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Managers Guide to Productivity Gains with Multiphysics SimulationPart II: Speed Innovation & Reduce Costs

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2010 COMSOL, Inc.

COMSOL Multiphysics Speeds Product InnovationHow Simulation-Led Design Can Improve Your Bottom LineCATHLEEN LAMBERTSON, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, TECH BRIEFS MEDIA GROUP

hats the difference between simulation-assisted and simulation-led design? How do these two concepts affect a companys bottom line? Can one concept foster product innovation? Simulation-assisted design is a more traditional approach to the overall product development process it implies that simulation is used to verify design decisions once some tangible design idea exists, and is often expressed either in terms of a CAD model or a physical prototype. Simulation-assisted design is a commonly used add-on to the product design workflow, said Keith Howard, Managing Director of COMSOL Ltd. In this case simulation tools tend to be used by specialists to confirm the decisions that design engineers made, but are not necessarily used in real time to make decisions. On the other hand, simulation-led design is where scientists and engineers use simulation to explore design ideas and concepts before doing anything else. While the traditional approach has worked in the past, more companies are gravitating toward using simulation to actually drive the design. What is being realized are the advantages of simulation not simply to verify design decisions, but to explore and develop these new, innovative ideas; come up with viable concepts; and explore all of their what-ifs in terms of use of materials or manufacturing methods. The reason companies are moving toward the simulation-led approach is simple: to be competitive, it is no longer enough to get a product to market quickly; it is more important to foster product innovation. By developing products that have the features that customers want, companies gain a more competitive edge.

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regard, its innovation that really is more of a driving factor, said Mr. Howard. To develop an approach that encourages innovation, companies need to foster the appropriate processes. A critical feature of these processes is making sure that the necessary tools are provided that both allow and encourage the users to quickly create and explore new ideas. Thats where we see COMSOL Multiphysics playing a vital role. In a more traditional process, there isnt the time and space to allow this exploration. We often refer to COMSOL Multiphysics as a desktop laboratory because users are free to quickly and easily explore new concepts, said Mr. Howard. If simulation-led design is to be a reality, it requires tools that do not require specialized skills, are comprehensive (they support all physics and all possible interactions), and are cost effective such that they support a desktop implementation and are accessible to everyone. In essence, it is creating a desktop laboratory the idea of putting this technology on the desktop of engineers and scientists where they would have easy access to tools to model an idea quickly, rather than having to spend that time thinking about how to build a prototype. This is what COMSOL Multiphysics has offered since the beginning. We have focused from the outset on providing a single, integrated solution that can address the widest range of applications, explained Mr. Howard. To support the desktop-laboratory idea, the most recent release of the software (Version 4) features a new COMSOL Desktop user interface that makes the power of multiphysics simulation available to a wider audience of scientists and engineers. Both expert analysts and non-experts alike will benefit from the organized layout and streamlined modelbuilding process. With Version 4, weve tried as best we can to have an interface that makes it very logical to use, explained Mr. Howard. We are trying to put these tools in the hands of generalists, as opposed to what happens too often with these tools, which is putting them solely in the hands of specialists. In addition, a series of LiveLink options integrates the software into the mainstream product design workflow of Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks, and Pro/ENGINEER. CAD users can simulate real-world

Creating the Desktop Laboratory

Being Competitive Product Innovation

According to Mr. Howard, in the past 10 to 15 years, companies have focused on reducing the time and cost associated with the development process. So where lead-time reduction may have been a competitive weapon, now most companies have created fast and lean processes. Today, companies who are able to rapidly come up with more innovative products are gaining a more competitive edge, meaning that today there is a stronger emphasis on innovation than there is on lead-time. The focus is more on innovation because companies have realized for a long time that they have got to improve their processes for cost and time, and now that they are more competitive in that

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A turbine stator blade, in the highpressure stage of a gas turbine, is heated by the combustion gases. To prevent the stator from melting, air is passed through a cooling duct in the blade. The resulting temperature gradients introduce significant stresses. Shown is the COMSOL simulation visualizing the temperature distribution throughout the blade, as well as the von Mises stresses in both welds.

physical effects of new products. Mr. Howard said, The highly refined CAD interoperability tools make it possible to both import and export parts and assemblies from most CAD systems. Moreover, it allows the two systems to link to one another; a user can set up parametric studies whereby COMSOL Multiphysics will ask the CAD system to create specified geometry for analysis.

The Bottom Line

How does product innovation translate to cost savings and a companys return on investment? Implementing COMSOL Multiphysics not only reduces costs by allowing users to design better products with a shorter lead-time, it also fosters product innovation, which gives a company that necessary edge over the competition. I have personal experience working with companies whose very existence was being threatened because their products were no longer seen by the customers as desirable, as having those features they recognized as being attractive by comparison with the competitors, stated Mr. Howard. In these cases, the key priority was to focus on product innovation. It is all rather simple: by creating a computer model, users can easily evaluate whether a new concept is viable without engaging a lot of resources. And since the process is so fast, inexpensive, and safe, it can encourage creativity and innovation. And where would a company be without creativity and innovation?

The following pages include examples of how companies have saved time and money, and brought new products to market faster by adopting COMSOL Multiphysics and simulation-led design. For example, learn how B&C Speakers used simulation and modeling to develop a novel acoustic lens for sound systems and dramatically shortened the time needed to find the best design. In the medical industry, Continuum Blue Ltd. was able to find a manufacturing problem using simulation, enabling them to bring a new one-piece polymeric medical implant to clinical trials. In the auto industry, General Motors used COMSOL to model advanced materials for their green automobiles, and Metelli S.p.A. saved design time and cost of producing auto parts. NASA is using simulation to save time and resources in developing experimental equipment to extract water trapped below the Moons surface. Back on Earth, multiphysics modeling has helped Osram Sylvania develop energy-saving lamps for indoor and outdoor applications. Also read how COMSOL helped Procter & Gamble save time and money in manufacturing and shipping household products. For more information about COMSOL Multiphysics and how it can help improve your company's bottom line, visit www.comsol.com or call 1-781-273-3322. n

Simulation in the Real World

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Mixed Polymers Form Unique One-Piece Medical ImplantWhen engineers ran into manufacturing problems, a COMSOL Multiphysics model uncovered the cause and helped bring a novel polymeric implant based on the process to clinical trials.BY DR. MARK YEOMAN, R&D DIRECTOR, CONTINUUM BLUE LTD.

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ngineers at Continuum Blue Ltd. (UK) are developing soft tissue implants made of biodegradable hyperelastic elastomers that, once they have served their purpose, dissolve naturally within the body to eliminate the need for surgery to remove them. Founded in 2004, Continuum Blue specializes in the research, development and analysis of medical devices and implants. It has worked with many international companies including Medtronic, Abbott Spine (now Zimmer), Synthes, NuVasive, and ScientX to name a few. Novel new ligament implants act like a rubber band to hold together and support bones while providing flexibility. However, they require anisotropic material properties.

indingthecritical F parameterswouldhave takenmuchlongerand cost20timesmore withoutCOMSOL.For instance, in a rotator cuff LARS (Ligament Replacement and Augmentation System), the implant must be flexible enough to give the patient ease of arm movement without restriction, and at the same time provide sufficient stability. A single elastomeric material cannot meet the requirements of such a LARS.

Our client developed a novel method of injecting two slowcuring polymers into a mold to create a one-piece implant with the desired anisotropic hyperelastic properties. With a model, we were able to determine how to best manufacture the device in a single production process. A product based on this process is now undergoing clinical trials. When developing the first implant of this type, we encountered Continuum Blue cut costs by more than 90% a manufacturing problem but through simulation of the injection molding process in manufacturing new polymeric medical could not identify the cause in implants. The image shows a thermal plot of the the molding process. We then mold cavity during filling. turned to simulation software for more insight, and in the end only COMSOL Multiphysics was up to the where a specialized silicone mold costs task. In particular, its capabilities to approximately GBP 3,000, the estimated handle full 3D dual-polymer injection total costs are almost GBP 9,000 and and control of the injection profile were the time to get the redesigned silicone not available in any of the specialized mold is between 3 to 4 weeks. injection-molding software we evaluated. Finding the critical parameters that The co-injected polymers are mixed control polymer location would have prior to entering the mold, which was taken much longer and cost 20 times simulated by including a boundary more without COMSOL. The software condition that describes the volume also gives us far better insight into what fractions of the two polymer solutions is happening during the mold filling as a function of the injection rate. This process, where the client can easily description was very easy to define visualize the end product and the mixed in COMSOL Multiphysics but almost regions between the two polymers. The impossible in other software. COMSOL model and the resulting We now can investigate many mold visualizations provide clear cost- and variations with less time and expense. time-efficiency benefits when convincing A single mold redesign and trial run customers of the best mold process to with the model takes roughly 1.5 days provide a viable polymeric LARS solution. and costs approximately GBP 850. In COMSOLs capabilities will certainly be a contrast, to do a physical sample run key component to our future. n

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Simulation Helps Produce Better Household ProductsModeling with COMSOL saves Procter & Gamble time and money in manufacturing and shipping products.BY VINCENZO GUIDA, PROCTER & GAMBLE

y role as an R&D process design engineer in Procter & Gambles Fabric and Home Care Division is to design reliable and costeffective manufacturing processes for detergents and laundry additive products. Because detergents are complex, I need customized models that couple multiple physics and use unconventional constitutive relations. COMSOL enables me to create these models quickly. I can compare models with experimental results and focus on setting up the physics right, rather than writing code and identifying algorithms for fast convergence.

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Quick Prototyping

In one study, I examined the stress history on structured liquid detergents. It is essential not only to control the chemical composition of liquid detergents but also their microstructure, which can be controlled via shear history during manufacturing. Shear forces are essential to incorporating ingredients, but too much stress is detrimental to product microstructure. Over-shearing will destroy the gel structure, leading to the product physically separating over its shelf life and to undesirably low product thickness. We created a hybrid model to quantify the amount of stress during the manufacturing process so we could predict its effect on microstructural breakdown. Because a products structure changes over time, engineers cannot work with standard fluidflow equations such as Navier-Stokes. Before COMSOL, our engineers

mostly used physical experiments and empirical results. Sometimes they turned to finite-element software to model fluid dynamics and the shear stresses, but were not able to couple these properties to the structural breakdown. COMSOL provides me, as a nonmodeling expert, the capability to A thermal fluid simulation of laundry additive work with unusual combinations storage using COMSOL Multiphysics helped P&G of physics on my own, relatively optimize pallet configuration and resulted in a multi-million euros logistic cost savings. quickly. The benefits have been significant. For example, to set of thermal runaway and were able up a pilot plant to test a possible to establish a maximum safe storage process and its operating parameters usually takes at least a week and costs temperature. Once we validated several thousand euros. However, with the model, we were able to make recommendations on the number of COMSOL models, I can examine a layers of pallets that could be stacked. process design within an hour. This produced a multi-million euros Design Optimization logistic cost saving and helped reduce We also used COMSOL to investigate the environmental impact of the how to prevent thermal runaway logistic chain. Additionally, the results decomposition of dry laundry additives, enabled us to make better decisions which can occur during storage or as to temperatures that must be shipping and result in a product losing maintained in the supply chain, and its effectiveness. The possibility of helped P&G preserve product quality thermal runaway limits the maximum for consumers. amount of product that can be put on COMSOL proved to be the perfect a pallet, especially if it is stored in an tool for this work. The COMSOL unventilated warehouse or transferred model is robust enough to handle many in regions with very hot climates. With different simulation conditions, yet can such a range of storage scenarios, its be run on a standard four-processor not feasible to conduct physical testing workstation with 8 GB of memory and for each possible problem. Instead, we provide real-time results in under an created a COMSOL model that allowed hour. The user-friendly COMSOL us to study heat buildup and fluid interface has also been utilized to dynamics of natural convection in air design a tool for plant safety managers, pockets around the package. enabling them to independently run With the University of Naples, we simulations to assess thermal runaway developed a model to predict the risk risks in their plants. n

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Multiphysics Modeling in Discharge LightingResearch using COMSOL software leads to innovative energy-saving lamps for indoor and outdoor applications.BY THOMAS D. DREEBEN, OSRAM SYLVANIA

odeling is being used extensively to reduce the amount of energy consumed by lighting. Worldwide, the energy consumption of lighting is approximately 2,800 TWh, 20% of the global supply of electricity. At a conservative 10 cents per kWh, the cost of this energy is $280 billion per year. For the light-sources industry, gross annual income is approximately $25 billion, one order of magnitude smaller than the cost of energy used for lighting. As we pursue reduced energy consumption in all of our light-source technologies, we expect to offer global energy savings that repeatedly offset the full cost of operating our industry.

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could penetrate the US market, a simple estimate offers potential energy savings of 50 TWH per year, equivalent to the total energy that was generated by wind power in the US in 2008.

every coefficient and dimension. This requires considerable mathematical freedom, much more than the userdefined functions that most packages normally offer. The general and weak

High-Intensity Discharge Lamps

Research and development of high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps is a key component of this effort. HID lamps are commonly used to supply light in expansive spaces both indoor and outdoor, where they offer advantages in space and energy efficiency. An HID lamp works by driving alternating current between two electrodes to establish an arc discharge through a gas. The gas is enclosed in a hermetically-sealed arc tube made of quartz or ceramic. Most of the light from a running HID lamp is emitted from the arc, which typically reaches temperatures of 5000-6000 K. Acoustic waves are generated in an HID lamp through systematic modulation of the current that powers the lamp at frequencies that correspond to standing sound waves. Proper application of acoustics 1 has been shown to enable a 50% increase in lamp efficiency over current HID technology.2 If such an improvement

One of the key capabilities of acoustics is straightening a bowed arc in an HID lamp. Arc bowing occurs in a horizontally-running lamp, where strong temperature and density gradients exist between the arc and the wall, and OSRAM SYLVANIA researchers use COMSOL Multiphysics to buoyancy forces act to build the companys knowledge base, resulting in innovative move the arc up against new products like their HID lamp. Acoustically straightened the top wall. Using arc control enables a 50% increase in lamp efficiency over current HID technology. Thomas Dreeben (left) and Jo Olsen. computer modeling,3 we obtain access to detailed information about the structure of the forms in COMSOLs PDE mode, sound waves4 that is needed to bring together with scripting through the about arc straightening. MATLAB interface, give us the flexibility that we need to grow our To develop any new product and modeling into new areas of research. n bring it to the market, engineers confront a whole host of questions along the way. Many of those RefeRences questions can be answered through 1 R. Schafer and H. P. Stormberg, Investigations on the fundamental longitudinal acoustic resonance experimentation, but others can of high pressure discharge lamps, J. Appl. Phys., 53 only be answered through analysis of (5), p. 3476-3480, 1982. governing equations and this requires 2 K. Stockwald, H. Kaestle, and H. Weiss, modeling. The best industrial models Significant efficacy enhancement of low-wattage metal-halide HID lamp systems by acoustically enable the development process by induced convection configuration, ICOPS addressing those questions that push 2008: Proceedings of 35th IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science, 2008. beyond the practical limits of what can 3 J. Olsen and T. D. Dreeben, Experimental and be measured. Simulated Straightening of Metal Halide Arcs We use COMSOL primarily for the Using Power Modulation, IEEE Transactions, flexibility that it offers. Because of the submitted. 4 Lord Rayleigh, On the Circulation of Air observed exploratory nature of our modeling, in Kundts Tubes, and on some Allied Acoustical we routinely user-define the full set of Problems, Transactions of the Royal Society of governing equations and parameterize London, 175 (1), 1883.

Modeling Acoustics with COMSOL

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Modeling Improves Advanced Materials for AutomobilesGM utilizes COMSOL simulations for understanding and improving material and process performance.BY BHASKAR PATHAM, KIRAN B. DESHPANDE, AND SAMPATH K. VANIMISETTI GENERAL MOTORS GLOBAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, INDIA SCIENCE LAB

s General Motors focuses on developing sustainable automotive solutions from the energy and the environmental perspective, reducing weight of the vehicle, and electrification of the propulsion system have emerged as key priorities.1 These solutions are driven by continual exploration of new materials and manufacturing processes, including composites and multi-material solutions for lightweighting, and robust battery materials for electrification.

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Simulating Composite StressesThermoset-matrix composites hold great potential as automotive materials because of their lower density compared to metallic alloys, high specific strength, and good energy dissipation. However, processing of thermoset-composite parts and assembly with thermoset adhesives come with challenges. Cureinduced residual stresses can result in springback of thermoset components after they are released from the mold or in shape-distortion effects in assemblies. Simulations of residualstress development in thermosets not

only allow the systematic probing of underlying mechanisms that may cause shape distortions, but also present an inexpensive alternative to experimental trial and error to arrive at optimal design and process modifications. Employing COMSOL, we have developed a model that captures the evolution of residual stresses throughout the manufacturing process and determines their effect on the final shape of the composite part. COMSOL allows manipulation and redefinition of existing variables without resorting to user subroutines. For example, the coupling between heat-transfer and diffusion analysis (to account for the exothermic heat of reaction) was readily available as a part of the standard variables offered in COMSOL. The coupling between diffusion and structural mechanics (to account for shrinkage strains), while not readily available, could be established in a systematic fashion because all the variables are transparent to the user for easy modification.

using the Moving Mesh application mode. This numerical approach helps in understanding the corrosion mechanism, in selecting materials based on galvaniccorrosion severity, and in providing design guidelines.

Understanding Degradation in Battery Materials

Modeling of Corrosion Phenomena

GM uses COMSOL Multiphysics in developing sustainable automotive solutions. This image shows the results from a simulation of the intercalation of lithium ions into a nodular battery electrode particle visualizing the normalized lithium concentration (a) and the associated normalized strain energy (b).

The thrust to reduce vehicle mass has led to the exploration of multi-material solutions in the automotive structure, body, and power train. Magnesium is the lightest structural material, but its use is limited today mainly by its poor corrosion resistance. To quantify the dissolution rate (corrosion rate) of magnesium joined with steel, we created a model using COMSOL. Because the magnesium surface is continually dissolving in the electrolyte, galvanic corrosion becomes a moving boundary problem and was implemented

Lithium-ion battery chemistry is the obvious choice for automotive energy storage due to its high gravimetric energy capacity and ability to deliver the power density needed for driving the power train. Capacity fade during charge/discharge cycling is partly attributed to mechanical degradation of electrode material. This manifests due to large mechanical stresses that develop in the electrode materials from volume expansion associated with lithium intercalation. Taking advantage of COMSOLs multiphysics and customization capabilities, we developed a 3D model coupling the lithium concentration with mechanical strain and subsequently used that to estimate quasi-static equilibrium stresses in the particle. We then used the 3D finite element model to carry out simulations to understand the effect of microstructural aspects, such as particle size, phase-change and crystal anisotropy on mechanical degradation. Eventually, the study aims to offer clues to mitigate stresses and improve battery durability. n RefeRences

1 Taub, A.I., Krajewski, P.E., Luo, A.A., and Owens, J.N., Yesterday, today and tomorrow: The evolution of technology for materials processing over the last 50 years: The automotive example, Journal of Metals, 59 (2), 48 (2007)

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Simulation Software Saves Design Time and Costs for Major Auto-Parts ManufacturerCOMSOL answers the need for a flexible, customizable analysis tool.BY FABIO GATELLI AND LUCA ARMELLIN, METELLI S.P.A.

etelli S.p.A. (Cologne, Italy) designs and manufactures brake and engine parts, transmission components, and water pumps for OEMs as well as for the aftermarket. A few years ago, our R&D team ran into a situation where the software we had been using was inadequate. We found that COMSOL Multiphysics could handle the job and have relied on it ever since. We first turned to COMSOL to study the magnetic field in an inverse electromagnetic clutch. We needed a 3D FEM tool both to check the simplifications introduced in our 2D model and to manage complex 3D geometries. We chose COMSOL with the AC/DC Module due to its flexibility and we also found a good agreement between the model and experiment, which meant that no changes were required to start manufacture of the clutch pre-production samples. Next, we tapped COMSOL to analyze fluid flow in a vacuumactuated water pump and to gauge the maximum actuation time. We wanted to design a unit that met specifications while building the minimum number of prototypes, each of which can cost 10,000 euros and take two to three months to make. In contrast, model simulations could give us answers to our design questions in just a week or two. We have more than 600 types of water pumps. When designing a new one to a customers requirements, we often want to use existing impellers. With COMSOL, we can safely and quickly compare the performance of a new impeller versus an existing one.

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Metelli fully integrated COMSOL in a range of projects to create designs that meet specifications while saving money. This simulation of a Rzeppa joint shows the displacement of the joint when the shaft reaches the maximum angle.

In our latest project, we are investigating contact stresses in a Rzeppa Constant-Velocity (CV) joint, which uses steel spheres instead of gears with teeth to transmit torque at variable shaft angles. Although CV joints have been around for a long time, they are still very difficult to manufacture and simulate. The components undergo varying levels of stress and require different types of materials. With a COMSOL model, we can check that the selected materials can withstand the stresses and estimate their capability to resist them at the maximum loads applicable while maintaining the correct safety factor.

An Expanding Universe of Applications

We like the fact that COMSOL is so flexible and customizable. From our

initial examination of electromagnetic effects, we have expanded our use of COMSOL to study fluid flow, fluidstructure interaction and, lately, structural mechanics. Now we can examine many different aspects of one product without the need to switch among different software environments. And its a great plus for us to be able to enter our own equations in contrast to other closed packages where you cannot modify the physics. We are constantly using COMSOL, and its safe to say that we are saving thousands of euros per year in engineering and development costs because of it. It allows us to respond to customer questions more quickly and get products to market faster while completely fulfilling specification requirements. n

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Microwaving Moondust with COMSOLCOMSOL is helping NASA save time and resources in developing experimental equipment to extract water trapped below the Moons surface.BY CATHLEEN LAMBERTSON, NASA TECH BRIEFS

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ecent discoveries by NASAs Lunar CRater Observing and Sensing COMSOLpermitsthecalculationofmicrowave Satellite (LCROSS) are shedding new penetrationandheatingthatcouldbeexpectedwith light on the question of water on the Moon. Preliminary data indicates that differentexperimentscenarios.Thiscanreducethe the mission successfully uncovered time,labor,andcosttonarrowthehardware water during the October 2009 impacts into the Cabeus crater near requirementsfortheexperiment. the Moons south pole. These findings could have far-reaching implications and heating of simulated lunar soil. as space exploration expands beyond ice condensed onto the surface of the low-Earth orbit. soil. On the Moon, water ice transforms Calculations can be performed on Water and other compounds on the directly to vapor by sublimation. Once different geometries, for a range of microwave frequencies and different Moon represent potential resources in the cold trap, the water vapor will power levels, said Dr. Ethridge. Since that could sustain future manned transform back to ice. the temperature varies with time as lunar outposts. According to Dr. Edwin the soil heats, temperature-dependent Ethridge, a Materials Scientist in the Simulating the Moon Since the microwave extraction soil dielectric properties can be Materials & Processes Laboratory at process is a complex multiphysics incorporated into the model along NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, AL), in-situ resources are problem, Dr. Ethridge is employing with temperature-dependent thermal simulation to address the challenges. conductivity of the soil. Whatever the very important since they do not have to COMSOL is being used to calculate properties of the lunar soil might be, be launched out of Earths gravitational well. It is very expensive to get mass into the microwave penetration into we can simply put them into COMSOL and do a calculation. space, he said. For example, He further explained: it costs around $50,000 per Development of an early pound to launch anything to experiment payload for a lunar the Moon. lander mission requires the NASA Marshall is specification of the microwave investigating the use of frequency, power, and method microwave technology to of delivery of power. Developing extract water from lunar soil. experiments with several Once the water is extracted, different microwave frequencies oxygen could be obtained by would require a significant electrolysis. The basic system investment of resources, comprises a microwave manpower, and time. COMSOL source, waveguides to deliver permits the calculation of the energy to the soil, and a microwave penetration and cold trap to capture water heating that could be expected vapor. First, the microwave with different experiment energy penetrates and heats COMSOL is being used to calculate the microwave penetration into, scenarios. This can reduce the the soil. Since ice is relatively and heating of, simulated lunar soil. This can reduce the time, labor transparent to microwave and cost to narrow the hardware requirements for the experiment. time, labor, and cost to narrow the hardware requirements for energy, heat is transferred The photo shows the demonstration hardware to test the beaming the experiment. n from the soil particles to the of microwave energy down into lunar soil simulant.

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Excellent Sound to Every Seat in the HouseModeling aids the development of a novel acoustic lens and dramatically shortens the time needed to find the best design.BY MATTIA COBIANCHI AND ROBERTO MAGALOTTI, B&C SPEAKERS S.P.A.

rojecting high-quality design of our waveguide is sound to large audiences patented in Europe and patent often involves a linear array of pending in China. speakers. To ensure that every Faster to Market with audience member hears every COMSOL sound with full fidelity, the The power of modeling wavefronts from the individual with COMSOL lies not just speakers must be in phase with in reduced design time but each other, and the frequency in the information we have response must be as smooth been able to gather for future as possible ideally flat. The designs. Beyond that, this finite traditional method has been to element analysis allows us to combine megaphone-variant evaluate quantities in system horns in a coherent array, but parts that we cannot reasonably even the best horns produce access with instruments or by unintended side effects such taking physical measurements. as diffraction, reflection, and We learn so much about the distortion. behavior of a device that this In an ideal waveguide, invaluable wisdom can then be the signal throughout the employed in the development driver outlet arrives in phase. of similar products and devices Over the years, speaker manwith deeper knowledge and ufacturers have employed a awareness. variety of techniques to achieve These days we seldom need that effect, such as by shaping more than one prototype. We the waveguides a certain way save two months of engineering or by using variable-density COMSOL saved B&C Speakers nearly two months of engineering time that would have been foam. With the help of time in the design of an acoustic lens that produces a nearly perfectly planar sound wave. involved in creating CAD COMSOL Multiphysics and models and trial-and-error the Acoustics Module, our research team at B&C Speakers S.p.A. sound wave. Now a line array of speakers design refinements, and we ultimately has taken a new approach by designing can work together as an extended get to market much more quickly. We chose COMSOL Multiphysics an acoustic lens in a waveguide that sound source, which is particularly achieves the required phase coherence important for the high frequencies because it is very user-friendly, provides for multiphysics couplings and is and produces a nearly perfectly planar from roughly 1 to 20 kHz. The final affordable competitive software can cost five times as much for less application WewereparticularlyimpressedwithCOMSOLs potential. We also were particularly COMSOLs support to supporttohelpusgetthemostoutofthesoftware. impressed withmost out of the software. help us get the Weachievedsignificantresultsinourfirstmonth, We achieved significant results in our month, anditsjustbeenbettereversince. first since. n and its just been better ever

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A stator blade in the turbine stage of a jet engine is heated by the combustion gases. To prevent the stator from melting, air is passed through a cooling duct in the blade.

Capture the Concept.With COMSOL Multiphysics you are empowered to build the simulations that accurately replicate the important characteristics of your designs. The key is the ability to include all physical effects that exist in the real world. This multiphysics approach delivers resultstangible results that save precious development time and spark innovation.

Watch tutorial www.comsol.com/showcase

2010 COMSOL, INC. COMSOL, COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF COMSOL AB. CAPTURE THE CONCEPT IS A TRADEMARK OF COMSOL AB. OTHER PRODUCT OR BRAND NAMES ARE TRADEMARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE HOLDERS.

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