An expansion fan occurs when a supersonic flow turns around a convex corner. When analyzing this phenomenon, you need to make sure your simulation results are accurate and agree well with existing theory. Here, we will show you that this is possible with the COMSOL Multiphysics® software and CFD Module. We discuss a benchmark model of a supersonic expansion fan and compare it to the inviscid compressible flow theory. We’ll also share a couple of tricks for improving this model.

In a previous post, we introduced the help tools included in the COMSOL Multiphysics® software. You can access additional resources on the COMSOL website, including the COMSOL Blog, Video Gallery, Application Gallery, Discussion Forum, Model Exchange, and Support Knowledge Base. In this blog post, we discuss these resources and point you to a video that shows how to use these tools for software and modeling guidance.

Even if the barbecue season has not started yet in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, there is always time to think about how to improve your grilling skills. In this blog post, we show how to use the COMSOL Multiphysics® software to determine the best way to arrange the coals or briquettes in a charcoal grill for even heat and to avoid hot spots. Even heat is required when making a grilled pizza, for example.

Magnetic prospecting is a useful technique for finding iron ore deposits and reducing exploration costs. While simulation provides a way to better understand and improve this process, generating results for each new scenario can be time consuming. Instead, engineers can increase efficiency by designing a magnetic prospecting app for personalized analyses. Here, we discuss an app that quickly generates customized results by enabling users to import heightmaps and geographical data and then add magnetic simulations.

In Part 3 of our series on multiscale modeling in high-frequency electromagnetics, let’s turn our attention to the receiving antenna. We’ve already covered theory and definitions in Part 1 and radiating antennas in Part 2. Today, we will couple a radiating antenna at one location with a receiving antenna 1000 λ away. For verification, we will calculate the received power via line-of-sight transmission and compare it with the Friis transmission line equation that we covered in Part 1.

Welcome back to our discussion on multiscale modeling in high-frequency electromagnetics. Multiscale modeling is a simulation challenge that arises when there are vastly different scales in a single simulation, such as the size of an antenna compared to the distance between the antenna and its target. Today, in Part 4 of the series, we will examine how we can construct a multiscale model by coupling a Full-Wave antenna simulation with a geometrical optics simulation using the Ray Optics Module.

Modeling acoustically large problems requires a memory-efficient approach like the discontinuous Galerkin method. To make solving these types of problems easier, we’ve added a new physics interface based on this method to the Acoustics Module: the Convected Wave Equation, Time Explicit interface. It can include a stationary background flow and is suited for modeling linear ultrasound applications. Today, we will explore how to use this interface with the example of an ultrasound flow meter.

You can learn a lot by watching extensive and descriptive tutorial videos and webinars. But what if you only have a minute — or less? In the #myCOMSOLtip video series, COMSOL engineers and customers share their favorite software tips and functionality. Check out the #myCOMSOLtip videos to learn something new and enhance your modeling skills today.

For those looking to solve complex transport process problems involving photonics and microfluidics, it can be challenging to account for all of the elements involved, including multiple physics phenomena. However, this is necessary for accurate results. By using multiphysics simulation, Carl Meinhart from the University of California, Santa Barbara and Numerical Design, Inc. accurately modeled transport processes in two application areas: high-frequency acoustics and microfluidic valves. Watch his keynote talk from the COMSOL Conference 2016 Boston to get the details.

When a pipe springs a leak, it’s important to find its location with a quick and accurate method. Engineers at Echologics — a Mueller Technologies Company — use a combination of acoustic sensors and simulation applications to pinpoint such leaks. Sebastien Perrier of Echologics discussed the benefits of this approach and gave a live demonstration of an acoustics modeling app during his keynote talk at the COMSOL Conference 2016 Boston. If you missed Sebastien’s presentation, you can watch it below.