Modeling the Pulsed Laser Heating of Semitransparent Materials
It’s quite common to use focused laser light to rapidly heat materials for various purposes, including within the semiconductor processing industry. Here, we will look at a Gaussian profile laser beam with periodically pulsed intensity, heating up two different semitransparent materials deposited onto a silicon substrate. To model this, we will solve a multiphysics modeling problem using the temperature field…
How Decaying Shells Help Preserve the Alkalinity of the Seas
Calcium carbonates produced by sea creatures help to maintain the ocean’s alkalinity — and also serve as a natural sink for anthropogenic carbon dioxide. To better understand essential but obscure deep-sea galvanization processes, Olivier Sulpis of Utrecht University developed an innovative 3D reactive-transport model that shows how seashells help preserve calcite grains in seafloor sediments. Read…
Shape Optimization in Electromagnetics: Part 1
Shape optimization can be used to improve designs in many different physics areas. In this blog post, we will focus on shape optimization in wave optics. We will go over the shape optimization features in the COMSOL Multiphysics® software and show what you can expect to achieve when these features are used for wave optics applications. Read…
Major News in COMSOL Multiphysics® Version 6.1
COMSOL Multiphysics® version 6.1 introduces new functionality for detached eddy simulation, thermal analysis of satellites, winding layouts for electric motors, and robust mechanical contact. A new interface enables the analysis of battery packs with several hundred cells. Simulation of acoustically driven flows is made possible by a new acoustic streaming interface. New mesh repair tools for the handling of misaligned models provide…
Get an Inside Look at an Innovative Rainwater Drainage System
A multidisciplinary team worked together to design and install an aboveground rainwater drainage system in Copenhagen, Denmark. The resulting structure provides an ingenious system for dispersing rainwater runoff from nearby rooftops and mitigating noise pollution. Watch the video
Designing the Gold Standard of Immersive Audio for Virtual Reality Gaming
Tectonic Audio Labs created a state-of-the-art balanced mode radiator speaker using electromagnetics, mechanical, and acoustics simulation. The speaker was implemented into a virtual reality (VR) headset for Valve Corporation and is now regarded as the gold standard for VR audio. Read more
Bridging the Terahertz Gap with Simulation Software
Rather than coining the phrase “x-ray vision,” perhaps comic book writers should have called it “terahertz vision” instead. The precise blend of electromagnetic and material properties in the terahertz spectrum enables efficient applications such as simultaneous noncontact package inspection with spectroscopic characterization — to determine, for example, whether a package contains baking flour or an illegal or otherwise dangerous substance….
Designing Tidal Turbines That Are Safe for Marine Life
Creating clean energy alternatives for energy sources that generate greenhouse gas is crucial if we are to avoid excessive global heating and the rising climate crisis. A viable, renewable energy source are ocean tides, which, unlike solar and wind resources, are not weather dependent, making them predictable. Tidal energy can be harnessed by deploying tidal turbines into tidal streams. This…
Extracting Electrical Circuits from Electromagnetics
Simulations One of the common objectives of electromagnetics simulation is to extract lumped quantities that can be used in electric circuit simulations. Keep reading to get step-by-step instructions on how to perform such a task using the COMSOL Multiphysics® software… Read more
Modeling Graphene in High-Frequency Electromagnetics
Graphene and other 2D materials are the focus of intense research and application interests due to their promising properties. In this blog post, we are going to use the example of a graphene-based THz metamaterial perfect absorber to demonstrate how to model 2D materials accurately and efficiently in high-frequency electromagnetics. The discussed techniques are equally applicable to modeling other thin…