Structural Mechanics

User Stories

Temperature Dependent Material PropertiesTemperature Dependent Material Properties

Jahm Software Inc., MA, USA
It is common to use data at room temperature in a simulation because elevated temperature data could not be found. However, the effects of temperature on a...

Modeling Improves Prediction of Semiconductor LifetimesModeling Improves Prediction of Semiconductor Lifetimes

STMicroelectronics
With the scaling down of semiconductor devices, current density in the metal interconnects joining individual transistors increases. Up to now, lifetime...

Joined at the HipJoined at the Hip

Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
As part of a course in biomedical engineering, Dr. Hart gives assignments that require the students to create models in COMSOL Multiphysics. In addition,...

Peering into the Mouth of a VolcanoPeering into the Mouth of a Volcano

FEMLAB GmbH, Zürich, Switzerland
A group of scientists from three institutions are researching how to use information about electromagnetic fields in volcanoes to investigate and observe...

Spinning Threads of the Tiniest Size ImaginableSpinning Threads of the Tiniest Size Imaginable

Chemical Engineering Department, The Lund Institute of Technology, Lund, Sweden
The process of manufacturing nanowires-the smallest possible threads-is not wholly understood. Prof. Stig Stenström of Lund University in Sweden created a...

ArcelorMittal Breaks Down the Physics of CorrosionArcelorMittal Breaks Down the Physics of Corrosion

Arcelormittal, France
Researchers at Arcelormittal, France use modeling with COMSOL to better understand the mechanism behind delamination and underpaint corrosion and determine...

Reduced Stresses Inside Semiconductor Chips Lead to Higher ReliabilityReduced Stresses Inside Semiconductor Chips Lead to Higher Reliability

STMicroelectronics, Milan, Italy
A team from STMicroelectronics and Technoprobe, Italy joined together to investigate what happens when a probe tip hits a conductive pad surface. Limiting...

Multiphysics Modeling Studies New Materials that Could Revolutionize Solar EnergyMultiphysics Modeling Studies New Materials that Could Revolutionize Solar Energy

Fraunhofer Institute For Solar Energy Systems, Freiburg, Germany
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute For Solar Energy Systems use modeling with COMSOL to compare different polymeric collector geometries and materials...

Example Models

Semiconductor DiodeSemiconductor Diode

A semiconductor diode consists of two regions with different doping: a p-type region with a dominant concentration of holes, and an n-type region with a dominant concentration of electrons. The model presented here formulates the...

Distributed SPICE Model of Bipolar TransistorDistributed SPICE Model of Bipolar Transistor

Integrated semiconductor devices are used in almost all electrical equipment, and the bipolar junction transistor (BJT) is still a very important device although the MOS technology has taken over a large part of the market. Especially in...

Fluid-Structure Interaction in a Network of Blood VesselsFluid-Structure Interaction in a Network of Blood Vessels

This model refers to a portion of the vascular system of a young child - the upper part of the aorta artery. The blood vessels are embedded in a biological tissue (the cardiac muscle) and, during the flow of blood, pressure is applied to...

Open-Hole Multilateral WellOpen-Hole Multilateral Well

Multilateral wells—those with multiple legs that branch off from a single conduit—can produce oil efficiently because the legs can tap multiple productive zones and navigate around impermeable ones. Unfortunately, drilling engineers...

MOS Transistor ModelMOS Transistor Model

The MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) is by far the most common semiconductor device, and the primary building block in all commercial processors, memories, and digital integrated circuits. During the past decades...

Simulation of a Microrobot, 3DSimulation of a Microrobot, 3D

A microrobot's leg, which structurally moves due to the rapid application of heat, is modeled in this example. Heat is generated by an electric current and propagates by conduction through the leg and, due to thermal expansion and...

Eigenvalue Analysis of a CrankshaftEigenvalue Analysis of a Crankshaft

This model describes a modal analysis of a crankshaft. The pistons’ reciprocating movement is transferred to the crankshaft through connecting rods by means of crankshaft throws. The forces, torques, and bending moments, which are...

Squeezed-Film Gas Damping in an AccelerometerSqueezed-Film Gas Damping in an Accelerometer

Squeezed-film gas damping is a critical aspect of many MEMS transducers and actuators. In accelerometers, for example, inertia produces a motion that the device detects. A typical structure connects a large proof mass to surrounding...

Piezo-Acoustic TransducerPiezo-Acoustic Transducer

A piezoelectric transducer can be used either to transform an electric current to an acoustic pressure field or, the opposite, to produce an electric current from an acoustic field. These devices are generally useful for applications that...

Viscoelastic Structural DamperViscoelastic Structural Damper

Damping elements involving layers of viscoelastic materials are often used for reduction of seismic and wind induced vibrations in buildings and other tall structures. The common feature is that the frequency of the forced vibrations is...

Nonlinear Magnetostrictive TransducerNonlinear Magnetostrictive Transducer

Magnetostrictive transduction is used in sonars, acoustic devices, active vibration and position control and fuel injection systems. The transducer has a steel housing enclosing a drive coil. A magnetostrictive material is placed in the...