Comsol has recently announced its new Multiphysics 4.4, with upgraded tools for multiphysics modelling -- modelling and simulation of electrical, mechanical, fluid, and chemical applications.
The latest features include a new desktop design for Windows featuring a ribbon based design, intended to provide easier navigation to enhance user experience, by grouping commands and displaying them as needed. Comsol Desktop brings additional workflow improvements such as a one-click select feature that enables faster selections in the graphics window. It also features an auto-complete search function to aid the implementation of post-processing variables, which are created when working with multiphysics models.
A completely new feature is a multiphysics node in the model tree, designed to enable streamlined setup of multiphysics models, allowing users to expand upon combinations of single-physics interfaces by choosing from a list of relevant multiphysics couplings.
A new add-on to the CFD module is also introduced, called the mixer module it is designed specifically for the analysis of stirred mixers and reactors used in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, food, fine chemical, and consumer products. It has dedicated features for simulating mixer and impeller designs, as well as concentrations, velocities, and temperature profiles; the module is designed for modelling a number of industrial processes. It expands on existing features of the CFD module by providing features for the simulation of turbulent and laminar flow, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, free surfaces, non-isothermal flow, and reacting flow.
Along with the new features a number of existing features have been improved upon. Geometry and mesh have new core functionality enhancements that include new geometry sub-sequences for user-defined geometric primitives, if/else statements in the model tree for geometry creation, and mesh export to NASTRAN file formats.
Three new joint types have been added to the Multibody Dynamics Module, while new evaluation methods for nonlinear materials and thermal fatigue are now included in the Fatigue Module. The Acoustics Module now offers aero-acoustics simulations based on the linearised Euler equations, enabling better simulations of noise in jet engines, mufflers, and gas flow meters.
The Heat Transfer Module now includes two fast and memory efficient methods for modelling radiation in participating media, the thermoelectric effect, and heating in biological tissue.
The CFD Module has received further updates with surface wall roughness for turbulent flow and a more efficient outlet boundary condition being added. Mass and energy conservation for laminar flow is greatly enhanced thanks to updated flow formulations.
The AC/DC Module now contains a nonlinear magnetic material library. A new feature in the RF Module enables the simulation of components with ports on interior boundaries. The Wave Optics Module now includes scattering with a Gaussian background field and Laser Heating interface. The Semiconductor Module has been enhanced with many updates, including heterojunctions and tools for impact ionization.
The Optimisation Module is now expanded with a new gradient-based method for topology optimisation, and a gradient-free method for geometric dimensional optimisation. Particle-field and fluid-particle interactions can now be easily modelled in the Particle Tracing Module using a new efficient method.
User-defined selections can now be synchronised in LiveLink for SolidWorks and material selections and material names can be synchronised within LiveLink for Inventor. The ECAD Import Module now enables multiphysics simulations using the ODB++ format for printed circuit board (PCB) designs.
