances Veryst’s expertise by enabling the analysis of processes previously considered too complex to simulate. "As certified COMSOL Consultant," says Dr. Stuart Brown, Managing Principal of Veryst Engineering, "we can help our clients to solve today’s challenging design and manufacturing problems by analyzing coupled, multiple physics problems that other software cannot address.”
“We frequently encounter complex engineering problems that include coupled fluid flow, thermal effects, and structural deformations," adds Dr. Nagi Elabbasi, Senior Engineer, Veryst Engineering. "Demanding simulations like these are tailor-made for the multiphysics capabilities of COMSOL.”
The group of experts that are COMSOL Certified Consultants are innovative problem solvers who use their extensive experience with COMSOL Multiphysics and its discipline-specific products to deliver turnkey solutions for a wide range of modeling projects. COMSOL Certified Consultants produce ready-to-run models and reports as well as in-depth analyses of simulation results. The collective expertise of the COMSOL Certified Consultant group covers a breadth of applications and has resulted in the commercialization of many patented products.
Filed under:
COMSOL
Apr 18, 2011
KTH and COMSOL sign $400,000 software license agreement
Burlington, MA – The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden, has signed a three-year site license agreement with COMSOL to provide all the Schools within KTH with COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software. Over 16,000 teachers, researchers and students will now have access to the entire suite of tools. COMSOL Multiphysics enables engineers and scientists in a wide array of engineering fields to conduct real-world simulations of any physics-based system for product design and development.
The site license worth $400,000 brings the same powerful simulation toolset that is being used by high-tech firms and top researchers worldwide to users throughout KTH. In this educational environment, COMSOL Multiphysics helps students gain insights into basic principles of physical effects and also how to build computer models that represent those effects.
A relationship going back two decades
Over the last two decades, KTH and COMSOL have continually strengthened what has been a long-standing bond. “Today, KTH graduates are omnipresent among our company’s employees, going all the way back to our founders,” notes COMSOL Sweden Sales and Marketing Manager Daniel Ericsson. “We continue to rely on KTH to recruit new talent for our core development team, and we are delighted by the fact that KTH has chosen to strengthen its relationship with us. There’s also a trend among our commercial customers to look for new hires who have experience using COMSOL. In the end, businesses benefit from the fact that KTH students get training in the use of leading simulation software as part of their core education.”
KTH’s IT Department Operation Manager, Lars Eneslätt, has nothing but praise for the use of COMSOL Multiphysics because it addresses such a wide scope of simulation domains. “Now, with one and the same software environment, our researchers and students alike can simulate structural mechanics, heat transfer, electromagnetics, chemical engineering and fluid flow. Instead of purchasing ten or more specialized codes, we can invest in one unifying environment that encompasses the needs of all the KTH Schools and that covers a multitude of applications. Also key is the long-term commitment to centralize licenses and agreements. Today we can assure users throughout KTH of continued access to the crucial environment that COMSOL Multiphysics provides for our education and research.”
Professor Carl-Mikael Zetterling in the Department of Microelectronics and Applied Physics explains, “By using COMSOL Multiphysics, we can quickly set up models and analyze their physical effects. The software’s flexibility and open structure allows us to customize models to our specific requirements. In addition, the vastly improved user interface in Version 4.1 makes it even easier for new users to get up to speed using the software.”
World’s largest site license
“Early on, KTH pioneered the adoption of our groundbreaking multiphysics tools,” comments Per Backlund Sales Manager at COMSOL Sweden. “That institute became a customer with the release of the very first version of COMSOL Multiphysics, and today it has the world’s largest license based on the number of users. With this new agreement, KTH gets access to COMSOL and its application-specific tools plus automatic access to new products, which we are expecting several of in the next few years.”
The site license worth $400,000 brings the same powerful simulation toolset that is being used by high-tech firms and top researchers worldwide to users throughout KTH. In this educational environment, COMSOL Multiphysics helps students gain insights into basic principles of physical effects and also how to build computer models that represent those effects.
A relationship going back two decades
Over the last two decades, KTH and COMSOL have continually strengthened what has been a long-standing bond. “Today, KTH graduates are omnipresent among our company’s employees, going all the way back to our founders,” notes COMSOL Sweden Sales and Marketing Manager Daniel Ericsson. “We continue to rely on KTH to recruit new talent for our core development team, and we are delighted by the fact that KTH has chosen to strengthen its relationship with us. There’s also a trend among our commercial customers to look for new hires who have experience using COMSOL. In the end, businesses benefit from the fact that KTH students get training in the use of leading simulation software as part of their core education.”
KTH’s IT Department Operation Manager, Lars Eneslätt, has nothing but praise for the use of COMSOL Multiphysics because it addresses such a wide scope of simulation domains. “Now, with one and the same software environment, our researchers and students alike can simulate structural mechanics, heat transfer, electromagnetics, chemical engineering and fluid flow. Instead of purchasing ten or more specialized codes, we can invest in one unifying environment that encompasses the needs of all the KTH Schools and that covers a multitude of applications. Also key is the long-term commitment to centralize licenses and agreements. Today we can assure users throughout KTH of continued access to the crucial environment that COMSOL Multiphysics provides for our education and research.”
Professor Carl-Mikael Zetterling in the Department of Microelectronics and Applied Physics explains, “By using COMSOL Multiphysics, we can quickly set up models and analyze their physical effects. The software’s flexibility and open structure allows us to customize models to our specific requirements. In addition, the vastly improved user interface in Version 4.1 makes it even easier for new users to get up to speed using the software.”
World’s largest site license
“Early on, KTH pioneered the adoption of our groundbreaking multiphysics tools,” comments Per Backlund Sales Manager at COMSOL Sweden. “That institute became a customer with the release of the very first version of COMSOL Multiphysics, and today it has the world’s largest license based on the number of users. With this new agreement, KTH gets access to COMSOL and its application-specific tools plus automatic access to new products, which we are expecting several of in the next few years.”
Filed under:
COMSOL
Mar 27, 2011
Siegel Schleimer Ingénieurs-conseils Becomes COMSOL Certified Consultant
Netherlands – COMSOL developer of the industry-leading COMSOL Multiphysics modeling and simulation environment for scientists and engineers, announces that Siegel Schleimer Ingénieurs-conseils s.à r.l. has become its first certified consultant in Europe's BeNeLux region. As a COMSOL Certified Consultant, Siegel Schleimer Ingénieurs-conseils offers its clients a broad range of multiphysics expertise in areas as diverse as single fuel cell, fuel cell stack, chemical reaction technology, and battery modeling and simulation. The company also provides in-depth expertise simulating coupled physics phenomena in and around homes, large buildings, and office complexes including the design and layout of energy-efficient heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
“We’re delighted to partner with Siegel Schleimer Ingénieurs-conseils,” says Gerard Hegemans, Director of COMSOL BV. “They extend the reach and depth of COMSOL's technologies to our growing customer base in the BeNeLux region and enable us to better serve our users in such exciting and flourishing fields as fuel cell development and energy-saving, green building design.”
Located in Mondercange, Luxembourg, Siegel Schleimer Ingénieurs-conseils s.à r.l., was founded in 2010 by Christian Siegel and Markus Schleimer. Christian Siegel has worked at the Center for Fuel Cell Technology (Zentrum für BrennstoffzellenTechnik – ZBT) in Duisburg, Germany, in the field of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell research and development. In addition to his experience in experimental and theoretical fuel cells, Mr. Siegel has extensive expertise in such fuel cell and fuel cell stack-related areas of investigation as:
* Computational fluid dynamics (free and porous media flow)
* Integral flow-field and cell layout
* Heat and mass transfer (heating, cooling, and tempering concepts)
* Analysis of structural aspects (localized fluid-structural interactions)
Markus Schleimer has been an energy consultant focusing on the design and layout of energy-efficient HVAC systems for small homes, large buildings, and office complexes for more than ten years. Among the specialized skills that Mr. Schleimer brings to building simulation are:
* Coupling of building energy simulation to computational fluid dynamics
* Combining simple energy calculations to integral simulations
* Layout of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling applications
* Temperature distribution
* Fluid-flow around buildings
* Air pollution, moisture, and contaminant dispersion
* Smoke and gas distribution
Siegel Schleimer Ingénieurs-conseils excels at solving large-scale finite element problems and coupling numerical analysis with engineering applications. “With COMSOL Multiphysics running on our high-performance workstations,” says Markus Schleimer, “we are able to offer unique, specialized engineering and analysis services to any private, commercial, and governmental customer needing to solve large-scale finite element problems that couple multiple physics phenomena.”
"We work closely with our high-tech clients to better define, model, mesh, and solve their multiphysics problems as well as analyze simulation results,” adds Christian Siegel. “As a certified COMSOL consultant we will provide solutions for engineers on the cutting edge of research and development into new products and new technologies for fuel cells, batteries, as well as energy efficient building environmental systems.”
“We’re delighted to partner with Siegel Schleimer Ingénieurs-conseils,” says Gerard Hegemans, Director of COMSOL BV. “They extend the reach and depth of COMSOL's technologies to our growing customer base in the BeNeLux region and enable us to better serve our users in such exciting and flourishing fields as fuel cell development and energy-saving, green building design.”
Located in Mondercange, Luxembourg, Siegel Schleimer Ingénieurs-conseils s.à r.l., was founded in 2010 by Christian Siegel and Markus Schleimer. Christian Siegel has worked at the Center for Fuel Cell Technology (Zentrum für BrennstoffzellenTechnik – ZBT) in Duisburg, Germany, in the field of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell research and development. In addition to his experience in experimental and theoretical fuel cells, Mr. Siegel has extensive expertise in such fuel cell and fuel cell stack-related areas of investigation as:
* Computational fluid dynamics (free and porous media flow)
* Integral flow-field and cell layout
* Heat and mass transfer (heating, cooling, and tempering concepts)
* Analysis of structural aspects (localized fluid-structural interactions)
Markus Schleimer has been an energy consultant focusing on the design and layout of energy-efficient HVAC systems for small homes, large buildings, and office complexes for more than ten years. Among the specialized skills that Mr. Schleimer brings to building simulation are:
* Coupling of building energy simulation to computational fluid dynamics
* Combining simple energy calculations to integral simulations
* Layout of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling applications
* Temperature distribution
* Fluid-flow around buildings
* Air pollution, moisture, and contaminant dispersion
* Smoke and gas distribution
Siegel Schleimer Ingénieurs-conseils excels at solving large-scale finite element problems and coupling numerical analysis with engineering applications. “With COMSOL Multiphysics running on our high-performance workstations,” says Markus Schleimer, “we are able to offer unique, specialized engineering and analysis services to any private, commercial, and governmental customer needing to solve large-scale finite element problems that couple multiple physics phenomena.”
"We work closely with our high-tech clients to better define, model, mesh, and solve their multiphysics problems as well as analyze simulation results,” adds Christian Siegel. “As a certified COMSOL consultant we will provide solutions for engineers on the cutting edge of research and development into new products and new technologies for fuel cells, batteries, as well as energy efficient building environmental systems.”
Filed under:
COMSOL
Mar 7, 2011
Advanced Magnet Lab Becomes COMSOL Certified Consultant
Technology leader, designer, and manufacturer of advanced coils, magnets, and magnet systems certified as COMSOL experts.
BURLINGTON, MA - COMSOL, Inc., developer of the COMSOL Multiphysics modeling and simulation environment for scientists and engineers, announces that Advanced Magnet Lab, Inc., (AML) has become a COMSOL Certified Consultant. AML provides technology and expert services for the design and manufacture of advanced coils, magnets, and magnet systems for a broad variety of applications in such markets as energy, aerospace and defense, medical, and advanced research. AML offers its clients unique numerical analysis capabilities including multiphysics FEA, multi-objective optimization, and dynamic analysis.
Headquartered in Palm Bay, Florida, AML has more than 15 years experience designing, optimizing, manufacturing, and testing electromagnetic and electromechanical systems. Core to AML's technology and capabilities is a team of international experts in the fields of high-power magnet systems, superconductivity, robotics and manufacturing automation. AML's comprehensive technology portfolio includes CoilCAD(R), AML's proprietary 3D software considered the most advanced coil design software available; Double-Helix(TM) magnet technology, a discovery that enables "perfect" magnetic fields with virtually no limits for configuring magnetic field shapes.
"We're delighted to partner with an industry leader such as Advanced Magnet Lab," says Bernt Nilsson, Senior VP of Marketing, COMSOL, Inc. "AML further extends the value of COMSOL's technologies to our growing base of customers working with advanced magnets. Magnets are used everywhere, and the internationally recognized expertise offered by AML enables us to better serve new product and new technology developers in such exciting fields as medical diagnostics and treatments, new energy storage and energy generation systems, and advanced aerospace and defense systems."
"As a certified COMSOL Consultant," says AML's Senior Research Scientist and frequent COMSOL Conference contributor Dr. Philippe J. Masson, "we are able to offer one-of-a-kind, specialized engineering, design, analysis, and optimization services to private, commercial, or governmental entities needing to solve the large-scale, multi-physics problems encountered in applied superconductivity, electromechanical, magnet, and magnet systems."
In addition to design, analysis, and optimization, AML's application engineers can help clients take their concepts through the entire development, engineering, prototype testing, and manufacturing process. "The combination of COMSOL Multiphysics and our unmatched 3D coil design software and automated construction processes enable rapid deployment of complex state-of-the-art magnets," says Mark Senti, AML's President.
The worldwide group of experts that are COMSOL Certified Consultants are innovative problem solvers who use their extensive experience with COMSOL Multiphysics and its discipline-specific products to deliver turnkey solutions for a wide range of modeling projects. COMSOL Certified Consultants produce ready-to-run models and reports as well as in-depth analyses of simulation results. The collective expertise of the COMSOL Certified Consultant group covers a breadth of applications and has resulted in the commercialization of many patented products.
BURLINGTON, MA - COMSOL, Inc., developer of the COMSOL Multiphysics modeling and simulation environment for scientists and engineers, announces that Advanced Magnet Lab, Inc., (AML) has become a COMSOL Certified Consultant. AML provides technology and expert services for the design and manufacture of advanced coils, magnets, and magnet systems for a broad variety of applications in such markets as energy, aerospace and defense, medical, and advanced research. AML offers its clients unique numerical analysis capabilities including multiphysics FEA, multi-objective optimization, and dynamic analysis.
Headquartered in Palm Bay, Florida, AML has more than 15 years experience designing, optimizing, manufacturing, and testing electromagnetic and electromechanical systems. Core to AML's technology and capabilities is a team of international experts in the fields of high-power magnet systems, superconductivity, robotics and manufacturing automation. AML's comprehensive technology portfolio includes CoilCAD(R), AML's proprietary 3D software considered the most advanced coil design software available; Double-Helix(TM) magnet technology, a discovery that enables "perfect" magnetic fields with virtually no limits for configuring magnetic field shapes.
"We're delighted to partner with an industry leader such as Advanced Magnet Lab," says Bernt Nilsson, Senior VP of Marketing, COMSOL, Inc. "AML further extends the value of COMSOL's technologies to our growing base of customers working with advanced magnets. Magnets are used everywhere, and the internationally recognized expertise offered by AML enables us to better serve new product and new technology developers in such exciting fields as medical diagnostics and treatments, new energy storage and energy generation systems, and advanced aerospace and defense systems."
"As a certified COMSOL Consultant," says AML's Senior Research Scientist and frequent COMSOL Conference contributor Dr. Philippe J. Masson, "we are able to offer one-of-a-kind, specialized engineering, design, analysis, and optimization services to private, commercial, or governmental entities needing to solve the large-scale, multi-physics problems encountered in applied superconductivity, electromechanical, magnet, and magnet systems."
In addition to design, analysis, and optimization, AML's application engineers can help clients take their concepts through the entire development, engineering, prototype testing, and manufacturing process. "The combination of COMSOL Multiphysics and our unmatched 3D coil design software and automated construction processes enable rapid deployment of complex state-of-the-art magnets," says Mark Senti, AML's President.
The worldwide group of experts that are COMSOL Certified Consultants are innovative problem solvers who use their extensive experience with COMSOL Multiphysics and its discipline-specific products to deliver turnkey solutions for a wide range of modeling projects. COMSOL Certified Consultants produce ready-to-run models and reports as well as in-depth analyses of simulation results. The collective expertise of the COMSOL Certified Consultant group covers a breadth of applications and has resulted in the commercialization of many patented products.
Filed under:
COMSOL
Mar 2, 2011
Call for Papers: COMSOL Conference 2011 Boston
BURLINGTON, MA — COMSOL, Inc., has announced that it will hold its seventh annual conference on multiphysics modeling and simulation October 13-15 at the Boston Marriott Newton. Users of COMSOL Multiphysics® are invited to submit abstracts describing projects in which they have made achievements using simulation software.
Suggested, but not mandatory, topic areas for oral and poster presentations include:
* Acoustics and Vibrations
* Batteries and Fuel Cells
* Bioscience and Bioengineering
* Chemical Reaction Engineering
* Computational Fluid Dynamics
* Education
* Electrochemistry
* Geophysics
* Heat Transfer & Phase Change
* Electromagnetics
* MEMS & Piezoelectric Devices
* Microfluidics
* Multiphysics
* Nanotechnology
* Numerical Methods
* Optimization
* Optics, Photonics & Plasmonics
* Plasma Physics, EHD & MHD
* Porous Media Flow
* Quantum Mechanics
* RF & Microwaves
* Semiconductor Devices
* Sensors and Actuators
* Structural Mechanics
* Transport Phenomena
Abstracts should briefly summarize the individual or a group’s work using COMSOL Multiphysics, with particular focus on describing the problem, model set up, simulation results, and conclusions.
Abstract submissions will be reviewed by the Conference Program Committee. Committee members hail from well-known corporations and academic institutions. These include: Acumentrics Corporation, BAE Systems, BD Medical, Boston Scientific, Carnegie Mellon University, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc, Dalhousie University, DuPont Engineering Research & Technology, GE Global Research Center, General Motors, Hypertherm Inc., Johnson Screens, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Naval Research Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, Physical Measurement Lab-NIST and Purdue University.
Authors of accepted paper or poster submissions will present their work at the conference. Additionally, final versions of the accepted papers or posters will become a permanent part of the conference proceedings which, in recent years, has been distributed to more than 100,000 engineers and scientists worldwide.
All presenters will benefit from the opportunity to become the winner of the Best Paper Award or Best Poster Award. Program Committee members vote and award prizes for the “Best Paper” while the “Best Poster” is chosen by popular vote among fellow Conference attendees.
Abstracts submitted by the early bird deadline of June 17th will receive a reduced registration rate of $195. The final deadline for the submission of abstracts is August 1st. Interested parties should visit http://www.comsol.com/conference2011/usa/papers for complete details including important dates and guidelines for submitting and uploading abstracts.
Suggested, but not mandatory, topic areas for oral and poster presentations include:
* Acoustics and Vibrations
* Batteries and Fuel Cells
* Bioscience and Bioengineering
* Chemical Reaction Engineering
* Computational Fluid Dynamics
* Education
* Electrochemistry
* Geophysics
* Heat Transfer & Phase Change
* Electromagnetics
* MEMS & Piezoelectric Devices
* Microfluidics
* Multiphysics
* Nanotechnology
* Numerical Methods
* Optimization
* Optics, Photonics & Plasmonics
* Plasma Physics, EHD & MHD
* Porous Media Flow
* Quantum Mechanics
* RF & Microwaves
* Semiconductor Devices
* Sensors and Actuators
* Structural Mechanics
* Transport Phenomena
Abstracts should briefly summarize the individual or a group’s work using COMSOL Multiphysics, with particular focus on describing the problem, model set up, simulation results, and conclusions.
Abstract submissions will be reviewed by the Conference Program Committee. Committee members hail from well-known corporations and academic institutions. These include: Acumentrics Corporation, BAE Systems, BD Medical, Boston Scientific, Carnegie Mellon University, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc, Dalhousie University, DuPont Engineering Research & Technology, GE Global Research Center, General Motors, Hypertherm Inc., Johnson Screens, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Naval Research Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, Physical Measurement Lab-NIST and Purdue University.
Authors of accepted paper or poster submissions will present their work at the conference. Additionally, final versions of the accepted papers or posters will become a permanent part of the conference proceedings which, in recent years, has been distributed to more than 100,000 engineers and scientists worldwide.
All presenters will benefit from the opportunity to become the winner of the Best Paper Award or Best Poster Award. Program Committee members vote and award prizes for the “Best Paper” while the “Best Poster” is chosen by popular vote among fellow Conference attendees.
Abstracts submitted by the early bird deadline of June 17th will receive a reduced registration rate of $195. The final deadline for the submission of abstracts is August 1st. Interested parties should visit http://www.comsol.com/conference2011/usa/papers for complete details including important dates and guidelines for submitting and uploading abstracts.
Filed under:
COMSOL
Jul 6, 2010
COMSOL Introduces the Plasma Module
The all-new Plasma Module from COMSOL allows users to model low temperature, non-equilibrium discharges for a wide range of industrial applications.
Burlington - COMSOL, Inc., the makers of COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software, has announced the release of the Plasma Module. Based on COMSOL Multiphysics, the Plasma Module brings easy-to-use tools for the study of low temperature plasmas. The module is designed for researchers, engineers and experimentalists in the field of plasma science to model non-equilibrium discharges which occur in a wide range of engineering disciplines. Target application areas utilizing plasmas include light sources, semiconductor processes, surface coating, and medical sterilization. The module is accompanied by a suite of tutorial and industrially relevant models which serve as both instructional examples and a foundation for future work.
“Simulation of plasmas is a daunting task that is now being addressed for the first time ever using true multiphysics technology,” comments Dan Smith, Lead Developer of the Plasma Module with COMSOL, Inc. “We leverage this technology in the Plasma Module to solve the complex interaction between the electromagnetic fields and charged particles which collectively constitutes plasma. Users will be able to turn to simulation for a wide range of plasma applications that will reduce the need for costly experiments and increase productivity. ”
Specialized Plasma Modeling Interfaces
Low temperature plasmas represent the amalgamation of fluid mechanics, reaction engineering, physical kinetics, heat transfer, mass transfer and electromagnetics. The net result is a true multiphysics problem involving advanced couplings between the different physics. The Plasma Module features application-specific physics interfaces that automatically implements the complicated coupling between each of the components which make up plasma.
There are specialized modeling interfaces for the most common types of plasma reactors including inductively coupled plasmas (ICP), DC discharges, wave heated discharges (microwave plasmas) and capacitively coupled plasmas (CCP). In the spirit of existing COMSOL products, each of the interfaces can be customized, modified and extended in arbitrary ways by the user.
Modeling the interaction between the plasma and an external electrical circuit is an important part of understanding the electrical characteristics of a discharge. The Plasma Module provides tools to add circuit elements directly to a 1D, 2D or 3D model. Alternatively you can import an existing SPICE netlist into the model. The plasma chemistry is specified either by loading in sets of collision cross sections from a file, or by adding reactions and species directly in the user interface.
The module includes a set of fully documented models of:
• Capacitively coupled plasma (CCP)
• Microwave plasma
• DC discharge
• Dielectric barrier discharges(DBD)
• Reactive gas generator
• Thermal plasma
• The Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC) reference cell
• Boltzmann analysis of swarm data
“The Plasma Module is truly a revolutionary product because it combines the universally acclaimed COMSOL Multiphysics user interface with industrial strength algorithms and numerical methods. The net result is a product with unprecedented ease of use which can handle arbitrarily complicated industrial and academic problems.” concludes Dan Smith.
Plasma Module Highlights
• Application-specific interfaces for the most common types of plasmas.
• 2-term Boltzmann solver to compute source coefficients and transport properties from cross section data.
• Add and remove reactions, surface reactions and species to create arbitrarily complex plasma chemistries.
• Define reaction sources using cross section data, look-up tables, Arrhenius coefficients, rate constants or Townsend coefficients.
• Automatic computation of tensor transport properties for electrons and plasma conductivity when a static magnetic field is present.
• CHEMKIN file import for species thermodynamic and transport properties.
Burlington - COMSOL, Inc., the makers of COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software, has announced the release of the Plasma Module. Based on COMSOL Multiphysics, the Plasma Module brings easy-to-use tools for the study of low temperature plasmas. The module is designed for researchers, engineers and experimentalists in the field of plasma science to model non-equilibrium discharges which occur in a wide range of engineering disciplines. Target application areas utilizing plasmas include light sources, semiconductor processes, surface coating, and medical sterilization. The module is accompanied by a suite of tutorial and industrially relevant models which serve as both instructional examples and a foundation for future work.
“Simulation of plasmas is a daunting task that is now being addressed for the first time ever using true multiphysics technology,” comments Dan Smith, Lead Developer of the Plasma Module with COMSOL, Inc. “We leverage this technology in the Plasma Module to solve the complex interaction between the electromagnetic fields and charged particles which collectively constitutes plasma. Users will be able to turn to simulation for a wide range of plasma applications that will reduce the need for costly experiments and increase productivity. ”
Specialized Plasma Modeling Interfaces
Low temperature plasmas represent the amalgamation of fluid mechanics, reaction engineering, physical kinetics, heat transfer, mass transfer and electromagnetics. The net result is a true multiphysics problem involving advanced couplings between the different physics. The Plasma Module features application-specific physics interfaces that automatically implements the complicated coupling between each of the components which make up plasma.
There are specialized modeling interfaces for the most common types of plasma reactors including inductively coupled plasmas (ICP), DC discharges, wave heated discharges (microwave plasmas) and capacitively coupled plasmas (CCP). In the spirit of existing COMSOL products, each of the interfaces can be customized, modified and extended in arbitrary ways by the user.
Modeling the interaction between the plasma and an external electrical circuit is an important part of understanding the electrical characteristics of a discharge. The Plasma Module provides tools to add circuit elements directly to a 1D, 2D or 3D model. Alternatively you can import an existing SPICE netlist into the model. The plasma chemistry is specified either by loading in sets of collision cross sections from a file, or by adding reactions and species directly in the user interface.
The module includes a set of fully documented models of:
• Capacitively coupled plasma (CCP)
• Microwave plasma
• DC discharge
• Dielectric barrier discharges(DBD)
• Reactive gas generator
• Thermal plasma
• The Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC) reference cell
• Boltzmann analysis of swarm data
“The Plasma Module is truly a revolutionary product because it combines the universally acclaimed COMSOL Multiphysics user interface with industrial strength algorithms and numerical methods. The net result is a product with unprecedented ease of use which can handle arbitrarily complicated industrial and academic problems.” concludes Dan Smith.
Plasma Module Highlights
• Application-specific interfaces for the most common types of plasmas.
• 2-term Boltzmann solver to compute source coefficients and transport properties from cross section data.
• Add and remove reactions, surface reactions and species to create arbitrarily complex plasma chemistries.
• Define reaction sources using cross section data, look-up tables, Arrhenius coefficients, rate constants or Townsend coefficients.
• Automatic computation of tensor transport properties for electrons and plasma conductivity when a static magnetic field is present.
• CHEMKIN file import for species thermodynamic and transport properties.
Filed under:
COMSOL
Jun 24, 2010
COMSOL Announces Chemical Reaction Engineering Module
New Module for COMSOL Multiphysics provides a single environment for modeling and simulating reaction systems and processes.
BURLINGTON, MA — COMSOL Inc, the developer of the market leading COMSOL Multiphysics simulation environment, today releases the Chemical Reaction Engineering Module. This new module is built on the COMSOL platform to create a single environment where engineers and scientists obtain highly accurate studies of material transport and chemical reactions of a wide assortment of chemistries under different operating conditions. Users can simulate reaction systems ranging from micro-reactors in biotechnology to unit operations in chemical processes and gain essential knowledge early in the development phase. The net result is more cost-effective and efficient development cycles for both products and processes.
“The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module is suitable for a diverse range of product and process development applications,” says Henrik von Schenk, Chemical Engineering Product Manager with COMSOL. “It’s particularly useful in the design of sensors for analytical instruments as well as for designing catalysts and filters in automotive exhaust systems. The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module will be especially valuable when developing products and processes in industries like consumer products, fine and specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and bulk chemicals.”
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module, which combines functionality of two earlier modules, the Chemical Engineering Module and the Reaction Engineering Module, leverages the newly re-engineered COMSOL version 4 architecture to deliver major new functionality and superior usability. With the new module, engineers and scientists can investigate chemical reactions under the controlled conditions of perfectly mixed systems in laboratory studies. Since reactions are directly accessible in a single easy-to-use interface, users can study the influence of multiple concentration and temperature variations in real operating conditions.
“The fusion of our premier chemical engineering capabilities into a single dedicated solution offering an all-inclusive, easy-to-use environment is a great convenience for our customers,” says von Schenk. “Productivity jumps with the new workflow and the ease with which users can manage species, reactions, and material and energy transport in one simulation.”
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module’s easy-to-use customizable interfaces for defining chemical reactions, mass and energy transport, and porous media flow help users simulate reacting systems accurately. Fully integrated in the COMSOL Multiphysics model set up, the chemical reaction interface enables users to simply type in their chemical reaction formulas. The software then automatically computes the reaction kinetics as well as defines the mass and energy balances. When done, the resulting mass and energy balances are ready to be used to solve the reactor models for perfectly mixed systems of batch reactors, semi-batch reactors, CSTR, and plug-flow reactors.
Users can easily move up from these smaller, less computationally demanding simulations of perfectly mixed reactor models to larger-scale simulations of time- and space-dependent models. “The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module helps you make smart design decisions quickly using comparisons between ideal reactor models and detailed time and space simulations,” explains von Schenk. “It lets you handle simulations beginning at a simple level, which makes it easy to evaluate the chemistry of a system and find reaction time scales, temperatures, and ideal operating conditions. Then, you can use the identical model to run full 3D simulations for investigating and designing processes and reactors in real-world operating conditions.”
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module provides interfaces for mass transport that describe species transport by diffusion, convection, and migration in dilute and concentrated solutions. These interfaces can also describe transport in free and porous media. Based on principal physics effects that come as standard interfaces in COMSOL, laminar flow and heat transfer can be included in the simulation as well. Still, no matter what physics effect is involved, model set up is quick and follows the same intuitive operations. Users can also add and remove chemical reactions and species as well as change reaction mechanisms on the fly. Users can maintain several studies each with different chemistries and different operating conditions in the same model.
Import Thermodynamic Property Data Into COMSOL
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module is compliant with CAPE-OPEN standards for modeling, simulating, and designing the operations of chemical processes. Additionally, it has the ability to read CHEMKIN® files, which define complete reacting systems, including physical and thermodynamic properties, for combustion, atmospheric chemistry, and other gas-phase reacting systems.
With the Chemical Reaction Engineering Module’s built-in CAPE-OPEN Wizard, users can combine components from multiple third-party software vendors in their COMSOL simulations. An integrated CAPE-OPEN browser makes finding and selecting thermodynamic and physical property information in external property data packages easy. This flexible combination of openness and ease of use can lead to high-fidelity descriptions of such properties as viscosity, density, heat capacity, and other thermodynamic properties for gases and liquids.
Chemical Reaction Engineering Module Highlights
• Automatic generation of reaction kinetics, mass, and energy balances from chemical reaction formulas
• Allows combinations of perfectly mixed reactor models to detailed time- and space-dependent descriptions in one model
• Extensive interfaces for simulating mass transport by diffusion, convection, and migration in dilute and concentrated solutions as well as in free and porous media
• Functionality for investigating different chemistries and operating conditions by adding and removing reactions, chemical species, and mass transport effects in different studies in a single model
• Predefined chemical reactor types such as batch and semi-batch reactors, CSTR, and plug flow reactors for continuous volume and variable volume simulations
• User-defined functions and expressions that extend usability for defining arbitrary reaction kinetics and for describing physical properties as a function of composition and temperature
• CAPE-OPEN interface for rapid thermodynamics and physical property calculations through connecting to third-party chemical engineering simulation software
• CHEMKIN file import for combustion, atmospheric chemistry, and other gas-phase reacting systems
Availability
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module is available for the Windows, Linux, and the Macintosh operating systems directly from COMSOL and from COMSOL’s global network of distributors on June 28, 2010.
Users of the Chemical Engineering Module with a current software license subscription will receive a one-time upgrade to the Chemical Reaction Engineering Module plus the COMSOL CFD Module at no additional cost.
BURLINGTON, MA — COMSOL Inc, the developer of the market leading COMSOL Multiphysics simulation environment, today releases the Chemical Reaction Engineering Module. This new module is built on the COMSOL platform to create a single environment where engineers and scientists obtain highly accurate studies of material transport and chemical reactions of a wide assortment of chemistries under different operating conditions. Users can simulate reaction systems ranging from micro-reactors in biotechnology to unit operations in chemical processes and gain essential knowledge early in the development phase. The net result is more cost-effective and efficient development cycles for both products and processes.
“The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module is suitable for a diverse range of product and process development applications,” says Henrik von Schenk, Chemical Engineering Product Manager with COMSOL. “It’s particularly useful in the design of sensors for analytical instruments as well as for designing catalysts and filters in automotive exhaust systems. The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module will be especially valuable when developing products and processes in industries like consumer products, fine and specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and bulk chemicals.”
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module, which combines functionality of two earlier modules, the Chemical Engineering Module and the Reaction Engineering Module, leverages the newly re-engineered COMSOL version 4 architecture to deliver major new functionality and superior usability. With the new module, engineers and scientists can investigate chemical reactions under the controlled conditions of perfectly mixed systems in laboratory studies. Since reactions are directly accessible in a single easy-to-use interface, users can study the influence of multiple concentration and temperature variations in real operating conditions.
“The fusion of our premier chemical engineering capabilities into a single dedicated solution offering an all-inclusive, easy-to-use environment is a great convenience for our customers,” says von Schenk. “Productivity jumps with the new workflow and the ease with which users can manage species, reactions, and material and energy transport in one simulation.”
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module’s easy-to-use customizable interfaces for defining chemical reactions, mass and energy transport, and porous media flow help users simulate reacting systems accurately. Fully integrated in the COMSOL Multiphysics model set up, the chemical reaction interface enables users to simply type in their chemical reaction formulas. The software then automatically computes the reaction kinetics as well as defines the mass and energy balances. When done, the resulting mass and energy balances are ready to be used to solve the reactor models for perfectly mixed systems of batch reactors, semi-batch reactors, CSTR, and plug-flow reactors.
Users can easily move up from these smaller, less computationally demanding simulations of perfectly mixed reactor models to larger-scale simulations of time- and space-dependent models. “The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module helps you make smart design decisions quickly using comparisons between ideal reactor models and detailed time and space simulations,” explains von Schenk. “It lets you handle simulations beginning at a simple level, which makes it easy to evaluate the chemistry of a system and find reaction time scales, temperatures, and ideal operating conditions. Then, you can use the identical model to run full 3D simulations for investigating and designing processes and reactors in real-world operating conditions.”
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module provides interfaces for mass transport that describe species transport by diffusion, convection, and migration in dilute and concentrated solutions. These interfaces can also describe transport in free and porous media. Based on principal physics effects that come as standard interfaces in COMSOL, laminar flow and heat transfer can be included in the simulation as well. Still, no matter what physics effect is involved, model set up is quick and follows the same intuitive operations. Users can also add and remove chemical reactions and species as well as change reaction mechanisms on the fly. Users can maintain several studies each with different chemistries and different operating conditions in the same model.
Import Thermodynamic Property Data Into COMSOL
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module is compliant with CAPE-OPEN standards for modeling, simulating, and designing the operations of chemical processes. Additionally, it has the ability to read CHEMKIN® files, which define complete reacting systems, including physical and thermodynamic properties, for combustion, atmospheric chemistry, and other gas-phase reacting systems.
With the Chemical Reaction Engineering Module’s built-in CAPE-OPEN Wizard, users can combine components from multiple third-party software vendors in their COMSOL simulations. An integrated CAPE-OPEN browser makes finding and selecting thermodynamic and physical property information in external property data packages easy. This flexible combination of openness and ease of use can lead to high-fidelity descriptions of such properties as viscosity, density, heat capacity, and other thermodynamic properties for gases and liquids.
Chemical Reaction Engineering Module Highlights
• Automatic generation of reaction kinetics, mass, and energy balances from chemical reaction formulas
• Allows combinations of perfectly mixed reactor models to detailed time- and space-dependent descriptions in one model
• Extensive interfaces for simulating mass transport by diffusion, convection, and migration in dilute and concentrated solutions as well as in free and porous media
• Functionality for investigating different chemistries and operating conditions by adding and removing reactions, chemical species, and mass transport effects in different studies in a single model
• Predefined chemical reactor types such as batch and semi-batch reactors, CSTR, and plug flow reactors for continuous volume and variable volume simulations
• User-defined functions and expressions that extend usability for defining arbitrary reaction kinetics and for describing physical properties as a function of composition and temperature
• CAPE-OPEN interface for rapid thermodynamics and physical property calculations through connecting to third-party chemical engineering simulation software
• CHEMKIN file import for combustion, atmospheric chemistry, and other gas-phase reacting systems
Availability
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module is available for the Windows, Linux, and the Macintosh operating systems directly from COMSOL and from COMSOL’s global network of distributors on June 28, 2010.
Users of the Chemical Engineering Module with a current software license subscription will receive a one-time upgrade to the Chemical Reaction Engineering Module plus the COMSOL CFD Module at no additional cost.
Filed under:
COMSOL
May 4, 2010
COMSOL Multiphysics Version 4.0 Now Shipping
BURLINGTON, MA — COMSOL Inc. announces that version 4.0 of its multiphysics simulation software is now shipping. First unveiled at the 2009 users conference in Boston, COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.0 features an all-new user interface that makes the power of multiphysics simulation available to a wider audience of scientists and engineers. Both expert analysts and non-experts alike will benefit from the organized layout and streamlined model-building process. Along with the release of version 4.0, COMSOL also announces the release of a series of new LiveLink™ options that tightly integrate COMSOL Multiphysics into the mainstream product design workflow. New LiveLink products are now shipping for Autodesk® Inventor®, Pro/ENGINEER®, SolidWorks®, and MATLAB®.
“It feels great to make version 4.0 available,” comments Svante Littmarck, President and CEO of COMSOL, Inc. “We believe this release represents a bold step forward in usability that will increase productivity and problem solving capacity.” Version 4.0 is also a platform for accelerating the pace of development of new functionality. “Customers will notice this effect in the very near future: version 4.0a, available this June, includes three new modules for CFD, Plasma, and Batteries & Fuel Cells,” says Littmarck.
COMSOL Desktop - New Breakthrough User Interface
Model set up is smooth and direct, making tough problems quick and easy to solve. Version 4.0 brings an unprecedented level of clarity to product design simulation by combining an organized model overview and a streamlined model-building process in the new COMSOL Desktop. It uses functional form, structure, and aesthetics as the means to achieve simplicity for modeling complex physical realities. For instance, task-specific tools appear on the Desktop right when you need them and show only the currently possible and necessary actions. This helpful user convenience removes uncertainty from model building and brings order to simulations.
ZINK Imaging, the inventor of the ZINK Technology and the manufacturer of ZINK Paper™ -- a revolutionary approach to full-color printing of information and images with unparalleled simplicity -- makes frequent use of COMSOL Multiphysics within product invention, development, and manufacturing. Dr. Bill Vetterling, Research Fellow and Director of the Image Science Lab at ZINK Imaging, attended the 2009 COMSOL Conference and tried out the new user interface. "The version 4.0 prerelease that was made available to attendees was a great way to try out new features,” says Dr. Vetterling.
Simulation of a Rzeppa constant velocity joint using COMSOL Multiphysics Version 4. All model settings are controlled directly from the Model Builder and its context based Settings window. The Graphics window displays the displacements of the joint when the shaft reaches the maximum angle. Model courtesy of Metelli S.p.A. (Cologne, Italy)
“Version 4.0, by the way, is a masterpiece! It was a special treat this year to explore its fresh, new interface and insightful approach to the overall management of data,” adds Dr. Vetterling. "In my experience, COMSOL Multiphysics is a product that makes significant advances year after year."
LiveLink family of products for integrating with CAD, MATLAB
By adopting COMSOL simulation, CAD software users can now accurately simulate how real-world physical effects shape the design of new products. To this end version 4.0 features the optional LiveLink family of products. Each LiveLink connects COMSOL Multiphysics directly with leading CAD programs so that all parameters specified in a CAD model can be interactively linked with simulation geometry. The current product line includes LiveLink™ for SolidWorks®, LiveLink for Inventor®, and LiveLink for Pro/ENGINEER®. In addition, LiveLink for MATLAB® is available for those who need to incorporate a COMSOL Multiphysics model into an extended technical computing and programming environment.
COMSOL Multiphysics on Windows HPC Server 2008
COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.0 now runs on Windows HPC Server 2008, creating a scalable and affordable high performance computing solution for simulation and virtual prototyping. Current users with a COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.0 floating network license will be able to deploy across as many Windows HPC Server 2008 nodes as they choose, at no additional COMSOL Multiphysics licensing cost.
“By creating applications that run on Windows HPC Server 2008, scientific and engineering software companies like COMSOL are helping speed discovery”, said Vince Mendillo, senior director, Microsoft High Performance Computing Group. “ Scientists, engineers and analysts need easy-to-use tools and accessible high performance computing power to create competitive advantage.”
COMSOL Multiphysics supports parallel processing through standard shared-memory multicore computers as well as distributed-memory clusters. Users can turn to clusters to solve a series of parameter steps for a model, one parameter per node, or they can solve a single large model using distributed memory. For maximum performance, the COMSOL cluster implementation can utilize shared-memory multicore processing on each node in combination with the MPI-based distributed memory model.
Multiphysics simulation for Windows HPC Server 2008. Solve a parameterized problem, with parameter steps distributed to different physical cluster nodes (left). Solve a single problem distributed to different physical nodes.(right)
COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.0 Highlights
* COMSOL Desktop lets you organize your workflow and provides a clean overview of your simulation job
* Quick model set-up in the Model Builder and its graphical programming utility throughout the modeling and simulation process
* LiveLink family of products for using COMSOL with CAD:
o LiveLink™ for Inventor®
o LiveLink™ for Pro/ENGINEER®
o LiveLink™ for SolidWorks®
* LiveLink™ for MATLAB® to use multiphysics models in a programming environment
* Extend your existing floating COMSOL Multiphysics license at no additional charge to additional nodes for clusters on Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003, Windows HPC Server 2008, and Linux
* Geometry parameter sweeps with full associativity
* New solvers
o Modal solver for frequency response and time domain (for structural and acoustics simulations for example)
o Direct solvers MUMPS and SPOOLES for cluster computing
* Fully automated simulation configuration of solver settings, solver sequences, mesh settings, and result visualization
* Fast graphics with new functionality:
o Display of multiple plots simultaneously
o Probes – measure and plot anything during the solution process
o Data sets – create new solution data by operating on old data and use for postprocessing
New in Application Specific Modules
* Structural and Acoustics:
o Automated boundary conditions for structural-acoustics
o Elastic materials defined using bulk modulus and shear modulus, Lamé constants, and pressure-wave and shear-wave speed in addition to Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio
o Poroelasticity for anisotropic materials
o Rigid connector boundary condition for rigid pins and kinematic constraints such as prescribed rigid rotations
o Structural shell for large deformations
* Heat Transfer:
o Conjugate heat transfer (flow, fluid heat transfer, and solid heat transfer) for electronic cooling and heat sinks
o Heat radiation in participating media
o Heat transfer in porous media with multiple immobile solids
* AC/DC, MEMS, and RF:
o Electrical circuit elements (including resistors, capacitor, and inductors)
o Fast-frequency sweep solver (Asymptotic Waveform Evaluation)
o Transition boundary condition for thin metallic layers of arbitrary electrical thickness
* Fluid Flow:
o Improved turbulence models and low-Reynolds turbulence model
o Mixture-averaged diffusion for concentrated species
o Physics interface for fracture flow in structures with highly permeable thin shells and fractures
Availability
COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.0 is available for the Windows, Linux, and the Macintosh operating systems directly from COMSOL and from COMSOL’s global network of distributors immediately.
“It feels great to make version 4.0 available,” comments Svante Littmarck, President and CEO of COMSOL, Inc. “We believe this release represents a bold step forward in usability that will increase productivity and problem solving capacity.” Version 4.0 is also a platform for accelerating the pace of development of new functionality. “Customers will notice this effect in the very near future: version 4.0a, available this June, includes three new modules for CFD, Plasma, and Batteries & Fuel Cells,” says Littmarck.
COMSOL Desktop - New Breakthrough User Interface
Model set up is smooth and direct, making tough problems quick and easy to solve. Version 4.0 brings an unprecedented level of clarity to product design simulation by combining an organized model overview and a streamlined model-building process in the new COMSOL Desktop. It uses functional form, structure, and aesthetics as the means to achieve simplicity for modeling complex physical realities. For instance, task-specific tools appear on the Desktop right when you need them and show only the currently possible and necessary actions. This helpful user convenience removes uncertainty from model building and brings order to simulations.
ZINK Imaging, the inventor of the ZINK Technology and the manufacturer of ZINK Paper™ -- a revolutionary approach to full-color printing of information and images with unparalleled simplicity -- makes frequent use of COMSOL Multiphysics within product invention, development, and manufacturing. Dr. Bill Vetterling, Research Fellow and Director of the Image Science Lab at ZINK Imaging, attended the 2009 COMSOL Conference and tried out the new user interface. "The version 4.0 prerelease that was made available to attendees was a great way to try out new features,” says Dr. Vetterling.
Simulation of a Rzeppa constant velocity joint using COMSOL Multiphysics Version 4. All model settings are controlled directly from the Model Builder and its context based Settings window. The Graphics window displays the displacements of the joint when the shaft reaches the maximum angle. Model courtesy of Metelli S.p.A. (Cologne, Italy)
“Version 4.0, by the way, is a masterpiece! It was a special treat this year to explore its fresh, new interface and insightful approach to the overall management of data,” adds Dr. Vetterling. "In my experience, COMSOL Multiphysics is a product that makes significant advances year after year."
LiveLink family of products for integrating with CAD, MATLAB
By adopting COMSOL simulation, CAD software users can now accurately simulate how real-world physical effects shape the design of new products. To this end version 4.0 features the optional LiveLink family of products. Each LiveLink connects COMSOL Multiphysics directly with leading CAD programs so that all parameters specified in a CAD model can be interactively linked with simulation geometry. The current product line includes LiveLink™ for SolidWorks®, LiveLink for Inventor®, and LiveLink for Pro/ENGINEER®. In addition, LiveLink for MATLAB® is available for those who need to incorporate a COMSOL Multiphysics model into an extended technical computing and programming environment.
COMSOL Multiphysics on Windows HPC Server 2008
COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.0 now runs on Windows HPC Server 2008, creating a scalable and affordable high performance computing solution for simulation and virtual prototyping. Current users with a COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.0 floating network license will be able to deploy across as many Windows HPC Server 2008 nodes as they choose, at no additional COMSOL Multiphysics licensing cost.
“By creating applications that run on Windows HPC Server 2008, scientific and engineering software companies like COMSOL are helping speed discovery”, said Vince Mendillo, senior director, Microsoft High Performance Computing Group. “ Scientists, engineers and analysts need easy-to-use tools and accessible high performance computing power to create competitive advantage.”
COMSOL Multiphysics supports parallel processing through standard shared-memory multicore computers as well as distributed-memory clusters. Users can turn to clusters to solve a series of parameter steps for a model, one parameter per node, or they can solve a single large model using distributed memory. For maximum performance, the COMSOL cluster implementation can utilize shared-memory multicore processing on each node in combination with the MPI-based distributed memory model.
Multiphysics simulation for Windows HPC Server 2008. Solve a parameterized problem, with parameter steps distributed to different physical cluster nodes (left). Solve a single problem distributed to different physical nodes.(right)
COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.0 Highlights
* COMSOL Desktop lets you organize your workflow and provides a clean overview of your simulation job
* Quick model set-up in the Model Builder and its graphical programming utility throughout the modeling and simulation process
* LiveLink family of products for using COMSOL with CAD:
o LiveLink™ for Inventor®
o LiveLink™ for Pro/ENGINEER®
o LiveLink™ for SolidWorks®
* LiveLink™ for MATLAB® to use multiphysics models in a programming environment
* Extend your existing floating COMSOL Multiphysics license at no additional charge to additional nodes for clusters on Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003, Windows HPC Server 2008, and Linux
* Geometry parameter sweeps with full associativity
* New solvers
o Modal solver for frequency response and time domain (for structural and acoustics simulations for example)
o Direct solvers MUMPS and SPOOLES for cluster computing
* Fully automated simulation configuration of solver settings, solver sequences, mesh settings, and result visualization
* Fast graphics with new functionality:
o Display of multiple plots simultaneously
o Probes – measure and plot anything during the solution process
o Data sets – create new solution data by operating on old data and use for postprocessing
New in Application Specific Modules
* Structural and Acoustics:
o Automated boundary conditions for structural-acoustics
o Elastic materials defined using bulk modulus and shear modulus, Lamé constants, and pressure-wave and shear-wave speed in addition to Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio
o Poroelasticity for anisotropic materials
o Rigid connector boundary condition for rigid pins and kinematic constraints such as prescribed rigid rotations
o Structural shell for large deformations
* Heat Transfer:
o Conjugate heat transfer (flow, fluid heat transfer, and solid heat transfer) for electronic cooling and heat sinks
o Heat radiation in participating media
o Heat transfer in porous media with multiple immobile solids
* AC/DC, MEMS, and RF:
o Electrical circuit elements (including resistors, capacitor, and inductors)
o Fast-frequency sweep solver (Asymptotic Waveform Evaluation)
o Transition boundary condition for thin metallic layers of arbitrary electrical thickness
* Fluid Flow:
o Improved turbulence models and low-Reynolds turbulence model
o Mixture-averaged diffusion for concentrated species
o Physics interface for fracture flow in structures with highly permeable thin shells and fractures
Availability
COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.0 is available for the Windows, Linux, and the Macintosh operating systems directly from COMSOL and from COMSOL’s global network of distributors immediately.
Filed under:
COMSOL
Apr 5, 2010
Call for Papers: COMSOL Conference 2010 Boston
COMSOL is now accepting abstract submissions for the sixth annual meeting on multiphysics simulation.
BURLINGTON, MA - COMSOL, Inc., has announced that it will hold its sixth annual conference on multiphysics modeling and simulation October 7-9 at the Boston Marriott Newton. Engineers and Scientists are invited to submit abstracts describing projects in which they have made achievements using COMSOL Multiphysics(R). Authors of accepted submissions will present their work at the conference and submit a paper or poster for the conference proceedings. The proceedings CD circulation exceeds 100,000 worldwide.
Suggested topics for oral and poster presentations include:
* Acoustics
* Batteries & Fuel Cells
* Bioengineering
* Computational Fluid Dynamics
* Chemical Reaction Engineering
* Electromagnetics
* Geophysics
* Heat Transfer
* MEMS & Piezo Devices
* Multiphysics
* Numerical Methods and Optimization
* Optics & Photonics
* Plasma Physics
* Structural Mechanics
Abstracts should briefly summarize the individual or group's work, with particular focus on describing the problem, solution, results, and conclusions. Submissions will be reviewed by the Conference Program Committee, comprised of a panel of leaders in innovation from NIST, GlaxoSmithKline, Harvard University, and ExxonMobil, to name just a few. A complete Program Committee list has been announced on www.comsol.com/conference2010/usa/progcomm/.
Abstracts submitted by the early bird deadline of June 25th will receive a discount on conference registration fees. The final deadline for the submission of abstracts is August 6th. Interested parties should visit www.comsol.com/conference2010/usa/papers/ for complete guidelines on submitting and uploading an abstract.
BURLINGTON, MA - COMSOL, Inc., has announced that it will hold its sixth annual conference on multiphysics modeling and simulation October 7-9 at the Boston Marriott Newton. Engineers and Scientists are invited to submit abstracts describing projects in which they have made achievements using COMSOL Multiphysics(R). Authors of accepted submissions will present their work at the conference and submit a paper or poster for the conference proceedings. The proceedings CD circulation exceeds 100,000 worldwide.
Suggested topics for oral and poster presentations include:
* Acoustics
* Batteries & Fuel Cells
* Bioengineering
* Computational Fluid Dynamics
* Chemical Reaction Engineering
* Electromagnetics
* Geophysics
* Heat Transfer
* MEMS & Piezo Devices
* Multiphysics
* Numerical Methods and Optimization
* Optics & Photonics
* Plasma Physics
* Structural Mechanics
Abstracts should briefly summarize the individual or group's work, with particular focus on describing the problem, solution, results, and conclusions. Submissions will be reviewed by the Conference Program Committee, comprised of a panel of leaders in innovation from NIST, GlaxoSmithKline, Harvard University, and ExxonMobil, to name just a few. A complete Program Committee list has been announced on www.comsol.com/conference2010/usa/progcomm/.
Abstracts submitted by the early bird deadline of June 25th will receive a discount on conference registration fees. The final deadline for the submission of abstracts is August 6th. Interested parties should visit www.comsol.com/conference2010/usa/papers/ for complete guidelines on submitting and uploading an abstract.
Filed under:
COMSOL
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