Radiofrequency tissue ablation is a medical procedure that uses targeted heat for a variety of medical purposes, including killing cancerous cells, shrinking collagen, and alleviating pain. The process involves applying mid- to high-frequency alternating current directly to the tissue, raising the temperature in a focused region near the applicator. We can simulate this process with COMSOL Multiphysics and the AC/DC and Heat Transfer modules. In today’s blog post, we will go over some key concepts for modeling this procedure.

Modeling complex geometries with thin structures can be very costly in terms of computational effort, particularly as such structures require quite a lot of mesh elements in order to resolve them. COMSOL Multiphysics provides dedicated features for modeling thin structures so that such models can be solved efficiently while maintaining accuracy. To set up and postprocess thin structures, COMSOL Multiphysics also provides specialized operators to help you consider all the relevant parameters required for accurate results.

Microchannels are versatile structures that can be used for thermal management. One way to optimize heat transfer within such systems is by adding a pin fin heat sink to the microchannel configuration. Applying this approach, a team of researchers created a novel pin fin design, analyzing its heat transfer efficiency with COMSOL Multiphysics. They presented their innovative work at the COMSOL Conference 2015 Boston.

At the COMSOL Conference 2015 Boston, Jeff Crompton from AltaSim Technologies — a COMSOL Certified Consultant — spoke about building, sharing, and deploying apps and what this means for the future of simulation. The team at AltaSim develops apps for a variety of purposes, from analyzing power electronics to additive manufacturing technologies. While some apps are deployed for commercial use, others are customized to meet the specific needs of companies. See how AltaSim is making simulation more accessible with apps.

Doctors can more effectively treat skin cancer when skin tumors are detected early. While visual examinations are typically used to identify such tumors, noninvasive tools like dielectric probes offer another approach. With COMSOL Multiphysics, we analyze the functionality and safety of a dielectric probe used for skin cancer diagnosis.

Today, guest blogger and Certified Consultant Giuseppe Petrone of BE CAE & Test discusses creating apps to perform thermal analyses of electronic devices. When manufacturing electronic devices, leading companies often look to simulation in order to thermally characterize their products. At BE CAE & Test, we have found a more efficient way of answering such requests: designing apps that are tailored to our customers’ needs. Our surface-mount device app, presented here, is just one testament to what apps can achieve.

Contaminated produce contributes to food waste — a growing problem in the global agricultural industry. Solar dryers are one way to preserve fruits and vegetables, but these devices must be able to function properly to be effective. Heat transfer simulation can be used to analyze solar food dryer designs and identify the right building materials, including phase-change materials (PCMs), which conserve the solar heat. Today, we’ll explore simulation research focused on optimizing a solar dryer design for efficient food preservation.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) affect millions of people around the globe. While the most common cause of HAI is direct contact with the source, airborne bacteria may also play a role in patient infections. To prevent airborne infection and make hospital clean rooms safer, it’s important to design efficient ventilation systems. As an added benefit, efficient ventilation designs also lead to lower energy-related costs. The first step to a better design is CFD modeling.

Today, we introduce guest blogger Bernd Baumann, who shares insight into optimizing the performance of metal-halide lamps with simulation, with input from his colleague Joerg Schwieger. With the help of COMSOL Multiphysics, we investigated the impact of acoustic resonances and the related acoustic streaming field on the operation of metal-halide discharge lamps. To our surprise, we found that the lamps exhibit behaviors that are similar to a well-known mechanical system — the forced Duffing oscillator with a softening spring.

Heat has a powerful effect on the operation and lifespan of electronic devices. Introducing components like heat sinks within these electronic systems helps maintain cooler temperatures and promotes healthy performance. As we demonstrate with our disk-stack heat sink example, simulation is a powerful tool for analyzing the efficiency of heat sink designs.