Latest Posts
First Keynote Video Takes Us to Babel
One of the differences between this year’s COMSOL Conference, and previous years’, is that this year we filmed a lot of it. During the next few weeks we will be publishing some of these videos for those that were there, to enjoy it once again, and for those that weren’t to get a taste of what went on. To kick these all off, I’m proud to present the first keynote video, which takes us to Babel.
Proprietary Code or Off-the-Shelf?
Many engineers and scientists have worked in their chosen application areas for many years. It is not unusual that their first models consisted of a few lines of code that they wrote themselves. Or, the application was so specific that the engineer was forced to write code, as none of the commercial simulation packages available could handle their unique application. Then there’s the COMSOL Multiphysics® software, which enables you to enter your own equations. What’s the best option?
New Product Video Tutorial: LiveLink™ for Solid Edge®
With the latest COMSOL release, Version 4.3a, comes new CAD interoperability. We are delighted to introduce LiveLink™ for Solid Edge® seamless associativity between Siemens’ CAD experience and COMSOL’s multiphysics simulation software. A LiveLink™ for Solid Edge® video tutorial demonstrates this integration, and gives you a leg up in your design modeling. In this video, the three main features to help you design, optimize, and troubleshoot your geometries are demonstrated.
Modeling Scar Effects on Electrical Spinal Cord Stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a treatment for chronic back pain that has been around for over 40 years. It involves implanting electrodes that apply electric potentials directly to the spine, interfering with the human pain signaling circuitry. The body attempts to send pain signals to the brain, but the electrodes act as a barrier preventing the signals from reaching the brain. Although an overall successful method for treating back pain, researchers have been improving on the design since the […]
Triple Bottom Line: Innovating Bottled Water
Reducing the amount of plastic used in the production of bottled water would both help companies save on packaging costs and be more sustainable. That seems easy enough, until you consider the fact that during storage and transportation, the bottles are stacked on top of one another. With a lot of bottles comes a lot of mechanical load. How can companies reduce the amount of plastic without compromising the structure of the bottles?
Thank You for Attending the COMSOL Conference Bangalore 2012
On November 2-3 the COMSOL conference made its stop in Bangalore, India. This two-day event hosted eminent keynote speakers, user presentations, minicourses, poster sessions, and finally closed with an awards ceremony. Here’s a re-cap of the highlights of the COMSOL Conference Bangalore 2012:
Microwave Imaging for Breast Cancer Detection
Last month was Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM). In many parts of the world walks were coordinated to fundraise for breast cancer research, and here in the U.S. it also meant NFL football players donned pink gear throughout the month. It was only fitting then, that a poster was presented on the topic at our conference in Boston. The research presented there explores a new method for detecting breast tumors.
Now Live: COMSOL Conference User Presentations
I know many of you have been wondering when the user presentations from this year’s COMSOL Conference would be published. Today we get to tell you that the presentation slides, papers, and posters are now available online. And as you will see, it is quite the collection too. The COMSOL Conference User Presentations are here.
The First Flyer Optimized Using Multiphysics
December of 1903 marked the commencement of the Age of Powered Flight, and the Wright brothers went down in history. This was a time before personal computers and simulation software existed. Determining the optimal design of their airplane had to be done using physical prototypes and real-life experiments. What had the design looked like if the Wright brothers had been able to use computers and modeling software? Three researchers from Pennsylvania State University sought to find out how the design […]
Modeling Static Mixers
A mixer that doesn’t move may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s not. Used in various chemical species transport applications, static mixers are inexpensive, accurate, and versatile. Still, there is always room for improvement. Optimizing the design of static mixers calls for computer modeling, but traditional CFD methods may not be the best way to model these mixers. How do these motionless mixers work and how can their performance be simulated?
Simulating Permanent Magnet Generators
Permanent magnet generators, or PM generators as they are also called, generate power without batteries. PM generators consist of a magnetic stator coiled with wire and a wheel with permanent magnets rotating inside the stator. From motorcycles to wind farms, PM generators can be used in many electrical machinery applications. Let’s take a look at how these types of generators work and how they can be simulated.
Photos from the European COMSOL Conference
They say that an image is worth more than a thousand words, and I couldn’t agree more. In that vein, we’d like to show you our enthusiasm over the European COMSOL Conference held in Milan, Italy earlier in October, through a slideshow of pictures from the event. We already thanked you in advance for making this our most-registered for event of the year. Now we want to thank you again with this slideshow.
Microfluidics Model of an Electroosmotic Micromixer
When you need to mix something at a very small scale you don’t reach for a teeny-tiny whisk. If you’re working with microscale biochemical applications you’d be more likely to rely on diffusion to mix fluids. With highly ordered laminar flow there is no turbulence involved, thus making diffusion a prime candidate for “getting the job done”. But what if you need to mix larger molecules? Larger molecules mean higher molecular weight, which in turn leads to very long equilibration […]
Halloween Special: Cloaking Devices and Capes of Invisibility
What if this Halloween you could take your costume to the next level and turn yourself invisible? There are bounds of references to invisibility throughout fairy tales, folk lore, and pop culture. From capes and hats to cloaking devices, many fictional characters have been provided with a means for rendering themselves invisible. In the spirit of Halloween, let’s have a closer look at cloaking from a fictional and scientific stand-point.
Oil Companies Rely Heavily on Engineers
It’s no secret that there’s a lot of guesswork involved in oil production. Oil companies make “Big Money” decisions based on estimates – estimates with huge margins of error. What’s more, there is an incredible amount of risk involved, but with the potential for a large pay-off if all goes according to plan. The plan is based on “best guesses” and less than perfect data. Still, there are many big players in the oil industry that are doing very well […]
Poroelasticity in Sand
When you work with multiphysics all day you tend to notice physics phenomena everywhere you go. For me, one such moment was when I was walking on the beach this past summer. I noticed that the sand appears whiter around a person’s feet than elsewhere. You may have noticed this too, and like I, wondered “why?” This phenomenon can be explained by the theory of poroelasticity.
New Product that Helps Electrical and Electronics Engineers
As much as we would like to think that finite element analysis (FEA) is the be-all and end-all of simulations, it’s not true. There is also a camp of engineers out there that model integrated circuits and similar systems. These are based on different physics and equations than what FEA typically solves for. Yet, as is happening more and more in the world of virtual prototyping, the two types of simulations are converging. Now they need to integrate with each […]
A Creative Take on RFID Tags
These days, RFID tags are used in many applications. Ranging from packing slips to ID badges, RFID tags are embedded into many different objects by businesses everywhere. Once tagged, these can be tracked to improve functions such as inventory management, security, manufacturing processes, and more. You can also implant an RFID tag into animals, such as cattle or pets, so that they can be found in case of theft or loss, for instance. Wild animals that are found far from […]
Congratulations to the COMSOL Conference Boston 2012 Paper and Poster Winners
As the conference opened in Milan today, we would like to take a moment and congratulate the COMSOL Conference Boston 2012 paper and poster winners. Three “Best Paper”, two “Best Poster”, and one “Popular Choice” awards were handed out.
Why Should You Simulate Fatigue?
The Fatigue Module, an add-on to the Structural Mechanics Module and the COMSOL Multiphysics® software, can be used to perform structural fatigue life computations for both strain-based and stressed-based fatigue. In this blog post, we discuss some of the potential application areas and benefits of fatigue testing.
Extend Your Modeling Capacity with LiveLink™ for Excel®
Recently, Fanny blogged about spreadsheets and how they are used in engineering. She mentioned that they are great for collating material properties and other experimental results, and for then using these in COMSOL models. The simulation results from these models can in turn be compared to the original data, and help calibrate material properties and optimize the design. With the release of COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3a, COMSOL has now made it much easier to perform these tasks and extend your modeling […]
COMSOL 4.3a Highlights Video — New Products and Features
Yesterday we announced the release of COMSOL Multiphysics Version 4.3a. The excitement around this release is already rising, and with good reason. Now we’d like to introduce you to the four new products and some of the major new features that are made available, via this COMSOL 4.3a Highlights video duo:
Equations: Who Needs Them?
Most of us take mathematical modeling for granted. After all, we’re taught physics and calculus almost hand-in-hand. But we owe a lot to the early pioneers like Isaac Newton, who demonstrated and strongly promoted interpreting natural phenomena through equations. Differential equations are especially useful since most things change as time marches on. Since we live in 3D space, partial differential equations (i.e., equations that express change in more than one “direction”) arise as the prominent tool to express continuum level […]
Preview: Virtual Conference Guide for Smartphones and other Web-enabled Devices
The COMSOL Conference is about to get kick-started with its first stop in Boston next week, and Milan to follow soon thereafter. Now we’re excited to announce a new feature for this year’s conference attendees: a virtual conference guide for smartphones and other web-enabled devices. The full version is yet to be released, but I was able to test-drive the app and will share it with you here on the blog.