All posts by Fanny Griesmer
2D Materials, It’s Not Just About Graphene
You’ve heard the story: a couple of scientists discovered graphene when they repeatedly pulled a strip of adhesive tape off a layer of graphite. Graphene has been all the rage due to its incredible strength, low weight, and electronic properties, but it’s not the only material of its kind. There are plenty of other 2D materials to consider for electrical applications — some of which may work together with graphene, and others that can be used in its place.
COMSOL Multiphysics Version 4.4 Released Today
You’ve seen glimpses of our new software release at the COMSOL Conference and perhaps engaged in commentary around it in social media. Today marks the official release of COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.4, and you can now learn about the software updates in detail and download it if you are on subscription.
Your Room, from Interior Design to Acoustics
I recently stumbled upon a neat tool from Autodesk® called “Autodesk® Homestyler”. It’s surprising to see they have rolled out a tool that is more entertaining than utilitarian, but if a CAD company were to develop something fun for the general population, I suppose an interior design app makes sense. We took it for a test-drive. Here’s how it went.
Mersen Simulates Joule Heating in Busbars and Fuses
Joule heating is a fairly standard type of simulation for COMSOL users nowadays. It involves solving for electrical voltage and temperature fields simultaneously with highly temperature-dependent material properties. Controlling Joule heating is very important when designing and manufacturing electrical systems components. The electric protection group at manufacturing company Mersen France used to base their busbar and fuse designs on trial-and-error, but these days they turn to COMSOL Multiphysics.
Street Sign Buckles in the Wind, COMSOL User Takes Home Prize
A broken street sign turned into an online contest at the Dutch university TU Delft earlier this month. The TU Delft Webcare Team challenged their social media fans to determine what wind speed led the sign to buckle over — and the winner happens to be a COMSOL user. Here’s how Rob Eling solved the street sign challenge using COMSOL Multiphysics.
Research on Microwave Heating and Chemical Applications
There were many interesting posters at this year’s COMSOL Conference in Boston. A couple that caught my eye involved microwave heating and chemical applications. One of them showcases the use of microwave irradiation to speed up chemical reactions. Another — one of the recipients of the Best Poster award — used simulations to optimize their microreactor design with respect to microwave propagation.
Philosophy of the Ribbon
Over the past few years, Microsoft® has introduced updates to the user interface (UI) for its Office programs. Microsoft® Office 2013 is all about being touch-screen friendly, and Microsoft® Office 2007 brought the Ribbon interface. The Microsoft® Ribbon was designed to be easier to use than the nested drop-down menus of yore. These days, it’s what we’re used to seeing when working with their tools — and we’ve come to appreciate the ease-of-use, guidance, and clear workflow overview it provides. […]
COMSOL Conference 2013 Boston Keynote Speaker Round-Up
The COMSOL Conference 2013 Boston finished up on Friday last week. There were lots of excellent posters and user presentations, and some enriching conversations during the coffee breaks. On Thursday, our three keynote speakers took to the stage and treated us to each of their multiphysics simulation stories. Here’s a round-up of who presented and what they shared with the audience.