All posts by Phil Kinnane
Electrical: The Bumblebee Electrifies Anyway
“The Bumblebee Flies Anyway” was a book by Robert Cormier that I read as a young teenager. In it, Cormier describes how bumblebees are natural anomalies as they seemingly do not have the aerodynamic capability to actually fly. Their wing span and flapping speed should not provide enough lift to allow flying, and this is a fact that I have always associated with bumblebees since. Yet, this has been proven not to be true, as a closer investigation of the […]
Long-time Multiphysics User on COMSOL for Heat Transfer
Having used COMSOL Multiphysics for over six years now, we are pleased to have Dr. Jon Ebert, Director at SC Solutions, join us in the next Mechanical Engineering Magazine Webinar Series titled “Heat Transfer in Solid and Fluids”. On March 7th, he will co-host an instructional webinar together with COMSOL’s John Dunec. Dr. Ebert will discuss SC Solution’s simulation activities within a wide span of heat transfer-related applications, particularly with respect to semiconductor manufacturing. As a long-time user of COMSOL […]
Boosting COMSOL’s Cooperation with Siemens PLM Software
In April last year, we entered into a partnership with Siemens PLM Software and started developing the functionality that would connect COMSOL Multiphysics® simulations to Solid Edge® CAD modeling. Siemens gave us access to their tool, and we were quick in developing LiveLink™ for Solid Edge® as part of the version 4.3a release. This project led to boosting our cooperation with Simens PLM Software, as we had already implemented Parasolid® to be an integral part of the CAD Import Module […]
Corona Discharge
In its natural state, air is a good insulator. However, if it’s adequately ionized, it can ultimately lead to “corona discharge”. What does that mean and why is it important? Let’s find out.
SolidWorks World: Human Space Flight and Autonomous Flying Robots
SolidWorks always puts on a great show. I just got back from SolidWorks World where I was able to go to a number of technical sessions, and understand how CAD design can better complement finite-element analysis. We had a booth there, and it was great to meet a few COMSOL users, who like to use SolidWorks® and COMSOL Multiphysics together via LiveLink™ for SolidWorks®. I also got to meet potential customers-to-be. In typical SolidWorks World fashion, I and the other […]
First Keynote Video Takes Us to Babel
One of the differences between this year’s COMSOL Conference, and previous years’, is that this year we filmed a lot of it. During the next few weeks we will be publishing some of these videos for those that were there, to enjoy it once again, and for those that weren’t to get a taste of what went on. To kick these all off, I’m proud to present the first keynote video, which takes us to Babel.
Proprietary Code or Off-the-Shelf?
Many engineers and scientists have worked in their chosen application areas for many years. It is not unusual that their first models consisted of a few lines of code that they wrote themselves. Or, the application was so specific that the engineer was forced to write code, as none of the commercial simulation packages available could handle their unique application. Then there’s the COMSOL Multiphysics® software, which enables you to enter your own equations. What’s the best option?
New Product that Helps Electrical and Electronics Engineers
As much as we would like to think that finite element analysis (FEA) is the be-all and end-all of simulations, it’s not true. There is also a camp of engineers out there that model integrated circuits and similar systems. These are based on different physics and equations than what FEA typically solves for. Yet, as is happening more and more in the world of virtual prototyping, the two types of simulations are converging. Now they need to integrate with each […]