Multiphysics Modeling

Veryst regularly performs multiphysics analyses in a large number of industries.  Multiphysics involves the analysis of multiple, simultaneous physical phenomena.  These simultaneous phenomena can include heat transfer, fluid flow, deformation, electromagnetics, acoustics, and mass transport.  Despite the complexity involved in the coupling, multiphysics is essential for many applications where traditional single-physics analyses are inadequate to account for the simultaneity of real events and processes.

Fluid Systems

Veryst’s consultants employ grounded knowledge of computational methods, mechanics, and physics to provide practical multiphysics solutions.  Veryst is a COMSOL Certified Consultant, and we use COMSOL Multiphysics in a wide variety of applications and industries, combining the physical processes of fluid flow, stress analysis, heat transfer, nonlinear materials, contact, vaporization and condensation, acoustics, microwave heating, gas dynamics, and mixing.  For more details, contact us at multiphysics@veryst.com.

Individual Physics Expertise

Expertise

  • Fluid flow
  • Thermal analysis
  • Species transport
  • Electromagnetics
  • Structural mechanics
  • Acoustics
  • Chemical reactions
  • Nonlinear systems


Applications

  • Medical devices
  • MEMS and sensors
  • Consumer products
  • Pneumatic and hydraulic systems
  • Renewable energy
  • Industrial processes and systems
  • Aerospace
  • Automotive
     

Multiphysics Expertise

We work extensively in solving multiphysics problems, including fluid-structure interactions, electromagnetic heating, thermal-structure coupling, conjugate heat transfer, and structural-acoustic vibrations. 

We use multiphysics modeling to provide value to our clients by helping them understand and optimize product performance, perform proof of concept investigations and, in some cases, generate new intellectual property.  We stress the importance of testing and validation for all our modeling efforts, especially multiphysics modeling due to the complexity and interdisciplinary nature of the models. 
 

Fluid–Structure Interaction (FSI)

Fluid-structure interaction refers to analyses involving fluid flow and solid deformation.  Depending on the problem, the interaction may be along a shared boundary or internal to the structure as in the case of poroelasticity.  In addition to the solid and fluid deformation, FSI requires handling a moving mesh.  Read more about fluid-structure interaction.
 

Axisymmetric Heart Valve Model
Axisymmetric heart valve model

Thermal–Structure Coupling

Thermal-structure coupling involves simultaneous heat transfer and stress or deformation analysis.  Heat transfer can include radiation, conduction, and convection, and the stress analysis can involve nonlinear processes such as contact, nonlinear materials, and large deformations.
 

Thermal-Structural Analysis of Teflon Seal
Thermal-structural analysis of Teflon seal

Structural–Acoustic Interaction

Simulating the vibration response of coupled fluid-structure problems involving small deformations is best performed by modeling the fluid using a pressure acoustic or a linearized Navier-Stokes formulation.  This enables frequency domain and eigenvalue analyses, and more efficient time-domain analysis.  Typical applications include vibration analysis of acoustic devices such MEMS transducers and hearing aids, and vehicle noise and vibration analysis.

Structural-Acoustic Analysis of Immersed Beam
Structural-acoustic analysis of immersed beam
 

Non-isothermal Flows

Modeling convective flow requires coupling fluid-flow with heat transfer.  The coupled processes can be very complex, particularly if the fluid flow includes turbulence or if the heat transfer involves processes such as boiling, evaporation, or mixed fluids with varying thermal properties.  Read more about non-isothermal flows.

Thermal CFD Analysis of LED Bulb
Thermal CFD analysis of LED bulb

 

Electromagnetic–Structural Coupling

Forces on structures resulting from an electromagnetic field require accurate evaluation of the electromagnetic field and the structural deformation.  Two common forms are electrostatic forces, for example in MEMS switches, and magnetostatic forces, for example in solenoids and motors.

Structural-Electromagnetic Analysis of  Solenoid Actuator
Structural-electromagnetic analysis of solenoid actuator

Electromagnetic Heating

Heat generated from electric and/or magnetic fields can be highly nonlinear.  Processes governing electromagnetic heating include Joule heating and inductive heating where the permittivity and conductivity can be temperature-dependent.  Joule heating in conductive materials is due to the generation of ohmic losses, whereas inductive heating is due to the generation of eddy currents.

 

Electric-Thermal-Structural  Analysis of Calrod
Electric-thermal-structural analysis of calrod

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Peristaltic Pump Fluid - Structure Interaction

The performance of peristaltic pumps is influenced by tube dimensions, tube material, rotary mechanism, and fluid properties. Veryst Engineering developed a strongly coupled fluid-structure interaction model that captures the deformation of the tube, rollers, and fluid, including contact.

Active Mixing in a Microwell by Repetitive Pipetting

A simple way of mixing small volumes (microliters or milliliters) of reagents is by repeatedly dispensing and withdrawing solution from a microwell or tube. In this case study, we used a two-phase multiphysics simulation with coupled fluid flow and mass transfer to analyze the efficacy of this active mixing process.

Calrod Thermal Analysis

How fast does a Calrod heat up and how high are the stresses during heating? To answer these questions Veryst Engineering developed a coupled electric-thermal-structural multiphysics model of the Calrod, accounting for conduction, convection, and radiation.

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