All posts by Caty Fairclough

Happy Birthday, Ernst Ruska
Ernst Ruska is an optical engineer from Germany who is known for developing the first electron microscope, earning him a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986.

Advancing Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries with Modeling
The chemical energy in vanadium redox flow batteries is contained in liquid electrolytes and stored in external tanks. They can be used to improve grid energy storage and renewable energy.

3 Examples of Equation-Based Modeling in COMSOL Multiphysics®
What are the benefits of using equation-based modeling in your simulations? Here are 3 examples that demonstrate the use of this functionality.

The Internet of Space Takes Off with Advanced Antenna Designs
You’ve heard of the Internet of Things, but what about the Internet of Space, which change how we share information and communicate worldwide. A key aspect of this concept: antenna designs.

Analyzing an Electrodynamic Ion Funnel with COMSOL Multiphysics®
Quadrupole mass filters and ion mobility spectrometers are used to detect explosives, study complex biological molecules, and more. Ion funnels are an important component of these devices.

Happy Birthday, Christian Doppler
The Doppler effect is observed both on Earth (such as the change in pitch when a siren passes you) and in space (such as the red shift of a planet). Learn about this phenomenon’s namesake.

Happy Birthday, Johannes Diderik van der Waals
Johannes Diderik van der Waals made many groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of liquids and gases, but his greatest passion was for education.

Focusing on Einzel Lenses with Particle Tracing Simulation
You can use electrostatics analysis and charged particle tracing to better understand einzel lens systems and optimize their designs.

Analyzing Concrete Flow in Drilled Shafts with CFD Simulation
Researchers from the University of Florida used CFD simulation to analyze concrete flow in drilled shaft designs in order to optimize these deep foundation elements.

Keynote Video: Using Simulation to Develop Reliable Audio Transducers
An engineer from a loudspeaker company discusses using simulation to design a component that can handle fatigue, environmental conditions, and user wear and tear. Watch the presentation.

Happy Birthday, Margaret Hutchinson Rousseau
Margaret Hutchinson Rousseau, the first woman to join the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), is known for designing the first commercial penicillin plant during WWII.

Analyzing Time-Domain Reflectometry for 2 Electrical Designs
Here are 2 examples of analyzing the signal integrity and time domain reflectometry in electrical devices: a high-speed interconnect and a set of parallel microstrip lines.

Designing an Ultrasensitive Imaging System Based on Mantis Shrimp
Mantis shrimp have one of the most advanced visual systems. Researchers used these organisms as inspiration for a medical imaging method that could help improve cancer detection.

Happy Birthday, George Westinghouse
If you’ve ever ridden on a train or used electricity, than you have American inventor George Westinghouse to thank. Learn about how he changed the way we think about and use alternating current.

Analyzing Kelvin Probe Designs with COMSOL Multiphysics®
Kelvin probes, a type of MEMS technology, provide a nondestructive and contact-free way to measure the work function differences of various material combinations.

Improving IFE Target Fabrication with a Droplet Microfluidics Method
A common joke is that fusion energy is 30 years away, and always will be. Researchers are using simulation to tackle the challenges involved with of inertial fusion energy target production.

Analyze the Electrodynamics of a Magnetic Power Switch via Simulation
The AC/DC Module can be used to simulate electrodynamic devices, such as magnetic power switch circuit breakers. Follow along with this discussion to study the working principles of the device.

Optimizing the Geometry of Optical Antennas with Genetic Algorithms
What does antenna design have to do with the concept of natural selection? Although it may sound far-fetched, the basic principles of natural selection can be used to optimize antenna geometries.

Analyzing a New Droplet-Forming Fluidic Junction with Simulation
A novel oscillatory microfluidic junction design, called a “batwing”, is improving the field of droplet microfluidics by consistently producing uniform and complex double-emulsion droplets.

Happy Birthday, Osborne Reynolds
Osborne Reynolds was an Irish physicist whose work focused on mathematics, thermodynamics, and — most notably — fluid mechanics.

Simulating Cancer Cell Migration in Microgravity with COMSOL®
Researchers used multiphysics simulation to determine how microgravity effects the migration of metastatic cancer cells. Their results could have new implications for therapy and treatments.

Studying Zone Electrophoresis with COMSOL Multiphysics®
Zone electrophoresis enables scientists to study nucleic acids, biopolymers, and proteins in a wide range of areas. COMSOL Multiphysics® can be used to take a closer look at this process.

Analyzing a Unique Poroelastic Metamaterial with Simulation
This blog post combines the subjects of 3D printing and metamaterials, featuring a group that used simulation-based research to analyze a unique poroelastic metamaterial.

Comparing 2 Approaches for Modeling Electronic Chip Cooling
We go over 2 modeling approaches for electronic chip cooling problems. 1 way models the solid parts and a Convective Cooling boundary condition, while the other option includes an air domain.