Additional user stories can be found in the 2015 edition of COMSOL News. View it now in your browser.
WiTricity Leverages Magnetic Resonance for Flexible Wireless Charging - new
Andre Kurs, WiTricity, MA, USA
Engineers at WiTricity have developed a flexible wireless charging setup that relies on magnetic resonance and can be used for a range of applications, including medical implants, electric vehicles, and consumer electronics. Using COMSOL Multiphysics® software, the team analyzed the electromagnetic and thermal behavior of their coil configuration as a function of power drawn by the charged ...
The Sweet Side of Simulation Behind the Scenes at Nestlé - new
William Pickles, Nestlé, York, UK
To produce chocolate, wafers, cereals, and everything in between, R&D engineers at Nestlé’s Product Technology Centre in York, UK (PTC York) rely on a combination of modeling and simulation tools to streamline production processes and deliver confectionery products with exact nutritional content. Using COMSOL Multiphysics®, the Nestlé team has been able to enhance production for three different ...
Simulations for Solar - new
Julian Givernaud, EMIX, France
Engineers at EMIX use numerical analysis to characterize and optimize all aspects of design for the manufacture of photovoltaic-grade silicon and photovoltaic cells, including reducing the cost of silicon wafers and improving purity for photovoltaic applications. By simulating the multiscale electromagnetic and 3D continuous casting processes, the EMIX team was able to increase the efficiency of ...
Precision Performance: The Pursuit of Perfect Measurement - new
Erling Olsen, Søren Andresen, Brüel & Kjær, Denmark
Brüel & Kjær, a manufacturer of transducers, microphones, and other instruments and software for sound and vibration analysis, uses numerical simulation to engineer their devices to be as accurate and precise as possible. Brüel & Kjær engineers develop condenser microphones with frequencies that range from infrasound to ultrasound, using simulation to investigate thermal stress and map resonance ...
From Spreadsheets to Multiphysics Applications, ABB Continues to Power Up the Transformer Industry
Mustafa Kavasoglu, Romain Haettel, and Anders Daneryd, ABB CRC, Västerås, Sweden
The buzzing sound you sometimes hear when walking past high-voltage transmission lines is caused by transformers used for regulating voltage levels. Standard performance and safety regulations require that the noise level be kept within a certain range. In this story, read about how a team of engineers at ABB CRC uses COMSOL Multiphysics® simulation software to evaluate the acoustic, ...
Optimizing the Performance of Complex Building Façades
Andrew Watts, Carmelo Galante, Fabio Micoli, Newtecnic, London, UK
Engineers at Newtecnic specialize in complex building design, working with bold and fluid architectural shapes. To meet the requirements for performance targets and structural integrity in these buildings, Newtecnic must evaluate the mechanical and thermal properties of the different components and determine how they respond to factors such as environmental effects, ventilation and insulation ...
Bringing Glucose Monitoring to New Levels Through Integrated Sensor Design
Harvey Buck, Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, USA
The test strips in glucose monitors, widely used by people with diabetes to maintain good health, are sensitive to chemical interferences and environmental conditions. The manufacturing process and electrode configuration of these strips also affects response accuracy. Researchers at Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc. used multiphysics simulation to analyze the chemical reactions and voltage ...
Virtual Material Design in 3D Printing Makes Headway with Multiscale Modeling
Marco Barink, Erica Coenen, TNO, Netherlands
The advantages of anisotropic properties in 3D printing materials have been difficult to exploit for product design, limited by material manufacturing and production methods. However, additive manufacturing is opening doors to material fabrication, allowing engineers to virtually design varying material properties into a single product. At the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific ...
Optimizing 3D Printing Techniques with Simulation Apps
Borja Lazaro Toralles, MTC, Coventry, UK
3D printing has recently revolutionized manufacturing techniques, influencing countless industries and products. The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), in Coventry, UK, is optimizing the 3D metal printing technique called shaped metal deposition (SMD) for industrial use. Unlike common additive manufacturing technologies, with SMD, a thin layer of molten metal is deposited layer by layer on a ...
Defending Automotive Components Against Corrosive Destruction
Daniel Höche, HZG, Germany; Nils Bösch, Daimler AG, Germany
Galvanic corrosion, which occurs when the surfaces of different adjoining metals begin to degrade, costs the automotive industry billions of dollars annually. The reactions of these different metal combinations is influenced by material properties, surface roughness, and joining techniques in the components. Researchers at Helmholtz-Zeentrum Geesthacht (HZG) and Daimler AG created COMSOL ...
