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Interface between COMSOL and CST Studio Suite

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Hello dear scientists, Hope all is well. Please, Could I make an interface between CST Studio Suite and COMSOL? In other words, if I designed a certain antenna in CST and saved the project as .cst, can I insert this project into COMSOL to add some parts related to flow dynamics and check the whole result?

Thanks in advance!


3 Replies Last Post 10.10.2023, 03:55 GMT-4
Jim Freels mechanical side of nuclear engineering, multiphysics analysis, COMSOL specialist

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Posted: 10 months ago 10.07.2023, 12:03 GMT-4

Here is a guess since I have never actually done this. First, after reading what CST Studio Suite does, I believe COMSOL will do the same thing, and likely better, since it also has EM physics as part of it's capability, but also is not locked in to the physics provided, but a more general build interface. If that is the case, then the entire simuilation can be accomplished within COMSOL.

Having said that, the answer to your actual question would be to import the geometry and also the EM physics outputs exported and then imported into COMSOL, then solve the fluid flow problem within COMSOL given the interface physics as imposed constraints on the fluid flow physics. COMSOL accepts text files imported in tabular format to input EM physics for example. COMSOL has many CAD interface capabilities from several formats including Solidworks which is a Simula product like CST so perhaps that is a CAD format to use. You can have live links or imports depending on your needs and budget. This is convoluted however if the results from the fluid-flow analysis needs to be coupled back to the EM physics (not a one-way interface, but two-way, or fully coupled). Now you have the age-old problem of iterating between two different codes which defeats the whole purpose of having a multiphysics code like COMSOL. This has been done many times by many people and most likely outcome is an accuracy and efficiency issue due to the inability to gain fully coupled status between the codes (one is always lagging the other; especially in the time domain). This leads us back to the first recommendation.

Hope this helps.

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James D. Freels, Ph.D., P.E.
Here is a guess since I have never actually done this. First, after reading what CST Studio Suite does, I believe COMSOL will do the same thing, and likely better, since it also has EM physics as part of it's capability, but also is not locked in to the physics provided, but a more general build interface. If that is the case, then the entire simuilation can be accomplished within COMSOL. Having said that, the answer to your actual question would be to import the geometry and also the EM physics outputs exported and then imported into COMSOL, then solve the fluid flow problem within COMSOL given the interface physics as imposed constraints on the fluid flow physics. COMSOL accepts text files imported in tabular format to input EM physics for example. COMSOL has many CAD interface capabilities from several formats including Solidworks which is a Simula product like CST so perhaps that is a CAD format to use. You can have live links or imports depending on your needs and budget. This is convoluted however if the results from the fluid-flow analysis needs to be coupled back to the EM physics (not a one-way interface, but two-way, or fully coupled). Now you have the age-old problem of iterating between two different codes which defeats the whole purpose of having a multiphysics code like COMSOL. This has been done many times by many people and most likely outcome is an accuracy and efficiency issue due to the inability to gain fully coupled status between the codes (one is always lagging the other; especially in the time domain). This leads us back to the first recommendation. Hope this helps.

Robert Koslover Certified Consultant

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Posted: 10 months ago 10.07.2023, 12:08 GMT-4
Updated: 10 months ago 10.07.2023, 12:10 GMT-4

I don't know anything about importing .cst files directly into Comsol Multiphysics, but I understand that you can: (1) export geometries in a variety of formats from CST, and (2) import geometries in a variety of formats to Comsol Multiphysics! So I'm fairly sure you can find at least one file format that will work for copying the geometry between them.

Note: While I was typing my answer, Jim Freels posted his above. :)

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Scientific Applications & Research Associates (SARA) Inc.
www.comsol.com/partners-consultants/certified-consultants/sara
I don't know anything about importing .cst files *directly* into Comsol Multiphysics, but I understand that you can: (1) *export geometries in a variety of formats from CST*, and (2) *import geometries in a variety of formats* to Comsol Multiphysics! So I'm fairly sure you can find at least one file format that will work for copying the geometry between them. Note: While I was typing my answer, Jim Freels posted his above. :)

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Posted: 7 months ago 10.10.2023, 03:55 GMT-4

Dear Scientists, Jim Freels and Robert Koslover, I am so grateful for your effective support and kindness. Your answers will make an influntial difference in my work.

Thanks so much and have a blissful day!

Dear Scientists, Jim Freels and Robert Koslover, I am so grateful for your effective support and kindness. Your answers will make an influntial difference in my work. Thanks so much and have a blissful day!

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