In a few weeks, Comsol will release the latest version of its Multiphysics software.  Several of the new features were announced at the recent conference Comsol held in Boston, where more than 300 engineers and scientists were in attendance.

The biggest change to Comsol 4.4 is the new user interface. This new desktop look has the look and feel of the Windows desktop, which makes it a bit smoother and simpler to use, say some who have tried it. It displays as a ribbon at the top of your screen.  It is formatted so that you go from left to right, choosing the functions sequentially. Comsol 44-2.mp3

But, if you prefer to use the functions the way they were in earlier versions, no problem, they are still there too. For example, the Model tree is there available. You can go back and forth in how you activate a function, use the keystrokes you are familiar with from the earlier version, and switch over to what you are familiar with for Windows; both give you access to the functions you need.

Version 4.4 handles some of the routine problem set up as well, enabling you to get to the solving part faster.

In addition, six new modules were added to the suite: A wave optics module, semiconductor module, multibody dynamics module, mixer module, molecular flow modul, and electrochemistry module.  Comsol 44-1.mp3

The new mixer module suits pharmaceutical, fine chemical, and food industries, among others. A few of the highlights include: it has full moving mesh technology, and you can use it to analyze frozen rotor approaches. It is an add-on to the CFD module.

Here’s what Valerio Marra had to say about the new mixer module. Comsol 44-4.mp3

There is a new node in the Model Tree labeled Multiphysics.  With this node, you can build your own multiphysics by combining physics interfaces as well as choose from preset multiphysics couplings, which let you view participating physics as separate nodes in the tree.

And, modules with updates include:

The CFD module with wall roughness for turbulent flow

The Heat Transfer module with a thermoelectric effect

The AC/DC module with a nonlinear magnetic Material Library

The Structural Mechanics module with solid-shell-beam coupling

The RF module with interior ports

The Acoustics module with background flow

The Particle Tracing module with efficient calculation of particle-field and fluid-particle interactions.

Comsol
www.comsol.com