COMSOL Multiphysics version 5.2 introduced a number of new features and functionality, including an acoustics-specific plot type called the Octave Band plot. This plot type provides you with an easy and flexible way to represent any frequency response, transfer function, sensitivity curve, transmission loss, or insertion loss — all of which are essential plots in many acoustics applications. Let’s learn a bit more about the Octave Band plot, while highlighting its various options and settings.

When studying a system’s chemical kinetics, it’s common to use perfectly mixed batch reactor assumptions and design experiments that keep mixing conditions ideal. Such assumptions include perfectly mixed (ideal tank reactors) and perfectly unmixed (ideal plug flow reactors). In reality, however, it’s rare that all of the reactor’s parts behave the same way. Space-dependent modeling is thus essential in understanding and optimizing chemical reactors. Let’s explore the development of a detailed reactor model, starting with a simple perfectly mixed example.

I love my Philips Hue lighting system, which I bought over a year ago. The system allows you to set millions of different colors and thousands of brightness levels for up to 18 bulbs using a smartphone. You can also program the system to automatically turn on as you approach your residence, known as geofencing, or at specific times of the day. But how does the light quality compare to that of other lighting technologies?

Modeling complex geometries with thin structures can be very costly in terms of computational effort, particularly as such structures require quite a lot of mesh elements in order to resolve them. COMSOL Multiphysics provides dedicated features for modeling thin structures so that such models can be solved efficiently while maintaining accuracy. To set up and postprocess thin structures, COMSOL Multiphysics also provides specialized operators to help you consider all the relevant parameters required for accurate results.

The nonlinear magnetic saturation curves in the AC/DC Module’s Nonlinear Magnetic Materials Database can now be used in frequency-domain simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics version 5.2. You can now convert the associated BH or HB curve, which was previously supported only for stationary and time-dependent studies, into an effective BH or HB curve using the newly added Effective Nonlinear Magnetic Curves Calculator app. In this blog post, we will discuss how this app is used in frequency-domain simulations.

Radiofrequency tissue ablation is a medical procedure that uses targeted heat for a variety of medical purposes, including killing cancerous cells, shrinking collagen, and alleviating pain. The process involves applying mid- to high-frequency alternating current directly to the tissue, raising the temperature in a focused region near the applicator. We can simulate this process with COMSOL Multiphysics and the AC/DC and Heat Transfer modules. In today’s blog post, we will go over some key concepts for modeling this procedure.

Today, guest blogger and Certified Consultant Giuseppe Petrone of BE CAE & Test discusses creating apps to perform thermal analyses of electronic devices. When manufacturing electronic devices, leading companies often look to simulation in order to thermally characterize their products. At BE CAE & Test, we have found a more efficient way of answering such requests: designing apps that are tailored to our customers’ needs. Our surface-mount device app, presented here, is just one testament to what apps can achieve.

To accurately compute lift and drag forces and optimize any airfoil following the NACA naming convention, COMSOL Multiphysics version 5.2 includes a new example, the NACA Airfoil Optimization app. In this blog post, we discuss how the app can be used for production applications and how you can benefit from using the Application Builder to enhance your own models and apps.

In 2012, guests at a California music festival called Coachella were shocked to see rap artist Tupac Shakur perform onstage. Why? Because the famed musician had been dead for nearly two decades. Viral reactions called the digitized performance a “hologram”, which is actually a misnomer. This stunt is an example of the Pepper’s Ghost optical illusion, which can be explained with ray optics.

Contaminated produce contributes to food waste — a growing problem in the global agricultural industry. Solar dryers are one way to preserve fruits and vegetables, but these devices must be able to function properly to be effective. Heat transfer simulation can be used to analyze solar food dryer designs and identify the right building materials, including phase-change materials (PCMs), which conserve the solar heat. Today, we’ll explore simulation research focused on optimizing a solar dryer design for efficient food preservation.