The numerical analysis of fluid flow and temperature fields can offer valuable insight in many engineering applications. Efficiency, of course, is important when performing such simulations. Here, we’ll discuss the various formulations for fluid flow equations in the COMSOL Multiphysics® simulation software and when it’s best to use each option, paying particular attention to how this selection influences heat transfer analyses. We will also cover how to set up both natural and forced convection simulations using these formulations.

Realistic gear geometries are useful for multibody dynamics simulations when coupled with other physical phenomena. Rather than manually building these geometries, we can use built-in parts available in the Part Library. With these highly parameterized gear parts, we can build a wide range of parallel and planetary gear trains and learn how to use different aspects of the built-in parts to create a realistic gear model in the Multibody Dynamics Module.

The flash method, first described by W.J. Parker et. al in 1961, is a widely used technique for measuring the thermal conductivity of materials. Our Flash Method demo app, highlighted here, performs a numerical simulation of this experiment, offering a simplified approach to modifying parameters that can impact its overall accuracy. Today, we’ll take a closer look at this easy-to-use app, as well as the theory behind it.

In many engineering situations, we can assume that excitations on the system of interest and the responses are sinusoidal over time. When this assumption holds, we can use a so-called frequency-domain analysis, which leads to some very efficient solution techniques. Let’s go over a few basic concepts and the conditions under which we can make this assumption, while exploring various solution approaches to take.

Imagine a vehicle where you could simply plug in a destination and arrive without ever having to touch the steering wheel. Fully autonomous cars would revolutionize society, benefiting those who already drive and increasing the mobility of those who can’t. While technological advancements have brought us closer to such a reality, there are still many challenges to overcome. Today, we’ll explore the future of autonomous cars and what needs to happen before they can become a viable option.

Does your simulation take a large amount of computational time to solve? One potential reason for this is that your mesh is using too many elements. In cases such as this, you may want to switch to user-controlled mesh to manually build and edit the meshing sequences available in the COMSOL Multiphysics® software as an alternative to using the default meshing sequence. As we’ll highlight with a tutorial example, this can help reduce memory requirements while providing accurate results.

Like many crops, the quality of dates is heavily impacted by agronomic practices. In Tunisia, for example, such elements have caused these soft edible fruits to become drier in nature. One approach to improving the quality of these dates is thermal processing, where the key unit of operation is hydration. Combining the power of experimental studies with simulation analyses, a team of researchers sought to optimize the hydration process in order to foster greater efficiency and reliability.

Extending our discussion on modeling the harmonic excitations of linear systems, we will now shift focus to nonlinear systems. We will look at problems where the loading on the system has some sinusoidal components as well as cases where the material properties or loads and constraints depend directly on the solution. As you will see, COMSOL Multiphysics can address these apparently nonlinear cases with some very efficient solution algorithms. Let’s find out how.

We rely on power transformers for everyday tasks, but these devices also create a loud buzzing or humming noise. This sound comes from vibrations in different parts of the transformer and is impossible to eliminate completely. To reduce the noise, a team of engineers at ABB Corporate Research Center simulated the acoustic, electromagnetic, and mechanical behavior in their transformer systems with the COMSOL Multiphysics® software.

Damage occurs in bearings, gears, rails, and cams due to a damage mechanism called contact fatigue. This happens in assemblies when two parts in contact experience a time-dependent contact pressure. When the transferred load is too high, and after numerous load cycles, a piece of the surface material can flake off and leave a small crater. This phenomenon is called spalling or pitting. With the COMSOL Multiphysics® software, we can model contact fatigue and predict failure in these components.