Chemical Blog Posts
The Science Behind Cooking Caramel
Whether you’re adding it to brownies, crème brûlée, or an ice cream sundae, cooking caramel is a precarious task: One wrong move and it could burn and taste bitter or recrystallize and harden.
The Growing Use of Simulation in Pharmaceutical Development
Did you know that the development cycle of a drug can take years and cost millions of dollars? Simulation is 1 way to make pharmaceutical development processes faster and more cost effective.
Optimizing an NIV Mask Design with Multiphysics Simulation
NIV masks offer a form of noninvasive monitoring and ventilation for COVID-19 patients, which lessens the need for ventilators and other mechanical respirators.
Exploring the 4 Basic Modes of Electrophoresis
Zone electrophoresis, moving-boundary electrophoresis, isotachophoresis, and isoelectric focusing. In most cases, the physics of new electrophoretic methods can be related back to these 4 modes.
Approaching an Electrochemical Model from Scratch: Lemon Battery
The lemon battery: A high school chemistry experiment, and a great example when learning the general process for how to set up electrochemistry and battery models from scratch.
Optimizing the Electroplating Process for Multiple Components
From everyday kitchen utensils to iconic award show statuettes, rack plating is a useful manufacturing process that ensures components are electroplated both uniformly and efficiently.
6 Ways Engineers Are Using Simulation to Help the Environment
Energy-efficient buildings and appliances. Safe nuclear waste storage. Well-preserved freshwater lakes. These are just a few examples of how simulation is being used to help the environment.
Modeling a Pacemaker Electrode in COMSOL Multiphysics®
What happens when the heart doesn’t pump the way it should? Pacemakers maintain the heart rate by monitoring natural electrical signals. Pacemaker electrodes are a key part of these devices.
Material Characterization by Means of Simulation
Carbon-based materials, such as synthetic specialty graphites, are found in many industries, including solar, semiconductor, car manufacturing, ceramics, and metallurgy.
Developing a Silicon MEMS Chip for On-Demand DNA Synthesis
The development of genome editing tools like CRISPR-Cas9 has increased the demand for DNA synthesis technology. Researchers are creating a DNA synthesis platform to broaden horizons in the field.
How to Simulate Control Systems Using the PID Controller Add-In
A PID controller can be used in a variety of industries. This blog post demonstrates how a PID controller add-in can be easily incorporated in two simulation examples.
How to Simulate Impressed Current Cathodic Protection
2 common methods for protecting metal structures against galvanic corrosion are sacrificial anode cathodic protection (SACP) and impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP).
Estimating Parameters for a Li-Ion Battery via a Lumped Model
When performing an electrochemical analysis on a battery, an engineer might not have all of the information from the manufacturer. The solution? Parameter estimation via a lumped model…
Analyzing the Liquid Cooling of a Li-Ion Battery Pack
A sudden temperature increase or decrease can affect the efficiency of a lithium-ion battery. For the battery packs used in electric vehicles and other application areas, this can be a problem…
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Celebrates Li-Ion Battery Research
John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino, winners of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, come from different places and researched lithium-ion batteries at different times.
Zeiss, Abbe, and the Evolution of Microscopes and Optical Research
The story of Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe involves a picturesque town in Germany, compound microscopes, and a hammer and anvil. See for yourself with a glimpse into the history of optical research.
Optimizing PID Controller Performance with COMSOL Multiphysics®
PID controllers involve three components that must work together simultaneously, and it can be challenging to get each of them just right. That’s where process control simulation comes in.
Understanding the Drug Reaction Kinetics of Nerve Guides via Modeling
Ever had a pinched nerve? Nerve guides repair this type of damaged nerve cell tissue. To design safe and reliable nerve guides, we can use simulation to understand their drug reaction kinetics.
Electrode Balancing of a Lithium-Ion Battery with COMSOL®
Electrode balancing is an important consideration for battery cell engineers. Get an overview and mathematical framework of this phenomenon and learn how to analyze it in a lithium-ion battery.
Taking a Look at Electrochemical Treatment for Tumors via Modeling
EChT offers many benefits for the treatment and removal of cancerous tumors, so why isn’t it a widely accepted method yet? First, we need a better understanding of tumor destruction mechanisms.
Evaluating the Electrode Utilization of a Lithium-Ion Battery Pouch Cell
Large-format batteries are found in energy storage systems; electric, hybrid, and plug-in cars; unmanned vehicles; light-rail trains; and more. We discuss modeling a component of these batteries.
Protecting Against Atmospheric Corrosion with Simulation
Certain environmental factors, such as humidity and snow, can lead to atmospheric corrosion. The result? Rusty bikes, cars, and other metal structures. Simulation can protect against this effect.
Digital Twins and Model-Based Battery Design
By combining high-fidelity multiphysics models with lightweight models and measured data, engineers can create digital twins to understand, predict, optimize, and control real-world systems.
Keynote Video: Simulating the Drying of Cellular Foods
How about them (dried) apples? Empa uses multiscale modeling to analyze the dehydration of soft cellular food products, such as dried fruit, and scale their processes for mass production.