This
week, COMSOL Inc. released the latest version of COMSOL Multiphysics,
its simulation environment. Version 4.2, which expands the scope of
applications covered by COMSOL, is now available and will be shipped to
all customers with current subscriptions.
“The
vision behind Version 4 was to provide a foundation for our customers
to reach broader audiences,” says Svante Littmarck, President and CEO of
COMSOL. “The implication, and what we’re delivering with 4.2, is an
expanded product offering based on that platform.”
Version
4.2 expands the applications covered by COMSOL with three new
application modules – Microfluidics, Geomechanics, and Electrodeposition
– and new LiveLink interfaces for AutoCAD and SpaceClaim. In addition,
the company has improved the solver technologies across the software
platform.
Central
to this release are the core development initiatives undertaken by
COMSOL. The result is improved and expanded multiphysics simulation
performance for all users. New capabilities target geometry, mesh, and
solver functionality. The impact is primarily on what is already a
strength of COMSOL: speed.
Version
4.2 includes new virtual geometry tools for creating a mesh that
identifies the essential parts of the original CAD model to enable
faster and more memory efficient solving. Time-dependent adaptive
meshing and automatic remeshing tightly link solvers and meshing
algorithms for any moving mesh analysis. Models with moving diffusion
fronts are solved more efficiently as are simulations involving removal
and deposition of materials.
The
new Parametric Surfaces feature allows for creation of surfaces based
on analytical expressions or look-up table data. This is especially
crucial for importing topographical data for earth science applications.
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The
COMSOL direct solvers have been multicore and cluster-enabled for
several years. With Version 4.2, the multiphysics assembly algorithms
and iterative solvers have now also been parallelized.
“The
parallelized assembly means that a lot of users get a lot of speed,”
says Bjorn Sjodin, Vice president of product management with COMSOL.
“Benchmark tests indicate a speed-up of 425% for a laminar flow static
mixer and 164% increase for a microfluidic lab-on-a-chip simulation.”
Updated Model Builder
In
Version 4.2, COMSOL has responded to customers requests with a new
Report Generator for publishing results data. For a given model, this
integrated, customizable tool lets users create data-rich HTML reports
of varying degrees of detail, from brief to complete. Several reports
can be added to a single model, enabling users to communicate all their
important data in a well-organized, easy-to-read format.
The
COMSOL Desktop with the Model Builder was first introduced with Version
4.0. Drag-and-drop is now supported in the Model Builder tree to
quickly edit the contents of a model. The presentation of simulation
results is also updated. In the Model Builder, default plots are
customized to adapt to the physics in the model with descriptive names.
New plot types include histogram plots for statistical analysis, Nyquist
plots for frequency response studies, and ribbon plots for flows.
CAD interoperability
The
LiveLink for SolidWorks® interface has been extended with a One Window
Interface where a SolidWorks user can stay inside of the SolidWorks
environment and work synchronously with COMSOL Multiphysics.
The
new LiveLink for SpaceClaim interface fuses direct modeling and
multiphysics simulation in a tightly integrated environment. Similarly,
with the new LiveLink for AutoCAD users can transfer a 3D geometry from
AutoCAD to COMSOL Multiphysics. For both products, the synchronized
geometry in the COMSOL model stays associative with the CAD geometry in
its native format. This means that settings applied to the geometry,
such as physics or mesh settings, are retained after subsequent
synchronizations. The LiveLink interface is also bidirectional, allowing
users to initiate a change of the CAD geometry from the COMSOL model.
Module updates:
- The
new Microfluidics Module enables study of microfluidic devices and
rarefied gas flows. In addition to enhanced interfaces for single-phase
flow, users have dedicated interfaces for two-phase flow using the level
set, phase field, and moving mesh methods. Each of these interfaces
includes surface tension forces, capillary forces, and Marangoni
effects. A new free molecular flow interface using the fast angular
coefficient method allows for simulations where the molecular mean free
path is much longer than the geometric dimensions. - The
Geomechanics Module is a specialized add-on to the Structural Mechanics
Module that enables simulations of geotechnical applications such as
tunnels, excavations, slope stability, and retaining structures. The
module features tailored interfaces to study plasticity, deformation,
and failure of soils and rocks, as well as their interaction with
concrete and human-made structures. - The
Electrodeposition Module is a cost effective way to understand,
optimize, and control electrodeposition processes. A typical simulation
yields the current distribution at the surface of the electrodes and the
thickness and composition of the deposited layer. They are used to
study important parameters such as cell geometry, electrolyte
composition, electrode kinetics, operating voltages and currents, as
well as temperature effects.
Other changes
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The
Acoustics Module features new dedicated modeling tools for
thermoviscous acoustics that enable highly accurate simulations of
miniaturized speakers and microphones in cell phones and other handheld
devices. This type of analysis will be increasingly more important as
markets come to expect full, high-quality audio experiences in small
packages.
The
Structural Mechanics, MEMS, and Acoustics Modules offer new powerful
and easy-to-use tools for prestressed analysis of eigenmodes and
frequency response. Structures modeled with the Solid Mechanics
interface can be prestressed by mechanical, thermal, or arbitrary
multiphysics-based loads.
The
new High-Mach Number Fluid Flow interface in the CFD Module applies to
viscous, compressible flows with velocities greater than 0.3 times the
speed of sound. The flow can be choked or non-choked and shock waves may
or may not be present. The interface is suitable for designing nozzles,
pipe networks, and valves, and for modeling aerodynamic phenomena.
For
heat transfer in thin layers, a new multilayer option in the Heat
Transfer Module makes it easy to model thin structures with multiple
layers of different conductivity quickly.
The
Chemical Reaction Engineering Module and the Plasma Module have been
enhanced with new surface reaction tools for bidirectional
adsorption-type simulations where surface species communicate with
species of the surrounding bulk. Important applications include chemical
vapor deposition (CVD) as well as plasma-enhanced CVD. The Batteries
& Fuel Cells Module now features a new AC Impedance Study type for
simulating electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A new Surface
Reactions interface enables modeling of surface reactions on boundary
surfaces. The updated Batteries and Fuel Cells Material Library now
comes with common battery electrode materials and electrolytes.
The
RF Module features new tools for efficient plasmonics simulations where
coefficients for refraction, specular reflection, and first-order
diffraction are all computed as functions of the angle of incidence.
This analysis is made possible by a new Floquet-type periodic boundary
condition.