COMSOL

New Feature
Highlights

VERSION 3.5a
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COMSOL New Feature Highlights

© COPYRIGHT 1998–2008 by COMSOL AB. All rights reserved
Patent pending
The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. The software may
be used or copied only under the terms of the license agreement. No part of this manual may be
photocopied or reproduced in any form without prior written consent from COMSOL AB.
COMSOL, COMSOL Multiphysics, COMSOL Reaction Engineering Lab, and FEMLAB are
registered trademarks of COMSOL AB.
Other product or brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
Version: November 2008 COMSOL 3.5a Part number: CM010004
 New Feature Highlights
From the generation of model geometries to postprocessing simulation results,
version 3.5a of COMSOL Multiphysics® and its discipline-specific add-on
modules offer significant efficiency and productivity enhancements. This guide
provides a brief overview of the v3.5a’s new features that improve the user
experience as well as enhancements that provide greater efficiency through
improved use of CPU time and memory space.

We know that you find COMSOL Multiphysics an invaluable tool in your work
and research. We believe that version 3.5a will prove even more valuable as you
investigate ideas that spark innovation.

1
CAD Import Module and Draw Mode
The CAD Import Module now supports the Parasolid® file format from Siemens
PLM Software throughout the CAD import process, making v3.5a more robust
and efficient than in previous versions as well as more interoperable with
third-party engineering and scientific applications. CAD parts are no longer
converted to COMSOL geometry objects as part of the import process. The CAD
Import Module also now runs on the Macintosh.

You can individually repair and defeature parts in an assembly, which gives
additional flexibility when parts require different repair and defeaturing tolerances.

A new bidirectional interface to Autodesk® Inventor® that supports geometric

parametric sweeps has been introduced in v3.5a.

The bidirectional interface to SolidWorks® has been updated and now also
supports geometric parametric sweeps.

The new COMSOL-Autodesk

Inventor bidirectional interface.

2
Application Modes, Physics Settings,
and Modeling Features
The new version of COMSOL Multiphysics features new application modes for
optimization (requires Optimization Lab) and sensitivity analysis.

Version 3.5a now also runs on the 64-bit Mac OS X platform.

Saving time and effort, v3.5a lets you import external data from unstructured
grids.

The AC/DC Module includes a new ECAD interface where you can create
geometries of PCB designs imported from ODB++ files and GDS files. Using the
software NETEX-G® by Artwork Conversion Software, you can also create
geometries in COMSOL from Gerber/drill files.

In a new interface, you can run induced-field analysis for magnetic fields by
eliminating a known background field using a reduced-potential method (for
example, for nondestructive testing).

Simulation of the electromagnetic field in a

planar transformer using ECAD import.

The Acoustics Module offers an easy-to-use interface for simulations of

acoustic-structure interactions through a predefined multiphysics coupling.

3
Structural dampings and losses are also easy to define in a new interface in the
piezoelectrical application modes.

Model of a bass
reflex speaker using
the Acoustics Module.

4
Chemical Engineering Module v3.5a features a new Two-Phase Flow, Phase Field
application mode that lets you model interfaces between immiscible fluids.

Two-phase flow simulation of boiling water using the Two-Phase Flow, Phase
Field application mode.

New surface tension data in the Liquids and Gases material library enhances the
level set-based and phase field-based application modes.

New stabilization techniques, new solvers, and default setting refinements enhance
the efficiency of all solvers for fluid flow applications substantially.

The Earth Science Module v3.5a, when coupled with the Structural Mechanics or
MEMS Modules, now features a predefined multiphysics coupling for
poroelasticity, enabling you to simulate the effects of porous media flow on stresses
and strains.

The module also comes with a new material library for properties of liquids and
gases.

Efficiency enhancements in the Heat Transfer Module v3.5a greatly improve

nonisothermal flow and convective heat transfer simulations as well as provide
better stabilization for modeling free convection and heat transfer in turbulent
flows. Simulations of heat and flow in electronic cooling, free convection, and

5
general thermal management applications are now up to 8 times faster, while
memory requirements for thermal stresses are down 25 percent.

In heat conduction applications, you can now run simulations of unbounded

domains through the infinite elements technique.

Air flow field and temperature inside an amplifier equipped with a fan on one of
the vertical walls and ventilation orifices on the opposite vertical wall.

The MEMS Module v3.5a features application modes for multiphase flow that
include data for surface tensions.

A new predefined multiphysics coupling enables you to simulate the effects of

thermal-electric-structural interaction, and a new interface lets you introduce
structural damping, dielectric, and coupling losses in the piezoelectrical application
modes.

6
A new interface for viscoelastic material models, SPICE circuit integration, and the
ECAD interface described above are incorporated into v3.5a.

Moving Interfaces using the phase field method is one of the new features in the
MEMS Module.

7
The RF Module v3.5a introduces new circuit ports for simulating the connection
of a transmission line or an antenna and an external circuit. Adaptive meshing for
S-parameter analysis has been added as has the ECAD interface described above.

Electromagnetic fields and flux lines combined with thermal expansion in an

RF solenoid simulated using the RF Module.

This new release extends the capabilities of the Structural Mechanics Module with
new interfaces for viscoelastic material models and for nonlinear acoustoelasticity
using the hyperelastic Murnaghan material model.

The Module also features a predefined multiphysics coupling for

thermal-electric-structural simulations.

A new dialog box allows you to introduce structural damping, dielectric, and
coupling losses in the piezoelectrical application modes.

Reaction forces calculated with high accuracy are now available in the
postprocessing menu.

The efficiency of the solvers for structural mechanics has been substantially
enhanced in this version compared to previous versions, especially for transient
simulations. This is achieved through new solvers and better-tuned default settings.

8
Stresses in a valve cap simulated using the Structural Mechanics Module.

9
Meshing
For users of the CAD Import Module, the robustness of the meshing process is
substantially enhanced by meshing directly on the Parasolid geometry
representation.

An advancing-front mesher, the new default mesher for 2D geometries, creates

higher-quality meshes for 2D and 3D surfaces than previous versions. One-click
hex-to-tet meshing and prism-to-tet meshing capabilities are new meshing options.

Version 3.5a introduces a swept meshing functionality using an N-to-1 surface

method. This makes meshing layered structures simpler, faster, and easier.

The new N-to-1 swept meshing ability in use on the meshing of a planar transformer.

10
Solving the Model
A new Generalized-α solver makes time-dependent structural mechanics,
electromagnetic, acoustics, and fluid-flow simulations more efficient.

The segregated solver, now available for time-dependent simulations, cuts memory
usage for solving weakly coupled multiphysics problems, such as thermal stresses,
by as much as 50 percent. The segregated solver also offers new flexible settings
that make setting up problems with various multiphysics couplings easier and
faster.

COMSOL 3.5a includes a number of new features for the solution process,
including a new time-dependent segregated solver.

Enhancements in v3.5a have increased execution speeds for time-domain wave

simulations as well as fluid flow simulations from 2 to 8 times. A new out-of-core
PARDISO linear solver reduces memory requirements when running simulations,
and you can now trim solution times for highly nonlinear time-dependent
simulations by tuning the tolerance of the nonlinear solver. Tighter code has
boosted shared-memory parallelism speedup by 20 percent.

11
Multiple parameter sweeping is introduced using the parametric solver. In
addition, you can run highly efficient parameter sweeps using the parametric solver
on distributed memory systems, such as Linux and Windows clusters. Parametric
sweeps can be run in combination with any of the time-dependent, stationary, and
eigenvalue solvers.

12
Postprocessing
Version 3.5a enhances the portability of graphics from COMSOL by supporting
the GIF format for images and the animated GIF format for movies.

The versatility of the visualization capabilities is increased in this version and you
can customize the existing color tables to create your own color schemes.

Finally, in order to check the status of the solution process, version 3.5a allows
plotting while solving.

Plotting while solving allows for better monitoring of the solution process.

13
New Models
The COMSOL model libraries have been expanded with a variety of exciting new
models illustrating the enhancements in COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5a. These new
models are categorized below by disciple-specific module.

AC/DC MODULE:

Simulation of the magnetic

prospecting of iron ore
deposits model in the AC/
DC Module Model
Library.

MODEL NAME MODEL DESCRIPTION

planar transformer Simulation of the electromagnetic

fields in a planar transformer using
ECAD geometry import.
magnetic prospecting Simulation of the magnetic
prospecting of iron ore deposits.

14
ACOUSTICS MODULE:

Isosurfaces of the sound

pressure level in a
simulation of a
loudspeaker enclosure in
the Acoustics Module
Model Library.

MODEL NAME MODEL DESCRIPTION

horn shape optimization The shape of an initially conical,

axisymmetric horn is optimized with
respect to sound pressure level in
the far field.
loudspeaker driver Model of a loudspeaker driver that
includes both an electromagnetic
analysis of the voice coil and an
acoustic-structure interaction
analysis of the sound-generating
diaphragm.
loudspeaker suspension Simulation of the resistance and
compliance of the suspension in a
loudspeaker.
vented loudspeaker enclosure Model of a boxed loudspeaker that
allows for calculating the resulting
sound pressure level in the room as
a function of the frequency.

15
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING MODULE:

A fully coupled model of a

solid oxide fuel cell unit
cell in the Chemical
Engineering Module
Model Library.

MODEL NAME MODEL DESCRIPTION

steam reformer Simulation of a steam reformer,

serving a stationary fuel cell with
hydrogen.
diesel particulate filter 3D Model that studies the averaged flow
field, concentration and temperature
distribution in a homogenized model
of a diesel particulate filter.
microreactor optimization Optimization of the reaction rate in
a catalytic microreactor.
thermal dispersion Parameter estimation of the thermal
dispersion coefficients of a packed
bed.
sofc unit cell Analysis of the current density
distribution in a solid oxide fuel cell
unit cell.
freeze drying Model of the process of sublimation
of pure water ice in a vial.
rechargeable lithium-ion battery Simulation of the transient charge
and discharge performance of a
rechargeable Li-ion battery.
polymerization multijet Simulation of polymerization in a
multijet reactor.

16
MODEL NAME MODEL DESCRIPTION

copper deposition in a trench Model of the electroplating of

copper in a microcavity typically
found in the plating of copper onto
circuit boards.
packed bed reactor This model presents a simple and
fast alternative for studying macro-
and micro-mass balances in packed
beds and other heterogeneous
rectors with bimodal pore
distribution.
boiling water Simulation of the boiling of water
solved with the phase field method.
droplet breakup 3D Model that studies in detail how
droplets in an emulsion can be
created.
phase separation Benchmark model of how two
initially mixed, immiscible phases are
separated into pure components.
two phase turbulent flow Turbulent two-phase flow problem
solved with the phase field method.

17
EARTH SCIENCE MODULE:

Estimating the
hydraulic-conductivity field
in an aquifer using inverse
modeling and
experimental data in the
Earth Science Module.

MODEL NAME MODEL DESCRIPTION

aquifer characterization Estimating the hydraulic-conductivity

field in an aquifer using inverse
modeling and experimental data.
forchheimer flow The resistance to flow in open
porous structures, like packed beds,
is governed by both laminar and
turbulent effects. The Forchheimer
equation takes this into account.
aquifer water table Instead of being assumed, the shape
of the water table is computed in
this model to correctly model
groundwater flow in an aquifer.

18
HEAT TRANSFER MODULE:

The light bulb model

exemplifies
surface-to-surface
radiation and
non-isothermal flow in the
Heat Transfer Model
Library.

MODEL NAME MODEL DESCRIPTION

light bulb Axisymmetric analysis of a light bulb

including surface-to-surface radiation,
and free convection.
displacement ventilation This example examines the
performance of a displacement
ventilation system in a room, by
modeling turbulent flow coupled to
heat transfer.

19
MEMS MODULE:

The pressure sensor

model simulates the
measuring of pressure
changes through changes
in capacitance.

MODEL NAME MODEL DESCRIPTION

twophase fsi Fluid-structure interaction for a fluid

containing two phases.
pressure sensor 3D Simulation of a sensor that measures
pressure changes through changes in
capacitance.
thin film baw resonator Simulation of a thin film BAW
resonator.
tunable piezoelectric actuator Simulation of the frequency
response of an actuator coupled to
an external tuning circuit described
using a SPICE netlist.

20
RF MODULE:

Simulation of the
Schumann resonance
frequencies model in the
RF Module Model Library.

MODEL NAME MODEL DESCRIPTION

pcb microwave filter with stress Simulation of a microstrip filter using

ECAD import.
conical antenna with circuit Analysis of a conical antenna coupled
with an external circuit.
periodic boundary condition Updated tutorial model showing
how to set up Floquet periodic
boundary conditions.
shape optimization dipole antenna Optimization of the length and
diameter of a dipole antenna to
obtain a certain input impedance
value.
schumann resonance Simulation of the Schumann
resonance frequencies.
waveguide optimization This tutorial model shows how to
perform S-parameter sensitivity
analysis and optimization of a
90-degree microwave waveguide
bend.

21
STRUCTURAL MECHANICS MODULE:

Simulation of a viscoelastic
damping element for
reduction of seismic and
wind-induced vibrations in
tall buildings.

MODEL NAME MODEL DESCRIPTION

viscoplastic solder joints This model studies viscoplastic creep

in solder joints under thermal
loading using the Anand
viscoplasticity model.
thermal viscoelastic tube The model studies the temperature
effects on the viscoelastic stress
relaxation in a generalized Maxwell
material with four branches.
viscoelastic damper This model studies a damper
intended for reduction of
wind-induced and seismic vibrations
in buildings and other tall structures.
contact cellular screen Contact modeling of a cell phone
display subjected to a load.
aluminum extrusion fsi Fluid-structure interaction of an
aluminum extrusion process,
including thermal-structure and
thermal-fluid couplings.
elbow bracket Tutorial model that performs various
structural simulations of an elbow
bracket of steel.

22
MODEL NAME MODEL DESCRIPTION

rail steel This example studies the

elastoacoustic effect, a change in the
speed of elastic waves propagating in
a structure that is undergoing static
elastic deformations.
rotating blade The eigenfrequencies of a rotating
blade are studied in this benchmark
model.

23
REACTION ENGINEERING LAB:

Simulation of
polymerization in a
multijet reactor model in
the Reaction Engineering
Lab Model Library.

MODEL NAME MODEL DESCRIPTION

tankinseries control The model illustrated here involves a

series of three consecutive tank
reactors including a feedback control
to keep the concentration at the
outlet to a prescribed level.
polymerization multijet Simulation of polymerization in a
multijet reactor.

24
COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS:

Fluid flow topology

optimization model in the
COMSOL Multiphysics
Model Library.

MODEL NAME MODEL DESCRIPTION

flywheel profile Optimizing the radial thickness

profile of a flywheel with respect to
the objective of obtaining a radial
stress distribution that is as even as
possible.
loaded knee Minimum compliance optimization
of a given amount of material
forming an L-shaped frame.
reversed flow Minimizing the fluid flow in a
microchannel by topology
optimization.
spice parameter extraction The IV-characteristics from the
Semiconductor Diode model are
used to extract the model
parameters for the SPICE model of a
diode.
mast diagonal mounting sensitivity Sensitivity analysis is used to predict
what effect changing geometrical
parameters of a communication
mast part has on its overall stiffness.

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