Latest Posts

Studying the Safety of Tattoos with Mass Spectrometry and X-Rays
When you get a tattoo, what happens to the ink once it enters your skin? In an attempt to answer these questions, researchers turned to mass spectrometry and X-ray fluorescence.

Analyzing the Mechanical Behavior of Cells for Biological Applications
Finite element modeling can be used to analyze the mechanical behavior of biological cells. Guest blogger Björn Fallqvist of Lightness by Design sheds light on this bioengineering topic.

Analyzing White Pupil Échelle Spectrographs via Ray Tracing Simulation
Astronomers use échelle spectrographs to detect far-away planets. To design a white pupil échelle spectrograph with optimized sensitivity, engineers can turn to ray tracing software.

How to Use the Beam Envelope Method for Wave Optics Simulations
In order to simulate optically large optical systems, you need to solve for Maxwell’s equations, which requires a fine mesh and a lot of computational energy. Enter the beam envelope method.

Evaluating the Performance of a Steam Reformer with Simulation
To design a steam reformer for hydrogen production, you need to couple mass, energy, and flow equations. The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module can account for this true multiphysics problem.

Modeling a Sphere Falling on a Water Surface
Get the theory behind a quintessential CFD problem, the oscillating motion of a buoyant sphere, as well as step-by-step instructions for modeling it in COMSOL Multiphysics®.

A Simulation Color Table for Engineers with Color Vision Deficiency
Simulation results often use color to present data and emphasize certain takeaways, but what about engineers with color vision deficiency? Cividis is a color table designed specially for this.

Calculating Thermodynamic Properties for Liquids and Gases
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Module includes a built-in database of over a dozen thermodynamic properties, making it easier to set up your transport and reaction models. Details here.

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.

How to Build Geometries from Elevation Data to Model Irregular Shapes
Say you want to build an irregular geometry of a mountain. You can do so by creating a surface of an irregular shape based on elevation data stored formats such as text, image, or DEM files.

Keynote Video: Using COMSOL Server™ for Product Development
Watch an engineer in the materials science industry discuss the use of simulation applications and COMSOL Server™ to accelerate and optimize his company’s product development workflow.

How to Model Fluid-Structure Interaction in a Water Balloon
They’re not just for playing games in the backyard: Water balloons are also an example of fluid–structure interaction in a nonlinear elastic material. Learn how to model this effect…

Introducing COMSOL® Software Version 5.3a
COMSOL Multiphysics® and COMSOL Server™ version 5.3a include updates to both the core functionality and add-on modules, including the Cividis color table and extended copy-paste capabilities.

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.

What Happens If I Use 2 Different Unit Systems in 1 Simulation?
Using 2 different unit systems for 1 project has led to historical disasters. Fortunately, you can use different unit systems in your simulation without issues by using the COMSOL® software.

How to Model Optical Anisotropic Media with COMSOL Multiphysics®
Erasmus Bartholinus first observed the optical effect of birefringence in 1669. Today, you can observe this effect with a specialized modeling approach for optical anisotropic media.

Should I Fillet the Geometry in My Electromagnetic Heating Analysis?
You want to analyze electromagnetic heating around sharp corners in your simulation. Do you round off the corners by adding a fillet? We go over cases where you should and shouldn’t do so.

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.

How to Model Wet Chemical Etching in COMSOL Multiphysics®
Wet chemical etching was one of Rembrandt’s favorite methods for creating self-portraits. Now, it’s used by engineers to produce integrated circuits, MEMS devices, and pressure sensors.

Analyzing Magnetic Flowmeters for Blood Flow Measurement
Biomedical researchers used multiphysics modeling in order to understand how blood vessel movement influences the sensitivity of their flow meter designs. Get the full story here.

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.