User Story Gallery
Additional Users Stories can be found in the 2014 edition of COMSOL News. view it now in your browser
Making Smart Materials Smarter with Multiphysics Simulation
J. Slaughter
ETREMA Products, IA, USA
Smart materials with magnetostrictive behavior are engineered and incorporated in high-precision devices by the designers and researchers at ETREMA Products, Inc. Terfenol-D, in particular, is a giant magnetostrictive material solely manufactured by ETREMA that exhibits the largest deformation of any alloy in response to an applied magnetic field and is integrated into the core of devices such as ...
Simulation-led Strategy for Corrosion Prevention
S. Qidwai
USNRL, DC, USA
Corrosion is a widespread concern costing the US billions of dollars annually. For the Navy, specifically, it is the number one maintenance problem. Therefore, at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), researchers are developing a method based on multiphysics simulation that will aid material designers in producing corrosion-resistant materials. Their work aims to provide a better understanding of ...
Boeing Simulates Thermal Expansion in Composites with Expanded Metal Foil for Lightning Protection of Aircraft Structures
J. Morgan, R. Greegor, P. Ackerman, Q. Le
Boeing, WA, USA
Carbon fiber composites are used extensively throughout the body of modern aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, because of their exceptional strength and light weight. Expanded metal foil (EMF) is added to the composite structure layup as a protective measure to dissipate the extreme heat and current generated by a lightning strike. Engineers at Boeing Research and Technology (BR&T) are ...
Optimizing Built-in Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensors
C. Evans, Schrader, Ireland
Built-in tire pressure sensors need to be able to withstand the wear and tear of working within a car’s tire rim. Their design needs to be optimized for both sensitivity and strength. Schrader Electronics built a sensor that works accurately and lasts while operating on a moving tire's rim. They used the Structural Mechanics Module and CAD Import Module of COMSOL Multiphysics to optimize their ...
Modeling of Complex Physics Speeds Chip Development
P. Woytowitz
Lam Research Corporation, CA, USA
With technological advancements accelerating so rapidly, more powerful computer chips are needed to meet the high demands of fast-growing industries. Lam Research Corporation manufactures semiconductor devices and equipment used to deposit, etch, and clean material layers laid onto wafers during semiconductor processing. With processes as precise as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), temperature ...
Simulating the Release Mechanism in Drug-Eluting Stents
T. Schauer, I. Guler
Boston Scientific Corporation, MN, USA
Stent insertion through the coronary artery is a common procedure used to treat restricted blood flow to the heart caused by stenosis. Following the procedure, restenosis may occur due to excessive tissue growth around the stent. Researchers at Boston Scientific are using multiphysics simulation to better understand how drug-eluting stents prevent tissue regrowth and further improve their ...
Continuous Casting: Optimizing Both Machine and Process with Simulation
N. Grundy
SMS Concast, Switzerland
The process of continuous casting has transformed steel production, saving valuable resources while improving steel quality and process efficiency. Continuous casting involves carrying molten refined steel to a caster. There, water-cooled copper molds are used to form steel strands that are cut and then cooled. High-quality steel production requires minimizing the presence of non-metals in the ...
Scattering of Electromagnetic Waves by Particles
S. Yushanov, J. Crompton, and K. C. Koppenhoefer, Altasim Technologies, OH, USA
When electromagnetic waves propagate through matter, they interact with inhomogeneities and particles that can locally disrupt the electron distribution, causing electromagnetic radiation and scattering. One mathematical model used to describe the scattering of electromagnetic waves is called Mie scattering, which provides a general solution independent of particle size. Examples of phenomena ...
Doubling Beam Intensity Unlocks Rare Opportunities for Discovery at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
M. A. Hassan, T. Khabiboulline, J. Reid
Fermilab, IL, USA
Behind the discovery of the most fundamental and rare physical processes within our universe is powerful technology, such as the particle accelerators in use today at Fermilab. For over 40 years, one particle accelerator in particular, the Booster synchrotron, has been instrumental in providing high-intensity proton beams for particle physics experiments at the lab. A highly coordinated effort ...
Floating on Sound Waves with Acoustic Levitation
K. Suthar, C. Benmore
Argonne, IL, USA
As part of an industry that saves lives on a regular basis, pharmaceutical companies are in need of systems that can be used to deliver high-quality medicines. One method utilizes sound waves generated by an acoustic levitator with foam-coated transducers. Using the acoustic force from the sound waves, chemical particles are suspended between the transducers, where they can be mixed in a ...
