User Story Gallery
Additional Users Stories can be found in the 2014 edition of COMSOL News. view it now in your browser
Modeling Optimizes a Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Used in Car Tires - new
Alexander Frey and Ingo Kuehne
Siemens Corporate Technology, Munich, Germany
Siemens is a technology company working with electronics and electrical engineering in industry, energy, and healthcare. Researchers at Siemens Corporate Technology are experimenting with an energy harvesting MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical System) generator. In collaboration with Continental AG, they are designing a MEMS device for use as a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The movement of ...
Simulation Turns Up the Heat and Energy Efficiency at Whirlpool Corporation - new
N. Garcia-Polanco
Whirlpool Corporation, Italy
Engineers working on a joint research project between Whirlpool Corporation and the European initiative GREENKITCHEN project are using simulation to improve the energy efficiency of domestic ovens. Since only ten to twelve percent of the total energy expended by an oven is actually used to heat the food, the researchers had plenty to investigate. Using COMSOL Multiphysics® software and the Heat ...
Understanding the Origin of Uncertainty in Thermometer Calibration - new
Jonathan Pearce
National Physical Laboratory
UK
Thermometers have widespread application and like any measurement device, they must be calibrated. Many do this with the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90), which is a platinum resistance thermometer that calibrates using a fixed point cell, which is a container with a well running through its center for insertion of the thermometer. The container has a material of 99.9999% purity. ...
Sonar Dome Vibration Analysis
Francesca Magionesi
INSEAN
Italy
There has been a recent move towards utilizing bulbous bows on ships to house different types of sonar systems, but it is not definite how much structural vibration might interfere with the functioning of a transducer array inside the sonar dome. INSEAN, the National Institute for Studies and Experiments of Naval Architecture in Italy, needed a way to simulate what is happening when the turbulent ...
Enhancing Transmission Line Performance: Using Simulation to Optimize Design
J. Leman
POWER Engineers, MA, USA
Designing power transmission lines requires accounting for many factors: mechanical stress due to environmental conditions and hardware loads, performance testing, and--of course--electrical analysis. Transmission line hardware contains both insulating and conducting assemblies. One common electrical phenomenon is called corona discharge, which occurs when electric fields near the surfaces of ...
Simulation Helps Improve Atmosphere Revitalization Systems for Manned Spacecraft
J. Knox, R. Coker
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, AL, USA
To ensure astronaut safety on space missions, it is necessary to routinely revitalize the atmosphere in manned spacecraft. Jim Knox, Rob Coker, and a team of engineers at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center have developed a water-saving system called an Isothermal Bulk Dessicant (IBD). The IBD is used to collect water from the atmosphere for re-use. It consists of packed beds lined with silica ...
Researching a New Fuel for the HFIR: Advancements at ORNL Require Multiphysics Simulation to Support Safety and Reliability
F. Curtis, J.D. Freels
Oak Ridge National Lab, TN, USA
In response to the increasing awareness of the risks associated with the proliferation of nuclear materials, the Global Threat Reduction initiative has called for research reactors currently using highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to be converted to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. The High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is one such reactor that ...
Innovative Packaging Design for Electronics in Extreme Environments
Brice McPherson
APEI, AR, USA
Power electronics appear in many everyday products, including smartphones, electronic car parts, and household objects. Such devices require controlled temperature ranges, switching frequencies, and voltage levels to operate smoothly and reliably. For harsh environments, such as the depths below the earth’s surface where oil is drilled, there is an increasing need to develop electronic systems ...
Meeting High-Speed Communications Energy Demands Through Simulation
S. Lei, R. Enright, R. Frizzell, D. Hernon
Bell Labs, Ireland
The information and communication technology industry needs new energy-efficient devices that can keep up with the explosive growth in data traffic of the last few years. Bell Labs, the research arm of Alcatel-Lucent, is taking the lead in an initiative to reduce the carbon footprint of high-speed communication devices and platforms by investing in new methods for cooling electronics and ...
Simulation Software Brings Big Changes to Cable Industry
M. Bechis
Prysmian, Italy
The design and testing of high-voltage cables for terrestrial and submarine applications is paramount to Prysmian's business model. A fundamental challenge in designing power transmission systems is optimizing the cables so that they can reliably deliver the required steady-state current while remaining at, or preferably below, the maximum permissible operating temperature. Incorporating ...
