Comsol

Overview

CURRENT VERSION: 3.5a

A finite-element based program for simulating unlimited multiphysics and single-physics applications. It incorporates easy to use application interfaces, complete control over meshing, and powerful solvers. COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5a delivers the utmost in computational speed by leveraging multicore processors and shared-memory parallelism. Each step of the simulation workflow?meshing, assembly, and solving?now executes in parallel. COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5a uses the maximum number of cores available on the system, and users have complete control over the number of processors dedicated to their simulations. A segregated solver with an easy-to-use interface reduces memory consumption significantly when solving large problems, such as fluid-structure interaction (FSI) or wave propagation in thermally deformed structures. The Chemical Engineering Module has been improved with a powerful modeling interface for the simulation of multiphase flow. With it, users can now simulate bubbly flows, such as in scrubbers, and also set up mixture models for simulating emulsification, sedimentation, and other separation processes. Users can now expand their simulations to include variable-density flow and free convection. Engineers will find these new capabilities particularly useful when solving coupled-flow and conjugate heat-transfer problems commonly encountered in electronic cooling and heat-exchanger analyses. Comsol 3.5a in

General new improvements

• Overall performance improvements:






• General improvements to the FEM assembly process introduce significant speed improvements, depending on the model, for single core processors. The improvement ranges between 10-100% and can be as high a factor 30 in a few cases


• General improvements in linear solvers range between 5-20%


• Various improvements in the time-dependent solvers can result in improvements in solution times by a factor 2-8.


• Multicore speedup is increased by 5-30%


• General improvements give about a 10% decrease in memory consumption






• Support for the Intel 64-bit Mac version


• Application modes for optimization (requires Optimization Lab) and sensitivity analysis have been introduced. These include support for inverse modeling, parameter estimation, geometry optimization (shape optimization), and topology optimization


• About 10 new models showcasing the new functionality for parameter estimation, inverse modeling, and optimization have been included


• Unstructured function evaluation (import of data from unstructured grids) is now supported

Meshing:



Postprocessing:

• Support for GIF as an image format and for creating animated GIFs


• Ability to plot while solving


• Customized colormaps (color scales) are now possible


• ?Accurate derivative recovery? for more accurate postprocessing of stresses, fluxes, etc


• Summation integration method for computation of reaction forces, etc has been included


• Support for shared-memory parallelism providing speedup of slice plots, isosurface plots, subdomain plots, boundary plots, edge plots, deformed-shape plots, and streamline plots (in 3D) and surface plots, contour plots, and boundary plots, and deformed-shape plots

Solvers:

• Improved and generalized stationary segregated solver providing large performance improvements (speed and memory) for important classes of one-way coupled (weakly coupled) multiphysics problems such as thermal stress models


• Introduction of a transient segregated solver for better performance when solving transient multiphysics problems


• Introduction of a generalized-alpha transient solver that provides improved solution of transient wave problems (electromagnetics, acoustics, structures, etc.) and fluid-dynamics problems. The generalized-alpha solver can improve performance by a factor of 2-8 for typical problems (with the same accuracy)


• Introduction of BiCGStab solver


• Inclusion of an out-of-core direct solver (PARDISO)


• Possibility for functional-based h (mesh) adaption


• Improved shared-memory parallelism (OpenMP version of SPOOLES, parallel postprocessing)


• The parametric solver now supports multiple parameters


• Parametric sweep functionality has been greatly improved through providing a single solver call that performs several runs using the currently selected solver while varying a set of model parameters


• Limited support for distributed-memory parallelism has also been included ? where running sweeps on Linux clusters results in a speedup factor near n for clusters with n nodes.

Add-on Products

AC/DC Module

• Possibility to specify voltage and current levels for ports is now included


• Import of PCB designs made in Cadence Allegro and Mentor Graphics Board Station and other software that supports the XML version of Valor's ODB++ format.


• Import of PCB designs from any ECAD software package through the use of the software NETEX-G from Artwork and generic Gerber and drill file formats.


• Force computation through the principle of virtual work (predefined in the user interface)


• Reduced-field form for quasistatic/static model, making it possible to specify a known background field and solve only for the reduced field

CAD Import Module

• Parasolid is now used in all steps of the CAD import process. Therefore, no conversion to COMSOL geometry objects is necessary for the two following items:

• Parasolid?s geometry representation is used directly by COMSOL's mesher


• Parasolid is used to find pairs in CAD assemblies

• More flexible defeaturing: you can repair and defeature each part of an assembly independently


• Support for geometric parametric sweeps (also on Linux clusters) in the SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor bidirectional interfaces


• Bidirectional interface to Autodesk Inventor


• The CAD Import Module is now available for the Mac platform


• Improved stability through improved quality of the internal COMSOL geometry engine

Chemical Engineering Module

• Improved stabilization of the Navier-Stokes equations providing large performance improvements


• With the combined improvements in assembly, iterative solvers, and stabilization techniques, many CFD models run 4-8 times faster


• Stabilization of the level set equation for improved multiphase flow modeling


• Phase field application mode for multiphase flow modeling using the phase field method has been introduced


• Mass source is now available in the Brinkman equation


• A viscoplastic model example has been included


• Improved Liquid and Gases material library with data for liquid/gas surface tension and liquid/liquid interfacial tensions is now available

Earth Science Module

• Predefined multiphysics interface for modeling of poroelasticity has been introduced


• Improved stabilization of the Navier-Stokes equations providing large performance improvements


• Mass source is now available in the Brinkman equation


• Improved Liquid and Gases material library with data for liquid/gas surface tension and liquid/liquid interfacial tensions is now available

Heat Transfer Module

• Axisymmetric radiation can now be modeled


• Predefined multiphysics entries for flow with variable density is now included


• Predefined multiphysics entries for fluid-solid thermal interaction/conjugate heat transfer has been introduced


• Improved Galerkin least-squares (GLS) method for streamline diffusion

MEMS Module

• General support for damping and losses in piezo (structural damping plus dielectric and coupling losses) has been included


• Stress stiffening and large deformations in piezo applications is now possible


• SPICE circuit support has been included


• ECAD import has been introduced (see AC/DC Module)


• Stabilization of the level set equation for improved multiphase flow modeling


• Phase field application mode for multiphase flow modeling using the phase field method has been introduced


• All new features that have also been included in the Structural Mechanics Module

• SPICE circuit support has been included


• ECAD import has been introduced (see AC/DC Module)


• Introduction of circuit ports for wave applications, such as modeling the connection of a transmission line or an antenna to an external circuit


• An improved axisymmetric formulation

Structural Mechanics Module

• Viscoelastic material model has been included


• Hyperelastic Murnaghan material model for modeling of nonlinear acoustoelasticity has also been introduced


• Predefined variables for reaction forces and summation method for general reaction-force computations is now possible


• Mechanical heating support defining entropy etc. (now in all space dimensions) is available


• The thermal-electric-structural interaction (predefined multiphysics entry) simplifies modeling of Joule heating with thermal stress effects


• Improvements in assembly and solvers that increases solution speed by 5-30% for typical 3D problems





Eligibility

Classroom license is available for computer labs. Faculty and graduate students can also use academic license. The software can only be installed on University owned machines. Includes all UCONN campuses; main campus, UCHC, etc.

Cost

$250 per seat. Per contract year. We accept cash, check, transfer voucher, or credit card. See distribution below on how to obtain the software.

System Requirements

System Requirement for COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS 3.5a

Contractual Information

Established Terms of Contract:
 Start Date: 4/1/08
 Expirations Date: 3/1/09
 Renewed yearly


Distribution

Classroom licenses are available for use at UCONN computer labs. Only one person from each department as the IT person of the department (for SIG member labs, SIG contact person) can apply to get the software for all users in that department. The software can be obtained from the software administrator at the University ITS Business Office located in the Math Science Building (MSB), ground floor, room 049. A package including CD's and documentation will be handed to you then. This license can accommodate 35 concurrent users (no reservation) for all the university campuses.

Also, 36 academic licenses are available to be distributed among faculty and graduate students for $ 250 per seat. To obtain the academic license please contact the software administrator at 860-486-1781. If your department has a SIG member lab, you can find the name of your contact person in the Computer Facilities list on Software SIG web site.

Please read the Set up instructions before you start the software installation.



User Acceptance Form

Setup Instructions

Academic & Classroom Licenses & instructions will be emailed to you.
Connecting to the mlab-acad server using UITS vpn

Upgrade

The new COMSOL servers will accept licenses from:
COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS 3.5 and 3.4


Technical Support

Technical support is available to all at the COMSOL website.



COMSOL Training



Comsol? holds a variety of training courses across the country, the locations and times of the courses can be found here.

Special Needs

The license is installed on the School of Engineering server. For license server support call ECS Help (860)486-1821 or contact George Assard at (860) 486-5305.


NOTE: If you wish to acquire additional toolboxes other than the ones listed below contact the Software Licensing Administrator at (860) 486-1781


Available Toolboxes


UCONN Classroom licenses include:

COMSOL Multiphysics	10 concurrent seats
Structural Mechanics Module	7 concurrent seats
Chemical Engineering Module	10 concurrent seats

UCONN Academic licenses include:

COMSOL Multiphysics	10 concurrent seats 3.5	6/5/08
Chemical Reaction Engineering Module	4 concurrent seats 1.5	6/5/08
Heat Transfer Module	7 concurrent seats 3.5	6/5/08
Chemical Engineering Module	3 concurrent seats 3.5	6/5/08
Structural Mechanics Module	7 concurrent seats 3.5	6/5/08
AC/DC	3 concurrent seats 3.5	6/5/08
Acoustic Module	1 concurrent seats 1.5	6/5/08
CAD Import Module	7 concurrent seats 3.5	6/5/08
Material Library	7 concurrent seats 3.5	6/5/08
MEMS Module	4 concurrent seats 3.5	6/5/08
RF Module	4 concurrent seats 3.5	6/5/08
Earth Science Module	7 concurrent seat 3.5	6/5/08
Optimization Module	7 concurrent seats 3.5	6/5/08
Signal and Systems Lab Module	2 concurrent seats 3.5	6/5/08

Resources

• Comsol Workshops & Events
• COMSOL workshop at Storrs 9-22-09
• Comsol Workshop Flyer 9-22-09

 

Last Modification: February 2, 2010