General Blog Posts

Using the Application Builder to Create a Koch Snowflake
The Koch snowflake is a well-known fractal, notable due to its simple, iterative construction process. Learn how to easily build this shape with the Application Builder in COMSOL Multiphysics®.

App: Ensuring the Efficiency of an Absorptive Muffler Design
We discuss a simulation app that lets engineers easily modify the dimensions of an absorptive muffler design, its ambient working conditions, and the material properties of the porous liner.

Designing New Structures with Shape Optimization
Get a comprehensive background on using shape optimization to design new structures, with the example of a classical beam thickness problem.

Changing the Dimensions of a Model Using Shape Optimization
If your model has a single objective function to be improved, a set of geometric parameters to be changed, and a set of constraints, you can find the optimal structure without any remeshing.

TNO Advances Virtual Material Design in 3D Printing
Researchers at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) are investigating how 3D printing can be applied to material design. Get the full story.

Testing the Safety of Reinforced Concrete Beams with an App
The Parameterized Concrete Beam demo app is based on a model of a reinforced concrete beam. It can be used to easily compute the beam’s deflection and axial stress over a range of parameters.

COMSOL Server™ Version 5.2 Supports Faster, Focused Apps
As of version 5.2 of the COMSOL® software, there are major improvements to COMSOL Server™: launch apps much faster and configure the browser to run only one dedicated app.

Parade Technologies Improves Workflow Efficiency with Apps
Researchers at Parade Technologies create simulation apps and distribute them to colleagues — saving time and more effectively communicating with their customers as a result.

Use Editor Tools to Simplify Your App-Building Process
Get a demonstration of how to create an app using a simple simulation example, as well as how to perform common user interface creation tasks more easily in the Application Builder.

AltaSim Designs and Deploys Apps to Spread Simulation Power
At the COMSOL Conference 2015 Boston, Jeff Crompton from AltaSim Technologies spoke about building, sharing, and deploying simulation apps — and what this means for the future of simulation.

Exploiting Periodicity in Models with High Péclet Numbers
In the study of chemical species transport, a high Péclet number means the ratio of advection to diffusion is very high. Learn how to exploit periodicity when modeling this type of problem.

Why Wolfspeed Builds Apps with COMSOL Multiphysics
Engineers at Wolfspeed used the Application Builder in COMSOL Multiphysics® to optimize their development of wide bandgap semiconductors for silicon chips.

How to Solve for the Brachistochrone Curve Between Points
See how to use built-in mathematical expressions, the Optimization Module, and COMSOL Multiphysics® to solve for the brachistochrone curve.

Part 2: Mapping Variables with General Extrusion Operators
Learn how to use the General Extrusion operators, which are designed to handle nonlinear mappings and the mapping of variables between geometric entities of different dimensions. Part 2 of 2.

Accessing Nonlocal Variables with Linear Extrusion Operators
In some modeling scenarios, you may need to transfer variables from one region of a computational domain (the source) to another (the destination). This can be done with an extrusion operator.

Finding a Structure’s Best Design with Topology Optimization
Think about the first architects who designed a bridge above water. The design process likely included several trials and subsequent failures before they could safely allow people to cross the river. COMSOL Multiphysics and the Optimization Module would have helped make this process much simpler, if they had computers at the time, of course. Before we start to discuss building and optimizing bridges, let’s first identify the best design for a simple beam with the help of topology optimization.

7 Ways to Use the Application Builder and COMSOL Server™
Create apps for colleagues and customers, enhance your model, and set aside a simulation project for later use: Get details on these and 4 other ways you can use the Application Builder.

Multistudy Structural Optimization of a Bracket
Weight reduction is a key focus in the automotive industry, where lightweight materials equal more fuel-efficient cars. Here, we perform a multistudy structural optimization of 1 component.

How to Improve Your Paddle Stroke with Simulation
To take a closer look at a paddle stroke, for activities like canoeing and dragon boat racing, we set up a 2D model in COMSOL Multiphysics® and visualize the flow pattern around the paddle blade.

Deformed Mesh Interfaces: Rotations and Linear Translations
Using the finite element method often involves modeling solid objects that are rotating and translating within other domains. See how to use the deformed mesh interfaces to model these movements.

Model Translational Motion with the Deformed Mesh Interfaces
2 interfaces for manually defining the deformation of finite element mesh: Deformed Geometry and Moving Mesh. Learn when and how to use each in this blog post…

Improving Your Meshing with Swept Meshes
Get a demonstration of using swept meshing to generate efficient and accurate finite element meshes for some common modeling cases, such as calculating the fluid flow through a network of pipes.

How to Organize Your Simulation App Using Subforms
It is important that simulation apps are as organized as possible for ease of use. Learn how to create organized apps in COMSOL Multiphysics® by using subforms and form collections.

How to Implement a Point Source with the Weak Form
Learn how to implement a point source with the weak form in the COMSOL® software. Part 2 of a blog series discussing the weak formulation.