CONTENTS // COMSOL NEWS 2012
MULTIPHYSICS
4 Numerical Simulation-Based Topology
Optimization Leads to Better Cooling
of Electronic Components in Toyota
Hybrid Vehicles
8 Simulation-Based Design of New
Implantable Hearing Device
12 Modeling Optimizes a Piezoelectric
Energy Harvester Used in Car Tires
15 Optimizing Ultrasound Piezo-Disk
Transducers
18 Better, Faster Sonar Development
with Multiphysics Simulation
ELECTRICAL
21 Numerical Modeling of Electrostatic
Precipitators
24 Current Transformer Design That
Combines Finite Element Analysis
and Electric Circuit Simulation
27 Modeling Scar Eff ects on Electrical
Spinal Cord Stimulation
32 Simulation of Magnetic Flux
Leakage Inspection
34 Surface Plasmon Resonance
HEAT TRANSFER
35 Conjugate Heat Transfer
38 The Thermal Management of Li-ion
Battery Packs
40 Cluster Simulation of Refrigeration Systems
42 Optimized Heating Process with
Uniform Coating
44 Simulation-Based Engineering Fosters
Innovation and Invention
MECHANICAL
48 Shape Changing Lubricants
50 Analysis of Subsea Umbilicals and Cables
52 Multiphysics Analysis of Pressurized CO
2
Foil Thrust Bearing Characteristics
55 Pumping and Injecting from a single
Borehole
FLUID FLOW
58 The Science of Water Screening
61 A Smooth Optical Surface in Minutes
CHEMICALS
64 Modeling of Laminar Flow Static Mixers
67 Submarines: Corrosion Protection or
Enemy Detection?
70 Multiphysics Simulations Enable
Development of Fast, Cheap MEMS-Based
Bacteria Detector
GUEST EDITORIAL
72 Mathematical Modeling:
An Industrial Perspective
ON THE COVER
Simulation of the
electromagnetic fi elds within
the balanced armature of
a Codacs™ direct acoustic
stimulation implant system.
PHOTO COURTESY OF COCHLEAR
TECHNOLOGY CENTRE BELGIUM
©
2012, all rights reserved. COMSOL NEWS is
published by C
OMSOL, Inc. and its associated
companies. COMSOL and COMSOL Multiphysics
are registered trademarks of COMSOL AB. Other
products or brand names are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective holders.
We welcome your comments
on COMSOL NEWS; contact us at
info@comsol.com.
Contributors
ABB AG
Alstom Power
Sweden AB
AltaSim Technologies
Centre Richerche Fiat
Cochlear Technology
Centre Belgium
Continuum Blue
Desktop Engineering
DuPont Experimental
Station
Esaote S.p.A
Georg-August-University
Intellectual Ventures
JDR Cables
Johnson Screens
Knolls Atomic Power
Laboratory
Lahey Clinic
NASA Tech Briefs
Naval Undersea Warfare
Center Division Newport
Ruukki Metals Oy
Salzgitter Mannesmann
Forschung
Shell Global
Solutions UK
Siemens Corporate
Technology
SpaceClaim
Toyota Research Institute
of North America
University of Duisburg-
Essen/Germany’s Technical
Centre for Ships and
Naval Weapons
University of
Massachusetts
Dartmouth, Sunwell
Technologies, Inc.
Veryst Engineering LLC,
Nordson EFD
Yale University
Zeeko Ltd
Multiphysics Simulation
Means Breakthroughs
and Productivity
T
his issue of COMSOL News showcases
how a number of leading scientific,
engineering, and medical organizations from
a broad range of industries are reaping the
benefi ts of multiphysics simulation in their
research and development processes.
Take, for example, engineers at the Toyota
Research Institute of North America in
Ann Arbor, Michigan. Leveraging multiphysics
simulation, they came up with a breakthrough
design of cold plates for the cooling of power
electronic components in hybrid vehicles.
With their new solution they gained space and
reduced weight in the engine compartment
— critical factors for hybrid vehicle effi ciency.
Another great example is the MEMS tire
energy harvester developed by researchers at
Siemens Corporate Technology in Munich,
Germany. COMSOL Multiphysics helped
them boost productivity by enabling them
to cut down time-consuming and expensive
clean room prototyping runs.
And, we’re very delighted to report that
simulation is helping to advance medical
treatments at the prestigious Lahey Clinic
in Burlington, Massachusetts. Here, a cross-
disciplinary team of neurosurgeons and
numerical simulation experts have been
working together to improve electrical spinal
cord stimulation therapy for the treatment of
chronic back pain.
That’s just three of the ways that multiphysics
simulation is being used by engineers,
researchers, and scientists like you to make
our future better. You’ll fi nd more fascinating
reports in this edition of COMSOL News.
Feel free to contact us with your comments
and ideas for future articles as we continue
reporting on multiphysics simulation.
Enjoy!
Cordially,
Bernt Nilsson
Sr. VP of Marketing
COMSOL, Inc.
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