COMSOL Release Notes

COMSOL Multiphysics
Release Notes
COMSOL Multiphysics Release Notes
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Version: COMSOL 5.3
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Part number: CM010001

C o n t e n t s
Chapter 1: Release Notes
COMSOL Multiphysics 10
General New Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
New Functionality in the Application Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
New Functionality in COMSOL Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
New and Improved General Functionality in COMSOL Multiphysics . . . 13
New Geometry and Mesh Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
New and Updated Operators, Functions, and Definitions . . . . . . . 18
New Functionality in Studies and Solvers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
New and Improved Results and Visualization Functionality . . . . . . . 20
®
New Java API Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
General Backward Compatibility Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2a . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Backward Compatibility with Version 4.3b . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
AC/DC Module 32
New Functionality in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
New and Updated Application in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2 and older . . . . . . . . . . 33
Acoustics Module 35
Backward Compatibility with Version 4.3a and Older . . . . . . . . . 36
CONTENTS |3
Batteries & Fuel Cells Module 37
Backward Compatibility with Previous Versions . . . . . . . . . . . 39
CAD Import Module, Design Module, and LiveLink™ Products

for CAD 40
New Functionality in LiveLink™ for AutoCAD® in Version 5.3 . . . . . 40
New Functionality in LiveLink™ for Inventor® in Version 5.3 . . . . . . 40
New Functionality in LiveLink™ for PTC® Creo® Parametric™ in
Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
New Functionality in LiveLink™ for Revit® in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . 40
LiveLink™ for Solid Edge® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
LiveLink™ for SOLIDWORKS® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
CFD Module 43
New Models in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Chemical Reaction Engineering Module 51

Backward Compatibility with Version 5.0 and Earlier . . . . . . . . . 52
Corrosion Module 57
New and Updated Models in Version 5.2a . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Backward Compatibility with Earlier Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
ECAD Import Module 59

4 | CONTENTS
Electrochemistry Module 60
Electrodeposition Module 62
Fatigue Module 64
Geomechanics Module 66
Heat Transfer Module 67

New and Improved Functionality in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . 67
New Application in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Updated Applications in Version 5.3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Obsolete Features and Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
MEMS Module 86
Microfluidics Module 87
CONTENTS |5
Molecular Flow Module 88
Multibody Dynamics Module 89

New Applications in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Nonlinear Structural Materials Module 91

New Applications in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Optimization Module 93
Particle Tracing Module 94

Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2a and Earlier . . . . . . . . . 96
Pipe Flow Module 99

Plasma Module 100

New Functionality in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
New and Updated Applications and Models in Version 5.3 . . . . . . 100
Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2 and Earlier . . . . . . . . 100
Backward Compatibility with Version 5.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Ray Optics Module 102

Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2a and Earlier . . . . . . . . 104
6 | CONTENTS
RF Module 108
New and Updated Models and Applications in Version 5.3 . . . . . . 109
Backward Compatibility with Version 4.3a . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Rotordynamics Module 111

New Applications in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Semiconductor Module 112

New Application and Models in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Structural Mechanics Module 113

New Model in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Backward Compatibility with Version 4.3b . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Backward Compatibility with Version 4.3a . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Subsurface Flow Module 120

New Model in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Wave Optics Module 122

Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2 and Earlier . . . . . . . . 123
Material Library 124

New and Updated Material Data in Version 5.3 . . . . . . . . . . 124
LiveLink™ for MATLAB® 125

CONTENTS |7
LiveLink™ for Excel® 127
Supported Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
The COMSOL API for Use with Java® 128

COMSOL 5.3 API Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
COMSOL 5.2a API Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
COMSOL 4.3b API Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
COMSOL 4.0a Java API Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
8 | CONTENTS
1
Release Notes
COMSOL Multiphysics® version 5.3 includes extended and improved versions of

the Application Builder and the COMSOL Server™, as well as updates and
improvements for all COMSOL Multiphysics® products. These Release Notes
provide information regarding new functionality in version 5.3 for all COMSOL
products.
9
COMSOL Multiphysics
General New Functionality
IMPROVED PERF OR MA NC E A ND US ER IN TERFA CE

The performance for many operations in the COMSOL Desktop has been improved,
and the undo/redo-functionality now works in almost all cases. Specifically, operations
in the geometry and meshing sequences now fully support undo and redo.
P R E F E R E N C E S TA K E N F R O M P R E V I O U S VE R S I O N
By default, the installation of version 5.3 reuses most preference settings from the
previous installation, so that you do not need to redo changes to the factory settings
for your specific preferences.
New Functionality in the Application Builder
GENERAL NEW FUNCTIONALITY

• The Application Builder Reference Manual, which contains reference
documentation previously available as context help only, is now available as a PDF
file from the Documentation window, which you open from the COMSOL Desktop.
• The Editor Tools window now includes toolbar buttons for expanding and collapsing
all nodes of the displayed tree.
• Explicit selections now appear in the Editor Tools window and on the Graphics tab in
the New Form Wizard. Adding an explicit selection to a form will place a Graphics
form object in that form window and set the explicit selection as its source. It is also
possible to add a Selection Input form object by clicking the Input button in the
Editor Tools window while having an explicit selection node selected.
• Export features can now be added to forms via the Editor Tools window and the New
Form Wizard.
• Model Data Access has been renamed to Data Access, and is now available also for
properties in the application part of the model. Only properties that can be modified
when an application is running are available for data access. Data Access is now also
available on the Home toolbar.
• For Choice List nodes added under Declarations, you can now load and save list values
from a file as well as clear the table of list values.
10 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FORM EDITOR
• Support for data picking in Graphics windows. It is now possible to select points and
evaluate data in geometries and plots via mouse interaction with graphics form
objects. You can enable data picking in the Settings window for Graphics objects.
There is also a new Graphics Data node under Declarations, where you can specify
settings for design time values for coordinate values, plot evaluation, and 3D probe
options.
• The Slider form object now has an orientation property allowing you to make
vertical sliders.
• In a form editor you can now select form objects and cut them by pressing Ctrl+X
or choosing Cut from the context menu.
• Form objects set as invisible or disabled now have a distinct visual style in the form
editor. Also, form objects that have their visible setting set to false are not made
invisible in the form editor if they are selected or part of a multiselection.
IMPROVEMENTS TO THE METHOD EDITOR AND APPLICATION LANGUAGE

See also the Application Programming Guide for a complete overview of the
application language for programming methods in the Application Builder.
• You can now create application methods, for use in applications like in earlier
versions, and model methods, which are new in this version. Model methods can be
used in the Model Builder as a complement to the model tree for automating special
sequences or tasks.
• When hovering the mouse pointer over a property name, a declaration, or a shortcut
in a method editor window, a tooltip containing information about the property
name, declaration, or shortcut is displayed. When hovering the mouse pointer over
a name corresponding to an entity in the application part of the API (such as a form
or a form object), information about what type of object the name represents (such
as Input Field, Button, Form, or Menu) is displayed in a tooltip.
• It is now possible to automatically declare the type of a local variable. For example,
you can type x = model.geom() and click the Create Local Variable button on the
Method ribbon tab. The code is then changed to GeomList x = model.geom().
• The Extract Variable button on the Method ribbon in previous versions has been
replaced with a new button called Use Shortcut. Clicking the Use Shortcut button
creates a shortcut corresponding to the extracted code instead of a hidden instance
variable, which was what clicking the Extract Variable button created in previous
versions.
COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS | 11
• New application language methods have been introduced to create, load, and
remove models without having to specify a model tag. The create and load methods
generate a unique tag for the new model, and the remove method takes a model
object instead of a model tag. The syntax is:
Model createModel();
void removeModel(Model model);
Model loadModel(String filename);
Model loadProtectedModel(String filename, String password);
Model loadRecoveryModel(String folderName);
• Two new standard commands, Select All and Clear Selection, have been added to
the Application Builder. The commands are similar to their Model Builder versions
but work on a target Graphics form object. Two new methods, selectAll and
clearSelection, have been added to the application API. In the Application
Builder, the new commands appear in command sequences (for a button, for
example) under GUI Commands>Graphics Commands. The syntax for the new
methods:
void clearSelection(FormObject graphics);
void clearSelection(String graphics);
void selectAll(FormObject graphics);
void selectAll(String graphics);
• A Go to Source button has been added to the Settings window for local methods,
which, when clicked, causes the form object, which the local method belongs to, to
be selected in the form editor.
• Ctrl+/ is now an alternative shortcut for auto completion in the method editor.
New Functionality in COMSOL Server

• COMSOL Server now include support for reverse proxies.
• In the Application Library, there is more live data information displayed for running
applications. On the Preferences page, you can select to display up to five of the
following information items: Session time, Connected in, Idle time, Process CPU,
Start time, CPU time, Physical memory, and Virtual memory. All those items appear
in the details view of a running app.
• The Monitor page now have two views: Servers, showing monitoring data for all
COMSOL Server processes (primary and secondary server processes) as well as the
application server processes running on these COMSOL Servers, and Sessions,
showing monitoring data for all currently running application sessions. From both
views, administrators and power users can close application sessions for users.

• You can now upload multiple apps and use drag-and-drop to do so.
• The Preferences page has been improved. Changes are indicated using a red asterisk,
and new Revert to Saved and Factory Settings buttons are available.
• Prelaunching on the Preferences page in previous versions has been renamed
Application Processes. An administrator can now choose to allow applications to run
on both the primary server and on secondary servers, or only run on secondary
servers, when running in a primary-secondary server setup. Furthermore, the
settings for prelaunching are now per COMSOL Server instance instead of per
primary- secondary cluster of servers. The options for prelaunched application
server processes have also been extended.
• The Preferences page now also includes preferences for cluster computing and
remote computing.
• A log file with data for application usage is now available. The data is stored in a text
format so that it can be analyzed in Microsoft® Excel®, for example.
New and Improved General Functionality in COMSOL Multiphysics

• There is a new Developer ribbon tab in the Windows version of the COMSOL
Desktop. It contains tools for creating application methods and model methods,
running model methods, and creating and testing applications. Some of those tools
were previously available on the Home ribbon tab. Also, the Add Multiphysics button
is no longer available on the Home ribbon tab but is available on the Physics ribbon
tabs as well as on the Windows menu. The Add Component and Select Component
buttons on the Home tab have been merged into a single Component menu button.
• On the Developer tab, you can run model methods, which you create in the
Application Builder but can use in the Model Builder as a complement to the model
tree for automating some tasks when modeling in COMSOL Multiphysics.
• A new PDE, Boundary Elements interface provides the possibility to solve
unbounded PDEs of Laplace type using the boundary element method.
• Under Classical PDEs, a Stabilized Convection-Diffusion Equation interface is now
available. In that version, streamline, crosswind, and isotropic diffusion can be used
to stabilize the convection-diffusion equation when needed. Streamline and
crosswind diffusion are active by default.
• In the Solid Mechanics interface, a new Rigid Motion Suppression boundary
condition has been introduced for handling cases where the loads are
self-equilibrating as long as rigid body motions are not possible and no reaction
forces are introduced. This new condition removes the need to constrain rigid body
motion by inserting point constraints in such cases.
The Symmetry boundary conditions are also available for the Solid Mechanics
interface in this version without any additional module requirement.
• The Help and Documentation windows have been updated and now includes a
breadcrumb trail at the top, indication the location in the documentation set for the
information that is displayed.
• For physics interfaces that use symbols to indicate, for example, boundary
conditions, you can now control the general display of physics symbols and also
show and hide all physics symbols in the physics interface using the Physics Symbols
section in the Settings window for the main physics interface node. When physics
symbols are enabled, you can also control their display individually in the settings
for each physics interface node that supports symbols.
• The hide functionality in the graphics windows has been simplified. The View ribbon
tab now has a single Hide button instead of, in previous versions, separate Hide for
Geometry, Hide for Physics, and Hide for Mesh buttons. This button adds the type of
hide feature suitable for the current context.
• The Selection List window now indicated which geometric indices that are selected.
• The default font handling has been improved to better handle non-Latin fonts. You
can now specify the font to use directly in the installer when installing using a
non-Latin (Asian) language.
• The local table for interpolation functions, parameters, variables, polygons, and
interpolation curves now includes a Clear Table button.
• For model inputs, a Go to Source button is now available for moving to the node in
another physics interface that provides the input.
• The COMSOL Launchers folders in the version 5.3 installation now includes dedicated
launchers for all applicable graphics rendering options (DirectX, OpenGL, and
software rendering).
• Triple-clicking in text fields now selects the whole line in all versions of the
COMSOL Desktop.
• On macOS, Command-. (that is, the Command button and period) is now available
for stopping a method as an alternative to Ctrl+Pause.

New Geometry and Mesh Functionality
GEOMETRY FUNCTIONALITY
General Improvements
In version 5.3, there are significant improvements in execution time, memory usage,
and disk usage for parts of the functionality in the geometry sequences.
New Functionality
• Coordinate systems in the geometry: In geometric primitives and transform features
in 3D, you can specify the settings in a local coordinate system given by a work
plane. This makes it easier to position new objects relative to existing objects.
• Coordinate systems from geometry under Definitions. A new coordinate system
type, System from Geometry, creates a coordinate system from a work plane. This
makes it easy to align a coordinate system with geometric entities. Some other
coordinate system types can also be defined relative to a work plane.
• Combined coordinate systems under Definitions. You can use the new Combined
System node to create a coordinate system that has different definitions on different
domains. This is useful when an anisotropic material has different orientations in
different domains.
• A new virtual operation, Remove Details, automatically generates a sequence of
virtual operations that removes details smaller than a given size. The Remove Details
node is available on the Virtual Operations menu. The generated sequences of virtual
operations are possible to edit if needed.
• Extrude enhancements: You can now extrude until you hit a selected vertex and
extrude in both directions at the same time.
• A new Line Segment feature that constructs a line segment between selected vertices
or given point coordinates.
• Enhancements for the Cylinder Selection and Disk Selection features: It is now
possible to specify inner radius and sector angles.
• In the Cross Section feature, you can now generate 2D selections from 3D selections.
• In the Sweep feature, you now get better results when sweeping along a chain of
edges, thanks to the new Parameterization and Smooth edge connections settings.
• When visualizing a work plane, its local coordinate system triad xw, yw, zw is also
visualized.
• It is now possible to select a geometry object in draw mode and then delete it by
pressing the Delete key.
• For geometry part variants, there is a new Show as variant in part library check box
in the settings of a geometry part. This new check box makes it possible to have an
MPH file that contains different variants of a part. The variants typically differ only
in the set of input parameters. When loading the part, a dialog box appears where
you can select which variant you want to use. In version 5.3, this functionality is
used by parts in the Ray Optics part library.
• For import of geometry using MPHBIN or MPHTXT files, there is a new
possibility to exclude result from virtual operations in order to make sure that the
imported geometry is not virtual.
MESHING FUNCTIONALITY
• Automatic transitions with pyramid elements are now available when interfacing a
swept hex or prism mesh with a tetrahedral mesh. There is no longer a need for
converting a swept mesh before meshing the surrounding domain with the Free
Tetrahedral operation.
• There is a new Size Expression attribute node, which you can use to define a
space-varying mesh size based on an expression using the spatial coordinates.
• There is also a new Adapt node, which you can use to perform mesh adaptation.
Such Adapt nodes are created automatically in the mesh refinement meshing
sequences when using mesh adaptation from a study step.
• There is a new optimization option in the Free Tetrahedral operation that you can
use if you want to maximize the size of the smallest element while still trying to
respect the desired local element size. This optimization can improve the
performance when solving problems using explicit time stepping.

• You can now select between several quality measures when evaluating a mesh using
the Statistics window or a mesh plot:
- Skewness, which is the new default mesh quality measure in the COMSOL
Desktop and for the API.
- Maximum angle
- Volume versus circumradius (the previous default mesh quality measure and the
only quality measure available in earlier versions)
- Volume versus length
- Condition number
- Growth rate
The growth rate mesh quality measure replaces the previously reported values of the
maximum and average growth rate in the Statistics window.
The value for the minimum element quality is now based on the skewness measure.
Inverted mesh elements, however, are considered as inverted regardless of the
selected mesh quality measure.
• The meshing performance for 2D geometries with many domains has improved
significantly, mainly through parallelization. Furthermore, quad meshing of
domains and planar faces with four right-angled corners now gives more efficient
and higher-quality quad meshes.
• New settings are available in the Import operation for controlling the partitioning of
an imported 3D mesh on the edge level. This can be important if you want to
combine an imported mesh with geometry objects.
• A new button in the Graphics window toolbar allows you to switch off the rendering
of the mesh. This makes it easier to see the interior of a 3D object regardless of what
part of the geometry that has a mesh.
• It is now possible to copy the mesh from the entire geometry and to copy 1D
meshes.
• If you get an error referring to a coordinate in 3D, a new Center at Coordinate button
appears, which zooms to the corresponding location in the Graphics window. In
addition, a small red sphere (wireframe rendering) appears around the coordinate
where the meshing error is located.
• An issue where the mesh generated might add an unexpectedly refined mesh when
meshing domains has been fixed. This change may affect the results in old models
if you rebuild the mesh (in apps with dynamic remeshing, for example). To avoid
remeshing caused by a physics-controlled mesh, you can switch to a user-controlled
mesh.
New and Updated Operators, Functions, and Definitions

• You can now use projection coupling operators with all mesh types.
• A new operator, atdomat, is available for evaluation of mesh-independent
expressions in unmeshed domains in a given position. It is primarily intended for use
in void regions, for models using the boundary element method.
• You can now better control the scaling of coordinates used for unstructured
interpolation data in cases when such unstructured interpolation data can be
entered. Use the Internal scaling of data points setting to control this scaling. The
automatic option applies the scaling if the bounding box of the interpolation points
has a bad aspect ratio.
• Some of the values for the physical constants have been updated slightly to conform
to the CODATA internationally recommended 2014 values. The COMSOL
Multiphysics Reference Manual contains the updated values for all supported
physical constants.
New Functionality in Studies and Solvers
STUDIES AND STUDY STEP FUNCTIONALITY

• The mesh adaptations and error estimation functionality has been combined and
extended for more flexible adaptive mesh generation. A new Adaptation and Error
Estimates section is now available in the Settings window for stationary,
eigenfrequency, and frequency domain study steps, where you can choose to
perform mesh adaptation and compute error estimates or to compute error
estimates only. The adaptive mesh refinement steps are available as meshing
sequences (with Adapt or Size Expression nodes, depending on the type of adaptation
or error estimation). Also the solutions (and corresponding data sets) for the
adaptive mesh refinement steps are available so that you can inspect and postprocess
each step in the adaptation process. The previous Adaptive Mesh Refinement subnode
to a Stationary Solver node is now added automatically and does normally not need
to be changed.
The time-dependent mesh adaptation works in the same way as in previous versions.
• A new Combine Solutions node makes it possible to combine two solutions (from the
same study or from different studies) into a new solution — for example, to

concatenate two time-dependent solutions into one solution that can be
postprocessed in its entirety for all time steps in both original solutions.
• A new Stationary Source Sweep study step is available for users of the AC/DC
Module.
• In the Physics and Variables Selection section of the study steps’ Settings window,
when you select the Modify physics tree and variables for study step check box, a new
Control Frame Deformation button makes it possible to control which physics
interface that controls the spatial frame, for example, in models that included
moving meshes.
SOLVER FUNCTIONALITY
• An improved aggregated AMG solver using a smoothed aggregation multigrid
methods is now available and is possible to use as an alternative to GMG for
fluid-flow models, for example.
• The solver log now contains more information about the use of available cores and
used and available memory during the solution process.
• A new option for the direct solvers makes it possible to automatically switch to
out-of-core storage if the estimated memory (for LU) is exhausting the physically
available memory.
• For small eigenvalue problems, it is now possible to specify that all eigenvalues are
returned from the solver.
• The scaled absolute tolerance is now proportional to the relative tolerance by
default.
• The FFT solver can now handle larger data sets. If needed, you can save
intermediate FFT data to disk to reduce the memory requirements. You can also
choose Times to store with the options Time steps taken by solver (the default) and
From list. In the latter case, the output data is interpolated. This way, you can
decrease the amount of data stored in MPH files.
• For manual time stepping using the BDF method, you can now control the BDF
order and time steps in the Time Stepping section.
• In parametric sweeps and batch sweeps, continuing the solver and getting the initial
value are now supported. The initial value for a parametric sweep uses the first
parameter value.
• For a batch process, you can now stop it after a given time from the command line
using the option -stoptime <time to stop in seconds>.
• The Intel MKL has been upgraded to Intel MKL 2017 and IMPI 2017.
New and Improved Results and Visualization Functionality
NEW AND IMPROVED GRAPHICS AND PLOT FUNCTIONALITY

• For 1D graph plots, you can now use two y-axes for plotting two quantities with
different magnitudes, for example. You can freely choose which graph to plot to be
represented by the primary (left) y-axis and which plot to be represented using the
secondary (right) y-axis.
• Add a new 3D plot, Streamline Surface, is available for plotting streamlines on
surfaces in 3D.
• Units have been added to the coordinate axes in plots.
• Also, the color legend can now show the unit of the quantity it represents. Select
the Show units check box in the Color Legend section of the settings for plots.
• A Coordinate system list have been added to the settings for vector plots of
revolutions of 2D axisymmetric geometries and for 2D vector plots on cut planes.
It is now easier to plot vector quantities using coordinate systems defined by the
data sets.
• It is now easier to step between solutions in a parametric sweep or an eigenfrequency
or time-dependent simulation, for example. Use the Plot Previous and Plot Next
buttons (or press F6 and F7) at the top of the Settings window for a 2D or 3D plot
group to step forward or backward in the set of solutions and update the plot.
• For many plot types, including Line, Surface, Volume, Arrow, Contour, Isosurface,
Slice, Max/Min and Streamline plots, you can now add a Selection subnode to apply
the plot only to some selected geometric entities (for example, to make a surface
plot on a subset of the boundaries).
• The Goto XY View, Goto YZ View, and Goto ZX View buttons in Graphics and plot
windows now toggle through all four possible variants of those views.
• A new Export Expressions subnode is available for Streamline, Far Field, Point
Trajectories, and Ray Trajectories plot nodes. You can use it to evaluate additional
expressions to include in a plot data export (for example, both the real and
imaginary parts of data used in far-field plots).
• You can now position the legend box in 9 positions. New positions are lower
middle, center, and upper middle.
• The x- and y-axes in 1D plots can not be flipped if that switch is desired for better
visualization.

• For arrow surface plots, you can now choose to plot all vector components, as in
previous versions, or to plot the normal components — only the vector components
orthogonal to the surface are plotted — or the tangential components — only the
vector components parallel to the surface are plotted.
• You can now restrict streamline start positions to parametric curves and surfaces.
• You can now choose Copy Plot Data to Clipboard from the context menu of the
individual plot nodes to directly copy the data in plots to the clipboard without
adding an Export node.
• You can now easier control the length of streamlines in the Advanced section in the
settings for streamline plots by entering the maximum length of each streamline in
the Maximum streamline length field.
• It is now possible to synchronize the radius and color expressions in 3D far-field
plots by selecting the Use as color expression check box at the bottom of the
Expression section.
• Scatter plots now include a Range section for specifying the color and data range
manually.
• For Max/Min plots, in the Advanced section, you can now add an optional prefix
and suffix to the maximum and minimum values.
• For the view scale in the Camera node settings, you can now elect Anisotropic to
define an anisotropic automatic scaling (a block) using different relative weights in
the x-, y-, and z-direction. An anisotropic scaling can, for example, improve
waterfall plots.
• For the Particle Tracing Module, particle trajectories can now be visualized using
ribbons as the line style.
• For acoustics and RF applications, 1D Far Field plots now include settings for
computing the beam width.
IMPROVED DATA EXPOR T AND ANIMATIONS

• A File type list has been added to the setting for the Data and Plot export features for
easier specification of the exported data file format.
• Is is now easier to export data from parametric sweeps. The Export>Data node can
export data for several outer solutions, not only one, and it is easier to select
parameter values for which to export data.
• A new Summation section in the settings for Point Evaluation nodes makes it possible
to compute the sum or average of the value of a variable evaluated in several points.
• In the Global Matrix Evaluation node, From inverse Maxwell to mutual capacitance is a
now transformation option.
• A new sequence type, Global parameter, makes it possible to animate over global
parameters in the model for more flexible animations (animating over view
parameters to simulate camera-based animation, for example).
NEW AND IMPROVED DATA SETS

• The Parameterized Curve data set now support shells, so that you can use it in models
with physics on shells. In 3D, the Parameterized Curve data set also includes a new
Snap to closest boundary check box.
• It is now possible to use 1D data in 2D and 3D line plots; the 1D data is embedded
into 2D or 3D.
• A new Array 1D data set is available, which you can use, for example, when the model
simulates only one unit cell out of an infinite periodic structure, and you would like
to plot the result in more than one unit cell.
• In the Array data sets, you can now clear a Check for overlap between cells check box
in the Advanced section to disable the cell overlap test, which makes it possible to
create a hexagonal lattice by composing two linear arrays, for example.
• You can now use Microsoft® Excel® files in cut point data sets.
• For the Structural Mechanics Module, a new Shell data set makes in easy to visualize
the top and bottom surfaces of a shell.
IMPROVED REPOR T GENERATION

• It is now possible to turn off image generation in reports.
New Java® API Methods

• The first COMSOL instance that opens a file locks it and is the only instance that
can save the file again. To check if a file is locked so that it is read-only, use the new
methods model.isReadOnly(), which returns whether the file where the model is
saved is read-only and cannot be overwritten or not. The file can be read-only for
two reasons:
- The COMSOL process does not have permission to write to the file.
- On Windows, the file can be locked by another COMSOL instance.
If the model has not been saved, this method returns false.

• ModelUtil has the following new methods for product license information and
checkout:
- checkoutLicense
- checkoutLicenseForFile
- checkoutLicenseForFileOnServer
- hasProduct
- hasProductForFile
- hasProductForFileOnServer
General Backward Compatibility Considerations

COMSOL 5.3 is backward compatible with COMSOL versions 4.0–5.2a. The support
for loading models made in version 3.5a has been removed in this version. The
command comsol convertpre35a, which converted even older models to version
3.5a, has also been removed.
Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2a
FRAME CONTROL
In previous versions of COMSOL Multiphysics, it was possible to apply multiple
frame-controlling physics on the same selection. For example, it was possible to add
two Solid Mechanics interfaces (with the Include geometric nonlinearity option enabled)
on the same selection and solve. In this case, an “override rule” was applied between
the controlling physics, effectively meaning that the last physics in the tree had control
of the frame deformation for the overlapping domains. This situation could cause
unexpected results.
In version 5.3, multiple physics interfaces controlling the same frame are not allowed
on the same selection and will cause an error when trying to solve. However, it is still
possible to use multiple frame-controlling physics with overlapping selection, but you
now have to explicitly disable frame control on all but one of the physics. This gives
you better control on what is going on. The functionality to disable frame control for
physics has been incorporated in the Settings window for study steps to allow choosing
different physics to control the frame in different study steps.
Frame-Scoped Variables
Certain variables pertaining to frame deformation are now defined with “frame
prefix”. For example, the relative element volume is now called spatial.relVol.
Previously, these variables were added by the physics interface controlling the frame
deformation so they used a “physics prefix” (for example, ale.relVol). For backward
compatibility of old models, the physics interfaces still define the old variables, but they
are aliases of the new frame variables.
API SYNTAX FOR ERROR HANDLING

The old syntax for an error
feature("foo").feature("prob1").feature("error1")
is no longer supported. Instead, use the following documented syntax:
feature("foo").problem("error1")
FREE QUAD MESHING

Models saved in version 5.2a with the free quad tessellation method set to Automatic
(in a Free Quad feature) or face meshing method set to Quadrilateral (in a Swept
feature), will, when opened in 5.3, have the tessellation method or face meshing
method set to Legacy version 5.2a or Quadrilateral (legacy version 5.2a), respectively.
Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2
FREE QUAD MESH

The new free quad meshing algorithm is used in new models, but for models created
in earlier versions, the legacy algorithm is used instead. The default for the new method
property is therefore auto in new models, and legacy52 in migrated models.
GEOMINFO CHECK() METHOD

The return value of the check() method in GeomInfo has been removed. Now,
check() throws an error if the geometry is invalid.
THE CONST PROPER TY IN SOLVERS

The const property available for many solvers has been removed in version 5.2a and
replaced with the cname and clist properties, which are string arrays for the constant
names and corresponding constant values, respectively. For the Dependent Variables
node, the new property initparametersmethod, which can be set to "auto" (the
default) or "manual", has been added to control automatic synchronization of values
of parameters to use for initial expressions. The Dependent Variables node now also
includes the cname and clist properties.

CREATING SELECTIONS
In version 5.2, the selresult property replaced the createselection property.
createselection is still supported for backward compatibility.
SELECTIONS IN PART INSTANCES

For backward compatibility for selections in part instances, there is a Keep
noncontributing selections check box, cleared by default, in the Selection Settings section
of the Settings window for Part Instance nodes. If you select the Keep noncontributing
selections check box, the Keep column is disabled, and the selection is kept if the
Contribute to value is None. In the COMSOL API, the default is an active Keep
noncontributing selections setting.
MESH PARTS
For backward compatibility regarding STL/VRML import, and for COMSOL API
compatibility, the old user interface for mesh import (with a specified file name and
import properties) and the corresponding properties are available in the COMSOL
API but not in the COMSOL Desktop, unless it is the active option. This means that
the old user interface can only be reached if the filename is set in combination with the
STL import type (the API type stlvrml), which cannot be done from the new user
interface.
DORMAND-PRINCE 5 TIME-STEPPING SOLVER

The Dormand-Prince 5 Runge-Kutta solver in 5.1 does not use field norm scaling in
version 5.1 when estimating errors. This means that the errors of, for instance, an ODE
might become very small when solved together with a field with many DOFs, and the
time steps taken might then be too large. In version 5.2a, the Runge-Kutta solver uses
field norm scaling, which means that old models using the Dormand-Prince 5 might
need tighter tolerances to produce results in earlier versions that are similar to those in
5.2a.
MESH IMPORT
The method used to automatically partition the boundary of imported meshes in 3D
has been improved. If you have an existing model, you can work with it without being
affected. However, if you click the Import button of the Import feature in the meshing
sequence, the file is read again and the new partitioning method is used. The exception
is if the Import feature had Boundary partitioning set to Manual. In this case, the
modified parameter values are preserved under the Feature detection setting, which
uses the same algorithm as in version 5.0.
COMSOL tries to map the old selection on boundaries to the new boundaries, but it
is not always possible to do accurately when new faces have appeared or old faces have
disappeared. You may have to manually review and update boundary, edge, and point
selections after reimporting the mesh.
If you have a Java® or MATLAB® program that imports meshes, the number of
geometric entities may have changed compared to older versions.
SECURITY SETTINGS
In version 5.2a, the Allow external process and libraries check box on the Security page
in the Preferences dialog box is cleared by default to not allow applications to start
external processes on the computer. The default setting in 5.0 is set to allow such
external processes.
DISPLAY OF MAX/MIN MARKERS IN PLOTS

The display of max/min markers in plots is now off by default to make plots fit better
when using a small graphics canvas. In previous versions, the display of max/min
markers in plots was on by default.
MERGED MPH-FILE FORMAT

The MPHAPP file and MPH file formats have been merged since version 5.1, and all
application files use the .mph file suffix. You can still open MPHAPP files created in
version 5.0.
COMSOL SER VER

COMSOL Server from version 4.4 is now called the COMSOL Multiphysics Server.
MESH IMPORT
An edge in an imported mesh that has a common start and end vertex, or that lacks
start and end vertices, is now split into two edges with distinct start and end vertices.
For meshes where this happens, the numbering of all geometric entities may change
when the mesh is rebuilt.

For MPH-files created in earlier versions, selections are automatically updated with the
new entity numbers.
LOCAL COORDINATE VALUES

For model components created in version 5.0 and onward, the variable names xi1,
xi2, and xi3 are reserved for the predefined local coordinate variables. To access the
previous behavior (that local coordinate variables do not exist), you can use the API
method model.modelNode(<tag>).defineLocalCoord(false).
TR A N S P O R T O F D I L U T E D S P E C I E S
®
Running Java -files from previous versions may fail due to the new default name for
the Transport of Diluted Species interface. This can be avoided by adding a command
that specifies the identifier in accordance with the name of the interface. For example,
when creating an interface using the old name (chds):
model.physics().create("chds", "DilutedSpecies", "geom1",

new String[][]{{"c"}});
Add the following line to specify the identifier accordingly:
model.physics("chds").identifier("chds");
The Java® API syntax for creating and accessing vectors and tensors in the Transport
of Diluted Species interface has changed as well as the syntax for setting physics
properties. This does not affect MPH-files. See the backward compatibility notes for
the Chemical Reaction Engineering Module for additional information that also
applies to the Transport of Diluted Species interface.
DOCUMENTATION
The COMSOL Multiphysics Programming Reference Manual replaces the
COMSOL API for Use with Java ® Reference Manual.
Backward Compatibility with Version 4.3b
MODEL NODES ARE NOW COMPONENT NODES

The Model nodes (as they were called in previous versions), which contained separate
model components in a model file, are called Component nodes in version 5.2a.
CHANGES TO PARAMETRIC SWEEPS

Old models that use stationary parametric sweeps are loaded with the Reuse solution
for previous step list set to Yes. The Run continuation for list is set to the parameter used,
unless the continuation algorithm would not have been used for this model in previous
versions (for example, if multiple parameters are used or if the parameter list is not
monotonous).
CHANGES TO THE PHYSICS SELECTION IN STUDY SETTINGS

The names of the states of a physics interface in the physics tree, which you can modify
under Physics and Variables Selection in the study steps’ settings windows, have
changed:
• Provide Degrees of Freedom is now called Disable in Solvers.

• Disable is now called Disable in Model.
REVISED FORMULATION FOR LAMINAR INFLOW AND LAMINAR OUTFLOW

The formulations of the laminar inflow and laminar outflow conditions have been
corrected. The modified formulation gives a more accurate mass flux. Some models
may now produce a slightly different flow field.
Laminar inflow and laminar outflow are available in the fluid flow physics interfaces in
the following modules:
• Batteries & Fuel Cells Module

• CFD Module
• Corrosion Module
• Electrochemistry Module
• Electrodeposition Module
• Heat Transfer Module
• Microfluidics Module
• Plasma Module
• Subsurface Flow Module
NEW DEFAULT FOR GRAPHICS OPTIMIZATION

Under Graphics and Plot Windows in the Preferences dialog box, the default settings in
the Optimize for list is now Quality instead of Performance.
VE L O C I T Y / A C C E L E R A T I O N I N T E G R A T I O N V A R I A B L E
For the Solid Mechanics interface (and all related multiphysics interfaces) and the
Truss interface, the help variable u0 (velocity integration variable) is used in Prescribed
Velocity and Prescribed Acceleration features for Time Dependent study types. This

variable computes the displacement for each point where the condition is prescribed.
It is changed to use the full feature scope in order to avoid collisions in cases where
several such features exist within the same model component. As a result, when
opening and running an old model that uses such features together with a segregated
solver, an error message appears, stating that not all dependent variables occur in at
least one of the segregated solver steps. The relevant action is to manually add the
velocity integration variable to the segregated step containing the corresponding
displacement field. Alternatively, you can regenerate any affected solver sequence.
MATH LIBRARIES ON AMD PROCESSORS

MKL is now the default math library on AMD processors. Switching to the ACML
math library for AMD processors might improve performance in some cases.
ERROR ESTIMATION CHANGES IN THE SOLVERS

The Automatic method for Check error estimate for direct linear solvers and for Validate
error estimate has changed. For nonlinear and time-dependent problems, the
underlying nonlinear solver does not accept termination for a linear solution step that
does not fulfill the error estimate (unless the step size is very small). The motivation
for this change is that the old method can lead to premature termination of the
nonlinear solution process, which in some cases introduces a large error for the
computed solution.
This change can cause the solvers to take more nonlinear steps for stationary problems
and more time steps for time-dependent problems, and it may also lead to convergence
problems. For such cases, use the No method to obtain the old behavior. However,
doing so can hide numerical problems and potentially lead to large numerical errors.
TE R M I N A T I O N C R I T E R I O N F O R S T A T I O N A R Y S O L VE R S
The default termination criterion for stationary solvers has changed. In 4.3a, the
settings corresponded to Solution; now, the default is Solution or residual. This change
in default termination criterion might affect models created in earlier versions of
COMSOL Multiphysics if you regenerate the solver sequence in 5.2a.
BACKWARD EULER INITIALIZATION TIME STEP

A new setting in the Advanced section of the settings window for the Time-Dependent
Solver, called Fraction of initial step for Backward Euler, provides an option for entering
a dimensionless quantity that determines the size of the time step for the backward
Euler method (in terms of the initial step). This value can improve the accuracy of the
initialization step but can also affect the start-up of some models. The default value is
0.001 (this differs from earlier versions, which used a value of 1). When opening
models created in version 4.3a or earlier, the value for this fraction is set to 1 to
maintain compatibility with those versions.
LOADING EXTERNAL PHYSICS BUILDER JAR FILES

External physics builder JAR archives compiled with earlier versions of COMSOL
Multiphysics include a manifest file that contains a reference to the CDO library, which
has been removed. To load such JAR files in version 5.2a, you must first do one of the
following:
• Delete the META-INF/MANIFEST.MF file in the archive source on the file

system, and then recompile the JAR archive.
• Manually remove the line with org.eclipse.emf.cdo in the
META-INF/MANIFEST.MF file in the JAR archive. You can do this directly in a
file archive manager such as 7-Zip or similar.
HIGHLIGHTING GEOMETRY OBJECTS WHEN DRAWING IN 2D

When you have drawn one geometry object on top of another object, toggling of the
highlighting of these objects occurs when you click several times. It is important that
you click without moving the cursor in a position where the objects overlap in order
to toggle. For example, if you draw a circle (C1) and then draw another smaller circle
(C2) inside of C1, then first clicking on C2 may highlight C1. If you click for a second
time without moving the cursor, it will highlight C2. In previous versions, you would
move the cursor after the first click in order to highlight C2.
N E W TE R M I N O L O G Y F O R C O N S T R A I N T TY P E S
The following constraint types have new names in version 5.2a:
• Bidirectional, symmetric is now Apply reaction terms on: All physics (symmetric).
• Unidirectional is now Apply reaction terms on: Individual dependent variables.

WE A K CO NS TRA IN TS UPDATE F OR TH E L AMINA R FL OW INT ERF ACE
The weak constraint formulations for the following boundary conditions have been
updated:
• Symmetry
• The Slip option in the Wall feature
These boundary conditions are now formulated using the same set of Lagrange
multipliers as all of the other boundary conditions in the Laminar Flow interface. The
Lagrange multiplier un_lm has been removed.
Models saved in version 4.3 will include un_lm until the model is re-solved. In some
cases, occurrences of un_lm in the solver sequence must be replaced manually. This is
the case if un_lm was the only Lagrange multiplier component in a segregated group
or the only Lagrange multiplier component of a Vanka smoother. Alternatively, you
can generate a new automatic solver sequence. Models saved in versions earlier than
4.3 must either be re-solved in version 5.2a for postprocessing, or opened and re-saved
in version 4.3 before being opened in version 5.2a.
AUTOMATICALLY CREATED IDENTITY/CONTACT PAIRS

The pairs created by the Form Assembly feature in the geometry can differ from their
forms in 4.3 for certain 3D and 2D geometries. The pairs should now be the same for
the CAD and COMSOL representations.
AC/DC Module
New Functionality in Version 5.3
ELECTROSTATICS, BOUNDARY ELEMENTS INTERFACE

The new Electrostatics, Boundary Elements interface is based on the boundary
element method and available in 2D and 3D. It can be used for modeling electrostatics
in unbounded domains. Coupling to finite-element-based physics is supported.
STATIONARY SOURCE SWEEP STUDY

The new Stationary Source Sweep study is a custom study for fast calculation of
lumped parameters. It is available for the Electrostatics; Electrostatics, Boundary
Elements; and Electric Currents interfaces. This study reuses the LU decomposition
for direct solvers, making such studies many times faster than before.
CONCATENATED FLUX METHOD FOR INDUCTANCE CALCULATIONS

The new concatenated flux methods is a highly accurate integral method for solid and
homogenized multiturn coils.
COIL FEATURE UPDATES

An issue with excessive memory usage for circuit-coupled coils has been fixed.
New and Updated Application in Version 5.3

The following new and updated applications and example models are available in the
AC/DC Module Application Library:
• The Touchscreen Simulator app has been updated to use the faster Stationary
Source Sweep study.
• The Capacitor Tunable model has been updated to use the new Electrostatics,
Boundary Elements interface.
• A tutorial series on three-phase submarine cable modeling.
• Axisymmetric model of a 3D inductor.
• 3D model of a permanent magnet motor
• 3D power switch with motion
• Topology optimization of a loudspeaker magnet

• Operational Amplifier With Capacitive Load model
• Capacitive position sensor model in two versions using finite elements and boundary
elements
Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2 and older
COIL FEATURES
Multi-Turn Coil features in old models will be mapped to the new Coil feature using the
Homogenized Multi-Turn Conductor model. Single-Turn Coil features in old models
will import as is with a warning that the feature is obsolete and will be removed in
future versions.
The User Defined Coil Geometry subnode, which is available for 3D Coil nodes with the
User-Defined Coil type, is now a domain feature. You can now select coil input and
output boundaries using the new Input and Output subnodes. The selection is set up
correctly when opening old models.
REMOVED THE OLD INFINITE ELEMENTS FEATURES

The old Infinite Elements feature, which are obsolete since version 4.2, have now been
discontinued and will be automatically removed when opening old models.
COIL CURRENT CALCULATION

When models saved in previous versions are opened in version 5.1, the Coil Current
Calculation study steps are migrated to Coil Geometry Analysis. Old solutions stored
in the model can still be postprocessed, and the solver sequence will be regenerated
automatically (with a Stationary solver) the first time the study is solved.
The Coil Geometry Analysis study step (formerly Coil Current Calculation) will now
solve for all of the coils in the active interfaces. To solve only for specific coils (specified
using the CoilName property), set the SpecifyCoil property to 1.
The default solver sequence generated by the Coil Geometry Analysis is different in
version 5.1. Code that accesses specific solver features in the generated solver sequence
may need to be reviewed.
AC/DC MODULE | 33
OTHER COIL IMPROVEMENTS
Harmonic Perturbation subnodes under coil features (Single-Turn Coil, Multi-Turn Coil)
are now global features, so the call to the create method should use the appropriate
space dimension (-1):
model.physics("mf").feature("stcd1").create("hp1",
"CoilHarmonicPerturbation", -1);
Global features have no selections, so code that accesses the selection of the Harmonic
Perturbation features may need to be reviewed.
Some of the improvements in the 3D Multi-Turn Coil features may require a review of
existing code that uses the COMSOL API.
Subnodes required to set up the coil features are now added automatically. Existing
code that uses the coil features may need to be updated.
The parameters eCoil and length have been moved from the Multi-Turn Coil features
(boundary and domain) to the new subfeature UserDefinedCoilGeometry.
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
New functionality introduced in version 5.1 is disabled by default when opening
models created in previous versions:
• New boundary conditions for Gauge Fixing features

• Accurate coil voltage calculation
This functionality can be enabled using the appropriate inputs in the Settings window.
Refer to the documentation for the individual features for more details.

Acoustics Module
The following new functionality is available:
• Perfectly matched layers are now available for the Pressure Acoustics, Transient
Interface.
• A new Thermoviscous Acoustics, Transient interface.
• The Poroelastic Waves Interface has been updates with a new Biot-Allard model to
include both thermal and viscous losses.
• The Convected Wave Equation, Time Explicit interface is now supported in 2D
axisymmetric geometries.
• Many physics interfaces and multiphysics couplings now provide predefined iterative
solver suggestions.
• The transient solver is now controlled from the physics nodes in a new Transient
Solver Settings section.
• Improved stabilization methods for the Linearized Navier-Stokes Physics Interfaces.
• Serendipity elements are now available in most acoustics interfaces.
• Preview evaluation plane functionality for far field and directivity.
• Beam width calculation functionality for 1D far-field plots.
• Updated interior perforate plate boundary condition in the Pressure Acoustics,
Frequency Domain interface.
• Heat source for the Pressure Acoustics interface.
• Improved ray acoustics in 2D axisymmetric geometries.
• New reflection coefficient models for wall features in ray tracing.
• New ray termination feature.

The default settings have changed for the Incident Pressure Field in the Pressure
Acoustics interfaces. Add the following line to obtain the old behavior of this feature
when ipf1 is a subfeature to pwr1:
ACOUSTICS MODULE | 35
model.physics("acpr").feature("pwr1").feature("ipf1").
set("c", "acpr.c_c");

• Plane Wave Radiation has been removed from the Linearized Potential Flow,
Frequency Domain and Linearized Potential Flow, Transient interfaces in 1D
axisymmetry.
• A new Lagrange multiplier variable (ta.lm_slip) has been added to the slip
conditions in the Thermoacoustics, Frequency Domain interface. If you run a
model with a segregated solver, you will need to add this variable to the group
containing the velocity degree of freedom. You can also regenerate the default
solver. In the API, you need to add comp1_ta_lm_slip to the declaration of the
segregated step; for example, adding:
model.sol("sol1").feature("s1").feature("se1").feature("ss1").
set("segvar", new String[]{"comp1_p", "comp1_u", "comp1_T",
"comp1_ta_lm_slip"});
• The Waveguide end impedance option has been removed from 2D, 1D
axisymmetric, and 1D as it had no physical meaning in these space dimensions.
Backward Compatibility with Version 4.3a and Older

• The old Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) node that is located under the physics node
has been discontinued. From the next version on, only the Perfectly Matched Layer
nodes defined under the Definitions node are supported.
• In order for the old Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) node to be backward compatible,
the PML feature must be placed after any domain Monopole Source, domain Dipole
Source, or Background Pressure Field nodes.

• The symbols for volume sources for the acoustics monopole (Qm; was Q) and dipole
(qd; was q) volume sources for pressure acoustics have changed.
• The default value for the Typical wave speed property in the Acoustic-Piezoelectric
Interaction, Frequency Domain interface has changed to 343 m/s.

Batteries & Fuel Cells Module
• A new Electrophoretic Transport interface.

• A new Transport of Diluted Species in Fractures interface. See the release notes for
the Chemical Reaction Engineering Module for more information.
• New and updated default plots in the Electrochemistry interfaces:
- New Electrode Potential vs. Ground plots
- New Electrode Potential vs. Adjacent Reference plot
- Added arrows to Electrolyte Potential plots
- New Boundary Potential vs. Ground plot (for time-dependent studies)
- Added Real and Imaginary Impedance vs. Frequency (for frequency-domain
studies)
- New Average SOC plot (in Lithium-Ion Battery and Battery With Binary
Electrolyte interfaces for time-dependent studies)
- Added positive/negative ion flux arrows to Concentration plot (in 2D and 3D
for Lithium-Ion Battery and Battery With Binary Electrolyte interfaces)
• New Ion-Exchange Membrane node in the Tertiary Current Distribution,
Nernst-Planck Interface. The updated Vanadium Redox Flow Battery tutorial uses
the new node.
• New Charge Conservation Model options in the Tertiary Current Distribution,
Nernst-Planck Interface.
• New Thin Electrode Layer node. This node replaces and extends the Thin Insulating
Layer node of previous versions.
• In Porous Electrode nodes: Changed the default to Bruggeman transport
correction in the Tertiary Current Distribution, Nernst-Planck; Lithium-Ion
Battery; and Battery With Binary Electrolyte interfaces.
• New Fracture node in the Transport of Diluted Species in Porous Media Interface.
• For Porous Electrode nodes in the Lithium-Ion Battery and Battery with Binary
Electrolyte interfaces: Moved the Particle Intercalation Settings to a new Particle
Intercalation subnode.
BATTERIES & FUEL CELLS MODULE | 37

• New No spatial gradients option for the transport model in intercalating Porous
Electrode nodes’ Particle Intercalation subnodes in the Lithium-Ion Battery and
Battery With Binary Electrolyte interfaces.
• New Lithium Insertion Reaction node with simplified reaction kinetics in the Single
Particle Battery interface.
• Updated the Reacting Flow in Porous Media Multiphysics interfaces.
• The Reacting Flow multiphysics node now supports coupling between Brinkman
Equations and Transport of Concentrated/Diluted Species. The Reacting Flow
multiphysics node adds mass sources/sinks from the Porous Electrode Coupling
node in the Transport of Concentrated interface to the Brinkman Equations
interface.
• New Charge-Discharge Cycling boundary node, applicable to external electrode and
porous electrode domains. Updated the Capacity Fade of a Lithium-Ion Battery
tutorial to use the new node.
• New Charge discharge cycling boundary condition option in the Electrode Surface
node.
• New Charge discharge cycling operation mode in the Single Particle Battery interface.
• Updates to the Batteries & Fuel Cells material library:
- Updated value for the reference (maximum) solid lithium concentration in the
NMC electrode material.
- Added KOH Binary Electrolyte. Updated the 1D Isothermal Nickel-Metal
Hydride Battery tutorial to use this new material.
For users with licenses for both the Electrodeposition Module and the Batteries & Fuel
Cells Module: The Nondeforming Boundary and Deforming Electrode Surface
multiphysics features now support couplings to the Electrode Surface node in the
Lithium-Ion Battery and Battery with Binary Electrolyte interfaces.
For users with a license for the AC/DC Module:
• New Circuit Terminal boundary node, applicable to external boundaries to electrode

and porous electrode domains.
• New Circuit terminal boundary condition in the Electrode Surface node.
• New Circuit terminal condition operation mode in the Single Particle Battery
interface.

Backward Compatibility with Previous Versions
TR A N S P O R T O F C O N C E N T R A T E D S P E C I E S I N T E R F A C E
See Chemical Reaction Engineering Module.
SURFACE REACTIONS INTERFACE

BATTERIES & FUEL CELLS MODULE | 39

CAD Import Module, Design Module,
and LiveLink™ Products for CAD
The CAD file import functionality included with these products has been extended to
support new versions for some of the supported file formats (see under Read from File,
CAD on www.comsol.com/products/specifications/cad).
CAD IMPORT MODULE GEOMETRY KERNEL UPGRADE

The CAD Import Module, the Design Module, and the LiveLink™ products for CAD
utilize the Parasolid® geometry kernel from Siemens PLM for solid modeling
operations, geometry repair, and defeaturing. (Without these products, a
COMSOL-native geometry modeling kernel is used.) The CAD Import Module
released with COMSOL 5.3 includes an upgraded version of the Parasolid kernel. As
a result, a number of stability issues have been fixed, which makes the import of CAD
models and solid operations more robust.
New Functionality in LiveLink™ for AutoCAD® in Version 5.3

The LiveLink™ interface now supports synchronizing wireframe geometry.
New Functionality in LiveLink™ for Inventor® in Version 5.3

For assemblies, the LiveLink™ interface now automatically synchronizes selections
that are defined in the component files. Previously, all selections had to be defined in
the synchronized assembly file.
New Functionality in LiveLink™ for PTC® Creo® Parametric™ in

Version 5.3
The LiveLink™ interface now supports PTC® Creo® Parametric™ 4.0.
New Functionality in LiveLink™ for Revit® in Version 5.3

The LiveLink™ interface now supports synchronizing geometry for Revit® projects
without room definitions, and supports synchronizing elements that do not belong to

a room. The added functionality also expands the type of elements that can be
synchronized to include, for example: wall layers, structural framing and foundation
elements, mechanical and electrical equipment. Selections, which can be used to define
simulation settings, are automatically generated for the synchronized elements.
LiveLink™ for Solid Edge®
N E W F U N C T I O N A L I T Y I N VE R S I O N 5 . 3
The LiveLink™ interface now supports Solid Edge® ST9.
B A C K W A R D C O M P A T I B I L I T Y W I T H VE R S I O N 5 . 0
The default value for the keepfree property of the LiveLinkSolidEdge function is
now set to on. Previously, the default was set to off.
LiveLink™ for SOLIDWORKS®
N E W F U N C T I O N A L I T Y I N VE R S I O N 5 . 3
• The LiveLink™ interface now supports SOLIDWORKS® 2017.
• For assemblies, the LiveLink™ interface now automatically synchronizes selections
that are defined in the component files. Previously, all selections had to be defined
in the synchronized assembly file.
• The new tutorial Stress Analysis of a Pipe Fitting has been added to demonstrate
how to set-up a simulation on a 2D cross-section of a 3D geometry that has been
synchronized using the LiveLink™ interface.
B A C K W A R D C O M P A T I B I L I T Y W I T H VE R S I O N 5 . 0
The default value for the keepfree property of the LiveLinkSOLIDWORKS function
is now set to on. Previously, the default was set to off.
CAD IMPORT MODULE, DESIGN MODULE, AND LIVELINK™ PRODUCTS FOR CAD | 41
B A C K W A RD C O M P A T I B I L I T Y W I T H VE R S I O N 5 . 2
Geometry Repair Tolerances

The geometry repair tolerance can be automatic, relative, or absolute in version 5.2a.
In previous versions, the repair tolerance was always a relative tolerance.
• If you have not set the relative repair tolerance repairtol, you will get the new
default repair tolerance type: auto. This will result in a valid geometry in almost all
cases. In extreme cases, the result can have a different topology than in 5.2.
• In rare cases, if you have set the repairtol tolerance, version 5.2a can fail when
building the geometry. If so, set repairtoltype to auto (select Automatic from the
Repair tolerance list) to get the 5.2 behavior.

CFD Module
CONSER VATIVE FORMULATION FOR THE NAVIER-STOKES EQUATION

The new formulation of the momentum equation conserves momentum exactly in all
cases. Slight changes in the results may be observed for some applications as previous
versions of COMSOL Multiphysics only guaranteed momentum conservation down
to the discretization error.
TU R B U L E N T F L O W, V 2 - F I N T E R F A C E
2
The v -f turbulence model is an extension of the k-ε model with the turbulent
viscosity based on the cross-stream velocity fluctuations. This makes it possible to
model turbulence anisotropy and to distinguish between wall blockage and
low-Reynolds-number effects.
E N H A N C E D WA L L TR E A T M E N T
The Single-Phase Flow interfaces have a new Wall feature, and for turbulent flows
there is a new Wall Treatment property. The new Wall feature has a simplified user
interface and automatically accounts for moving meshes.
The Wall Treatment Property introduces an Automatic option for all turbulence
models except the k-ε model. Automatic wall treatment gives an accurate
low-Reynolds-number formulation in regions where the mesh is fine enough and falls
back on a wall-function formulation in regions with a coarser mesh.
Models created in previous versions of COMSOL Multiphysics open without the new
Wall Treatment Property and with a legacy Wall Feature. To guarantee backward
compatibility for Model Java® files using a Single-Phase Flow, Brinkman, or High
Mach Number Flow interface, the following line should be added following the line
creating the interface,
model.physics("phys").prop("PhysicalModelProperty").
set("BackCompState", 0);
where "phys" is the interface tag (fore example, spf).
CFD MODULE | 43
A U T O M A T I C TR A N S L A T I O N B E T W E E N TU R B U L E N C E M O D E L S
The global feature Generate New Turbulence Model Interface creates a new Turbulent
Flow interface (including a new study) from an existing one. Initial values and
boundary conditions for turbulence variables not present in the original model are
estimated using the turbulent viscosity and the turbulent length scale.
ALGEBRAIC MULTIGRID SOLVER FOR FLUID FLOW

The new default iterative solver for Fluid Flow applies algebraic multigrid (AMG)
instead of geometric multigrid (GMG). The COMSOL implementation is based on
the smooth aggregated AMG (SAAMG) method. Only one mesh is needed for AMG,
whereas GMG requires multiple meshes. The performance for AMG is similar to that
of GMG, but GMG is in general a bit faster, provided that enough mesh levels can be
constructed. To facilitate a change between the two types of preconditioning, the
default solver sequence includes a separate disabled iterative solver applying GMG.
I NT ER I O R WA LL BO U ND AR Y C O NDI T I ON I N PORO U S D O M AI NS
The Interior Wall boundary condition is now available in the Darcy’s law and
Two-Phase Darcy’s Law interfaces and is applicable in porous domains in the
Single-Phase Flow and Brinkman interfaces.
T H I N B A R R I E R B O U N D A R Y C O N D I T I O N I N T H E D A RC Y ’S L AW I N T E R F A C E
The Thin Barrier boundary condition defines a permeable wall on an interior
boundary.
New Models in Version 5.3
N E W TU T O R I A L M O D E L S I N H I G H M A C H N U M B E R F L OW
• Euler Bump 3D
• Expansion Fan
• Supersonic Ejector
EULER-EULER MODEL, LAMINAR FLOW

The results from models using the Euler-Euler Model, Laminar Flow interface may
differ in version 5.2a due to the more general formulation for the viscous stress in the
momentum equation for the dispersed phase. The behavior in the old formulation may

be reproduced by dividing the dispersed phase viscosity, μD, by the variable
ee.phidPos.
TR A N S P O R T O F C O N C E N T R A T E D S P E C I E S
INLET FEATURE
The old inlet features still exist, but have been excluded from the physics context
menu. Old models retain old Inlet features, but adding a new Inlet feature comes with
the new functionality. Old Model Java® files create Inlet features of the old types. The
Normal stress condition can still be prescribed on inlets using an Open Boundary or a
Boundary Stress feature.
N E W N A M E S F O R M A S S TR A N S P O R T I N T E R F A C E S
Running Model Java® files from previous versions may fail due to the new default
names in the Transport of Diluted Species and Transport of Concentrated Species
interfaces. This can be avoided by adding a command that specifies the identifier in
accordance with the Name of the interface. For example, when creating a Transport of
Concentrated Species interface using the old name (chcs):
model.physics().create("chcs", "ConcentratedSpecies", "geom1",

new String[][]{{"wO2", "wH2O", "wN2"}});
Add the following line to specify the identifier accordingly:
model.physics("chcs").identifier("chcs");
WALL DIST ANCE EQUATION

The old Continuity node is still included in the interface but is excluded from the
feature list. Hence, old models retain their old Continuity node when opened in
version 5.2a and old Model Java®files are fully backward compatible.

ee.phidPos.
CFD MODULE | 45
B U B B L E - I N D U C E D TU R B U L E N C E I N B U B B L Y F L OW
Equation terms accounting for bubble-induced turbulence in the Turbulent Bubbly
Flow interface are now added correctly. As a result, models with Turbulent Bubbly
Flow now show higher levels of turbulence.

ee.phidPos.
MIXTURE MODEL EQUATION FORMULATION

The Mixture Model equation formulation has been revised to increase the accuracy
and facilitate the solution of a number of problem setups. As a consequence of the
revision, old models can return slightly different results in the new version than they
did in previous versions. As part of the revision, a penalty diffusion on the dispersed
phase has been deactivated, because after the other revisions, it made the equation
system too nonlinear and therefore more difficult to converge. However, you can still
activate the penalty diffusion in the Advanced section of the Mixture Model physics
interface settings.

ee.phidPos.

FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION
The Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) multiphysics interface has been updated. The
separate vWall field is no longer required and has been removed. FSI models from 4.3
and earlier versions that include Time Dependent study steps will be affected in the
following ways:
• Model files for Java® will fail. Any reference to the vWall field must be removed.
• Models older than 4.3 (that is, 4.2a and older) must clear their time-dependent
solutions when opened in 5.2a. An alternative procedure is to:
- Open the model in version 4.3.
- Right-click any study with a time-dependent study step and select

U pdate Solution.
- Save the model.

- Open the model in version 5.2a.
FSI models with only stationary study steps will not be affected. Note that vWall will
still be available as a variable. Hence, references to fsi.vWall made in, for example,
another physics interface still work.
BRINKMAN EQUATIONS AND FREE AND POROUS MEDIA FLOW

The momentum equations in the Brinkman Equations interface and the Free and
Porous Media Flow interface have been corrected. The term −Qbr·u/εp2 in the
right-hand side previously lacked the factor 1/εp2, where εp is the porosity.
REACTING FLOW INTERFACE NAME CHANGE

The Reacting Flow interfaces have been renamed Reacting Flow in Porous Media. If
you open a model using either the Reacting Flow, Diluted Species or the Reacting
Flow, Concentrated Species interface, the interface is renamed Reacting Flow in
Porous Media.
WE A K CO NS TRA IN TS UPDATE F OR FL UID F LOW IN TER FA CES

The weak constraint formulations for the following boundary conditions in the
following interfaces have been updated:
CFD MODULE | 47
Laminar Flow and Creeping Flow
• Symmetry
• The Slip boundary condition in the Wall feature
Turbulent Flow, k- ε and Turbulent Flow, k- ω

• Symmetry
• The Wall functions boundary condition in the Wall feature
• The Moving Wall (wall functions) boundary condition in the Wall feature
Turbulent Flow, low-Re k- ε and Turbulent Flow, Spalart-Allmaras

• Symmetry
• The Slip option in the Wall feature
Rotating Machinery
• Symmetry
• The Wall Functions boundary condition in the Wall feature (turbulent flow only)
• The Moving Wall (wall functions) boundary condition in the Wall feature (turbulent
flow only)
• Rotating Wall (turbulent flow only)
Bubbly Flow
• Symmetry
• The Slip boundary condition for the liquid phase in the Wall feature
• The Wall Functions boundary condition for the liquid phase in the Wall feature
(turbulent flow only)
Mixture Model
• Symmetry
• The Slip boundary condition for the mixture in the Wall feature
• The Wall Functions boundary condition for the mixture in the Wall feature
(turbulent flow only)
Euler-Euler Model, Laminar Flow

• Symmetry
• The Slip boundary condition for either phase in the Wall feature
• The Slip boundary condition for either phase in the Inlet feature

Brinkman Equations and Free and Porous Media Flow
• Symmetry
Two-Phase Flow, Level Set

• Symmetry
• The Wetted Wall boundary condition in the Wall feature
• The Moving Wetted Wall boundary condition in the Wall feature
• The Wall Functions boundary condition in the Wall feature (turbulent flow only)
flow only)
Two-Phase Flow, Phase Field

• Symmetry
• The Wall function boundary condition in the Wall feature (turbulent flow only)
flow only)
Nonisothermal Flow and Conjugate Heat Transfer

• Symmetry
• The Wall Functions boundary condition in the Wall feature (turbulent flow k-ε and
turbulent flow k-ω only)
flow k-ε and turbulent flow k-ω only)
High Mach Number Flow

• Symmetry
• The Wall Functions boundary condition in the Wall feature (turbulent flow k-ε only)
flow k-ε only)
CFD MODULE | 49
These boundary conditions are now formulated using the same set of Lagrange
multipliers as all of the other boundary conditions for the dependent velocity variables.
The previously used Lagrange multiplier un_lm has been removed.
When you open models saved in version 4.3, they include un_lm until the model is
re-solved. In some cases, occurrences of un_lm in the solver sequence must be replaced
manually. This is the case if un_lm was the only Lagrange multiplier component in a
segregated group or the only Lagrange multiplier component of a Vanka smoother.
Alternatively, you can generate a new automatic solver sequence. Models saved in
versions prior to version 4.3 must either be re-solved in version 5.2a for
postprocessing, or opened and re-saved in version 4.3 before being opened in version
5.2a.
Weak constraints for the Interior Wall feature are no longer available.
R E V I S I O N O F T H E TU R B U L E N C E M O D E L S
The formulations of some variables in the turbulence models have been revised in
order to improve accuracy. Models using a turbulence model can display a different
convergence behavior in version 5.2a than in version 4.3 and the results can differ
slightly between the versions.

differ in between versions 4.3 and 5.2a due to the more general formulation for the
viscous stress in the momentum equation for the dispersed phase. The behavior in the
old formulation may be reproduced by dividing the dispersed phase viscosity, μD, by
the variable ee.phidPos.

Chemical Reaction Engineering
Module
NEW REACTING FLOW IN POROUS MEDIA MULTIPHYSICS INTERFACES

New Reacting Flow in Porous Media multiphysics interfaces, replacing the previous
versions, are available in the Model Wizard. Selecting a Reacting Flow in Porous Media
interface, under the Chemical Species Transport branch, the Brinkman Equations
interface together with either the Transport of Diluted Species interface, or the
Transport of Concentrated Species interface, are added to the Model Builder. In
addition, a multiphysics coupling feature is added under the Multiphysics node. The
coupling feature predefines and controls the couplings between the separate interfaces.
A Flow Coupling feature is used with the Transport of Diluted, while a Reacting Flow
feature is used with the Transport of Concentrated Species interface. Opening an
application from an earlier version, the previous Reacting Flow in Porous Media
interfaces are used.
N E W TR A N S P O R T I N D I L U T E D S P E C I E S I N F R A C T U RE S I N T E R F A C E
The new Transport in Diluted Species in Fractures interface is used to model mass
transport along thin fractures occurring in solid or porous media. The interface is
defined and solved on boundaries in the model geometry, assuming that the fracture
thickness is very small compared to its other dimensions.
ADDITIONAL NEW FUNCTIONALITY

• New Fracture boundary feature in the Transport of Diluted Species interface when
mass transfer in porous media is active. The Fracture feature is used to model mass
transport along thin fractures in solid or porous media. It contains the same
functionality as the Transport in Diluted Species in Fractures interface. By using this
feature, the fast transport along thin fractures can be studied at the same time as the
slower transport in adjacent solid or porous domains.
• The Creeping Flow interface is now available with a license for the Chemical
Reaction Engineering Module. Correspondingly, the Neglect inertial term (Stokes
flow) option is available in the Single-Phase Flow interface.
CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING MODULE | 51

• The Nernst-Planck-Poisson Equations interface is now available with the Chemical
Reaction Engineering Module.
• A New Electrophoretic Transport interface, and a new Zone Electrophoresis tutorial
using that new physics interface.
• Migration in electric field is now supported by the Porous Media Transport Properties
feature in the Transport of Diluted Species and Transport of Diluted Species in
Porous Media interfaces.
• New mass transfer in porous media interface setting. The following interfaces now
have a Mass transfer in porous media check box available in the Transport Mechanisms
section (shown when selecting the interface):
- Transport of Diluted Species
- Transport of Diluted Species in Porous Media
- Transport of Concentrated Species
The Mass transport in porous media check box activates functionality specific to
species transport in porous media. Selecting it, the Dispersion in porous media and
Volatilization in partially saturated porous media check boxes are enabled. The
following features are also enabled when selecting the Mass transport in porous
media check box: Adsorption, Fracture, Partially Saturated Porous Media, Porous
Electrode Coupling, Porous Media Transport Properties, and Reactive Pellet Bed.
• New Adsorption subfeature. The adsorption functionality available in the Transport
of Diluted Species and Transport of Diluted Species in Porous Media interfaces has
been moved to a new Adsorption subnode. This subnode can be added to the Porous
Media Transport Properties, Partially Saturated Porous Media, and Fracture features.
The functionality was previously available directly in the Porous Media Transport
Properties and the Partially Saturated Porous Media features.
Backward Compatibility with Version 5.0 and Earlier
REACTION ENGINEERING AND CHEMISTRY INTERFACES

The API syntax for creating surface species has changed. Running Java® files from
previous versions may fail due to the new default name indexes, including ads for
surface species and s for solids in the Reaction Engineering and Chemistry interfaces.

The surface species names and solid species names need to be changed accordingly in
any Java® code:
• Change any species index (s) to (ads)

• Change any species index (S) to (s)
The following shows an example of the needed code change:
Version 5.0 and earlier:

model.physics("re").feature("rch1").set("formula", "A+B(S)=>C+D(s)");
model.physics("re").feature("spec1").set("specName", "As(s)");
model.physics("chem").feature("rch1").set("formula", "A+B(S)=>C+D(s)");
model.physics("chem").feature("spec1").set("specName", "As(s)");
Change this to
Version 5.2 and later:

model.physics("re").feature("rch1").set("formula", "A+B(s)=>C+D(ads)");
model.physics("re").feature("spec1").set("specName", "As(ads)");
model.physics("chem").feature("rch1").set("formula", "A+B(s)=>C+D(ads)");
model.physics("chem").feature("spec1").set("specName", "As(ads)");
TR A N S P O R T O F C O N C E N T R A T E D S P E C I E S I N T E R F A C E
Updated Internal Variable Names

The internal variable names of vector and tensor components have changed in the
Transport of Concentrated Species interface. In most cases, users will not be affected
by this change. When opening a model file created in a previous version, the previous
variable definitions remain. However, when updating or recomputing the solution,
new variable names will be generated. This means that if any of these variable names
have been used in a user-defined expression or plot, they need to be updated manually
as described below.
In version 5.1, the spatial direction indicator string (x, xy, and so on) has been moved
to the end of the variable name. This applies to all vector and tensor variables generated
by the interface.
For example, the diffusive flux vector components have changed (in 5.0 and earlier)
from
tcs.dfluxx_w1, tcs.dfluxy_w1, tcs.dfluxz_w1
to (in 5.2 and later)
tcs.dflux_w1x, tcs.dflux_w1y, tcs.dflux_w1z

and the components of the diffusion tensor, defined by the Fick’s Law diffusion model,
have been changed (in 5.0 and earlier) from
tcs.Dfxx_w1, tcs.Dfxy_w1, tcs.Dfxz_w1, tcs.Dfyx_w1, ...
to (in 5.2 and later)
tcs.Df_w1xx, tcs.Df_w1xy, tcs.Df_w1xz, tcs.Df_w1yx, ...
Java ® API Syntax Changes

The API syntax for setting physics properties has been changed in the Transport of
Concentrated Species interface. Now the property name corresponds to the name of
the GUI section containing the property. In order to run Java® files from previous
versions, apply the syntax changes as given in the examples below:

model.physics("tcs").prop("DiffusionModel").setIndex("DiffusionModel",
"MaxwellStefan", 0);
"MixtureAveraged", 0);
"FicksLaw", 0);
model.physics("tcs").prop("Convection").setIndex("Convection", "0", 0);
model.physics("tcs").prop("Migration").setIndex("Migration", "0", 0);
model.physics("tcs").prop("Regularization").setIndex("Regularization", "1",
0);
For version 5.2 and later, change this to:

model.physics("tcs").prop("TransportMechanism").set("DiffusionModel",
"MaxwellStefan");
"MixtureAveraged");
"FicksLaw");
model.physics("tcs").prop("TransportMechanism").set("Convection", false);
model.physics("tcs").prop("TransportMechanism").set("Migration", false);
model.physics("tcs").prop("AdvancedSettings").set("Regularization", "0");
Updated Internal Variable Names

The same pattern for vector and tensor variable name changes, as described in the
Transport of Concentrated Species Interface section above, holds true for the
Surface Reactions interface in version 5.2a.
Java ® API Syntax Changes

The API syntax for setting the diffusion tensor of surface species, the molar mass and
density of the bulk species, and initial values have been changed in the Surface
Reactions interface.
Setting Diffusion Tensor
The surface species name needs to be included in the first argument of the set method.
In order to run Model Java® files from previous versions, apply the syntax changes as
shown in the example below:

model.physics("sr").feature("sp1").set("D_0", new String[]{"Dcs1", "0", "0",
"0", "Dcs1", "0", "0", "0", "Dcs1"});
model.physics("sr").feature("sp1").set("D_1", new String[]{"Dcs2", "0", "0",
"0", "Dcs2", "0", "0", "0", "Dcs2"});

model.physics("sr").feature("sp1").set("D_cs1", new String[]{"Dcs1", "0",
"0", "0", "Dcs1", "0", "0", "0", "Dcs1"});
model.physics("sr").feature("sp1").set("D_cs2", new String[]{"Dcs2", "0",
"0", "0", "Dcs2", "0", "0", "0", "Dcs2"});
Setting Molar Mass and Density
The bulk species name needs to be included in the first argument of the setIndex
method. Apply the Java® API syntax changes as shown in the example below:

model.physics("sr").feature("sp1").set("M_0", "Mcb1");
model.physics("sr").feature("sp1").set("M_1", "Mcb2");
model.physics("sr").feature("sp1").set("rho_0", "rhocb1");
model.physics("sr").feature("sp1").set("rho_1", "rhocb2");

model.physics("sr").feature("sp1").setIndex("M_cb1", "Mcb1", 0);
model.physics("sr").feature("sp1").setIndex("M_cb2", "Mcb2", 0);
model.physics("sr").feature("sp1").setIndex("rho_cb1", "rhocb1", 0);

model.physics("sr").feature("sp1").setIndex("rho_cb2", "rhocb2", 0);
Setting Initial Values
Apply the Java® API syntax changes as shown in the example below:

model.physics("sr").feature("init1").set("cs1", "cs10");

model.physics("sr").feature("init1").set("cs2", "cs20");
model.physics("sr").feature("init1").set("cb1", "cb10");
model.physics("sr").feature("init1").set("cb2", "cb20");

model.physics("sr").feature("init1").setIndex("initcs", "cs10", 0);
model.physics("sr").feature("init1").setIndex("initcs", "cs20", 1);
model.physics("sr").feature("init1").setIndex("initcb", "cb10", 0);
model.physics("sr").feature("init1").setIndex("initcb", "cb20", 1);

Corrosion Module

• A new Current Distribution, Boundary Elements Interface. This interface replaces
the Current Distribution on Edges, BEM interface of prior versions. The Corrosion
Protection of Multiple Oil Platforms tutorial has been updated to use the new
interface.
• A new Current Distribution, Shell Interface. The Atmospheric Corrosion tutorial
has been updated to use the new interface.
• New Transport of Diluted Species in Fractures interface. See the release notes for
the Chemical Reaction Engineering Module for more information.
studies)
• New Thin Electrode Layer node.
• New Thin Electrolyte Layer node. This node replaces and extends the Thin Insulating
correction in the Tertiary Current Distribution, Nernst-Planck interface,
Lithium-Ion Battery, and Battery With Binary Electrolyte interfaces.
• New Fracture node in the Transport of Diluted Species in Porous Media Interface.
CORROSION MODULE | 57
• New tutorial models:
- The Atmospheric Corrosion of a Busbar model demonstrates a simulation of
atmospheric galvanic corrosion of a busbar.
- The Estimation of Corrosion Kinetics Parameters tutorial shows how to use the
Optimization interface to perform electrode kinetics parameter estimations based
on polarization data. This model requires the Optimization Module.

interface.
New and Updated Models in Version 5.2a
M O N O P I L E W I T H D I S S O L V I N G S A C R I F I C I A L A N O D E S TU T O R I A L
The new Monopile tutorial demonstrates how the Sacrificial Edge Anode node can be
used in cathodic protection simulations.
UPDATED MODELS
• The Cathodic Protection of Steel in Reinforced Concrete model has been updated
to use the new Primary Condition (Thermodynamic Equilibrium) electrode
kinetics.
• The Diffuse Double Layer model has been updated to use the new
Nernst-Planck-Poisson Equations multiphysics interface.
Backward Compatibility with Earlier Versions


ECAD Import Module
The new tutorial Importing And Meshing of a PCB Geometry from an ODB++
Archive has been added to demonstrate how to import data from an ODB++ archive
to generate a geometry of a printed circuit board (PCB). The instructions detail how
to find and remove small details from the geometry, how to create a mesh, and how to
use automatically generated selections to define physics and mesh settings.

• The default value for the sellayer property of the Import function is now on.
Previously, the default was off.
• The default value for the sellayershow property of the Import function is now
all. Previously, the default was dom.

• The default value for the grouping property of the Import function is now layer.
Previously, the default was all.
• For ODB++® and ODB++(X) files (the type property is odb), new rules apply for
the initialization of the importlayer property of the Import function. Now, only
layers of the types Metal and Dielectric are initialized with the string on in the
importlayer string array. Previously, this also included layers of the type Drill.
ECAD IMPORT MODULE | 59

Electrochemistry Module
• A New Electrophoretic Transport interface, and a new Zone Electrophoresis tutorial

using that new physics interface.
studies)
Nernst-Planck Interface. The updated Electrodialysis tutorial uses the new node.
• A new Isoelectric Separation tutorial model, using the Electrophoretic Transport
and Laminar Flow interfaces to model isoelectric separation in a free flow
electrophoresis device.
correction in the Tertiary Current Distribution, Nernst-Planck interface.

interface.


ELECTROCHEMISTRY MODULE | 61
Electrodeposition Module

• A new Current Distribution, Boundary Elements Interface. This interface replaces
the Current Distribution on Edges, BEM interface of prior versions.
studies)
correction in the Tertiary Current Distribution, Nernst-Planck interface.
For users with licenses for both the Electrodeposition Module and the Batteries & Fuel
Cells Module: The Nondeforming Boundary and Deforming Electrode Surface
multiphysics features now support couplings to the Electrode Surface node in the
Lithium-Ion Battery and Battery with Binary Electrolyte interfaces.

interface.


ELECTRODEPOSITION MODULE | 63
Fatigue Module
VIBRATION FATIGUE
Vibration Fatigue is a new type of fatigue damage evaluation in the Fatigue interface
based on a frequency domain analysis containing results for a number of frequencies.
It can for example be used for predicting the results from the common type of
experiment where a structure is subjected to an excitation with increasing frequency,
sometimes called a sine sweep. The following types of descriptions are available:
• A certain time spent at each frequency

• A certain number of cycles spent at each frequency
• Linearly increasing frequency
• Logarithmically increasing frequency
VISCOPLASTIC STRAINS
In the fatigue criteria based on inelastic strains, it is now possible to select also
viscoplastic strains. This is an effect of the fact that a clear distinction between creep
strains and viscoplastic strains has been introduced in the Nonlinear Structural
Materials Module.
The same is true for energy based criteria, where there is now a distinction between
energy dissipated by creep and by viscoplasticity.
This will affect existing applications with fatigue evaluation based on the Anand
viscoplastic material model. Previously the strains from this material model were
referred to as creep strains. The conversion is automatic when opening an .mph file
from a previous version.
When using the API, however, you will need to replace expressions like
model.physics("ftg").feature("elif1").set("strainTypeCM", "Creep")
by
model.physics("ftg").feature("elif1").set("strainTypeCM",
"Viscoplasticity")
This also applies to energy based criteria, where for example

model.physics("ftg").feature("ener1").set("ftgEnerType", "Creep")
should be replaced by
model.physics("ftg").feature("ener1").set("ftgEnerType",
"Viscoplasticity")
FATIGUE MODULE | 65
Geomechanics Module
HARDENING OF ELLIPTIC CAP

The Mohr-Coulomb and Drucker-Prager models for soil plasticity have been extended
by a nonlinear hardening model for the optional elliptic cap of the yield surface.
EXTERNAL STRAIN FOR NONLINEAR ELASTIC MATERIAL

You can now add an External Strain node to the Nonlinear Elastic Material. This makes
it possible to add inelastic strain contributions to the material in several ways:
• Explicit entry of strain tensor, deformation gradient or its inverse, or stretches.

• Incorporation of strain tensor, deformation gradient, or its inverse, announced from
other physics interfaces.
• Compute inelastic strain contribution using a user-coded external function.
A S S O C I A T E D F L OW R U L E F O R TRE S C A Y I E L D F U N C T I O N
An associated flow rule has been added to the Tresca yield function in Plasticity. As
before, the default flow rule is based on using the von Mises yield surface as plastic
potential.
SC OPE CHANGE OF PLA ST IC I TY VAR IA BL ES

As an effect of the addition of new plastic and viscoplastic material models, several
variables in the existing plasticity models have been moved from having “physics
scope” to having “feature scope” in order to resolve possible conflicts. As an example
the variable previously called solid.Fyield will now have a scope similar to
solid.lemm1.soil1.Fyield.
In most cases, the old physics scope variables can still be accessed, so you should not
experience any backward compatibility problems, even if you have used such variables
in your own expressions.

He a t T r a ns f e r Mod u l e
New and Improved Functionality in Version 5.3
H E A T A N D M O I S T U RE TR A N S P O R T
A set of new interfaces and features is available for modeling coupled heat and moisture
transport in air and building materials. They complete the features already available in
Version 5.2a for the modeling of heat and moisture transport in building materials, and
allow you to create models where the air and building material domains are
automatically coupled.
Moisture transport by convection and diffusion in air is handled by the new Moisture
Transport in Air interface, which adds the Moist Air node as default model. You can
account for the turbulent mixing caused by eddy diffusivity in turbulent moisture
convection by adding the Turbulent Mixing subfeature under the Moist Air node. The
Moist Surface and Wet Surface boundary conditions provide modeling of evaporation
and condensation on boundaries. Finally, this new version of the Moisture Transport
interface benefits from all the functionalities already available for moisture transport in
building materials in Version 5.2a (Building Material, Moisture Source, Moisture Content,
and so on).
The new Moist Air version of the Heat and Moisture Transport interface is found (along
with the Building Materials version) under the new Heat and Moisture Transport group
in the Heat Transfer branch in the model wizard. It adds the Heat Transfer in Moist Air
interface, the Moisture Transport in Air interface, and the Heat and Moisture
multiphysics node.
The Heat Transfer in Moist Air interface is a new version of the Heat Transfer
interface, only available with the Moist Air version of the Heat and Moisture Transport
interface, and having the new Moist Air domain feature as default model.
The new Moist Air domain feature of Heat Transfer interface corresponds to a preset
version of the Fluid feature, with Fluid type set to Moist air. With the predefined
multiphysics interface, the default Input quantity is set to Relative humidity, and the
required inputs are taken from the multiphysics coupling node.
H E A T TR A N S F E R M O D U L E | 67
Finally, the following improvements have been added to the Moisture Transport
interfaces:
• New default solver settings have been defined to improve convergence in study steps
solving for the Moisture Transport interface: the default BDF order is now 2 in Time
Stepping section; the Number of iterations in the Method and Termination section has
been increased to 2 for the segregated step containing the relative humidity; and the
default tolerance has been set to 1e-4. These last two new settings improve the
quality of the solution.
• The Thin Moisture Barrier feature has been modified to be in better accordance with
the material properties available for thin building materials. The default option
models a vapor diffusion barrier, for which three alternative sets of material
properties can be specified, depending on availability. The second option still allows
to set a user-defined value for the Moisture Transfer Coefficient.
H E A T TR A N S F E R I N T H E F RE Q U E N C Y D O M A I N
The Heat Transfer interfaces now support the Frequency-Domain Perturbation solver,
which computes the harmonic temperature variations around an equilibrium state. The
predefined Thermal perturbation, Frequency domain solver sequence first solves a
Stationary study step to find the equilibrium state and then reuses that solution as a
starting point for the second Frequency-Domain Perturbation step.
A new Harmonic perturbation subfeature can be added under the temperature

boundary conditions (Temperature, External Temperature). Harmonic perturbation can
also be applied on heat source features (Heat Source, Boundary Heat Source, Layer Heat
Source, Line Heat Source, Line Heat Source on Axis, Point Heat Source).
The Frequency to Time FFT and Time to Frequency FFT study steps have been made
available to perform inverse and forward FFT between time and frequency domains.
NEW GEOMETRY PARTS FOR HEAT SINKS

New geometry parts have been added for the definition of heat sinks. They contain
different parameterized geometries for heat sinks with pin fins, straight fins, or pin fins
with dissimilar dimensions on the borders, that make it possible to easily include a heat
sink in any 3D model.
NEW BUILDING AND REFRIGERANT MATERIALS

A new Building material database is available. It provides hygroscopic and thermal
properties of 12 materials commonly used in buildings: cellular concrete, wood (pine),
gypsum board, glass wool board, cellulose board, glass wool batt, cellulose batt,

cellulose (loose), lime silica brick, plastic coated paper, expanded polystyrene board
(EPS), and extruded polystyrene board (XPS).
In particular, the hygroscopic properties (moisture diffusivity, water content, vapor

resistance factor, and vapor permeability) needed by the domain and boundary features
of the Moisture Interface are given.
Two new refrigerant materials have been added in the Liquid and Gases material
database: R-134A (C2H2F4) and R-22 (CHClF2). Their thermal properties are
given.
I R R EVE R S I B L E TR A N S F O R M A T I O N I N S O L I D S
The Irreversible Transformation attribute node is now available under the Solid domain
node. It should be used to model thermally-induced irreversible transformations in
solids. The Temperature threshold model evaluates the transformation from the time
spent over (for Overheating analysis) or below (for Overcooling analysis) a given
temperature. The Energy absorption model is based on Arrhenius equation.
The heat source or sink due to enthalpy change during the transformation is accounted
for in the energy balance. Finally, you can define different thermal properties for the
transformed state; in this case, the material thermal properties are dependent of the
material damage indicator.
When this attribute is active, the segregated solver attribute is set by default, and the
group containing the irreversible transformation indicator is solved by a Jacobi iterative
method.
S E RE N D I P I T Y S H A P E F U N C T I O N S F O R TE M P E R A T U R E
The temperature dependent variable in Heat Transfer and Heat Transfer in Thin
Structures interfaces, which was always of Lagrange type, can now be of serendipity
type. This is reflected in the following new choices in the Discretization section of the
physics interface node: Quadratic serendipity, Cubic serendipity, and Quartic serendipity.
For highly distorted elements, Lagrange shape functions provide better accuracy than
serendipity shape functions of the same order. The serendipity shape functions will,
however, give significant reductions of the model size for a given mesh containing
hexahedral, prism, or quadrilateral elements. At first order, Lagrange and serendipity
shape functions are the same.
The shape functions for TextFace and Txdim in the Thin Layer feature, and TWall_u
and TWall_d in the Nonisothermal Flow multiphysics coupling feature also follow the
temperature shape function type, in particular if a serendipity option is chosen.
SYMMETRY FOR SURFACE-TO-SURFACE RADIATION EXTENDED
CAPABILITIES
The Symmetry for Surface-to-Surface Radiation global feature has new options available
to take advantage of multiple plane symmetries for 2D and 3D models. You should use
these options to reduce the mesh size, for a more efficient computation of the view
factor. In 2D models, the Two perpendicular planes of symmetry option is available. In
3D, either the Two perpendicular planes of symmetry option (planes with intersection
parallel to one of the axis), or the Two perpendicular planes of symmetry option (planes
parallel to the axis), can be defined.
In addition, you can visualize the plane(s) of symmetry in the Graphics window along
with the geometry. This is meant to ease the user experience when defining the
plane(s), and it applies to the options Plane of symmetry (2D, 2D-axi, and 3D models),
Two perpendicular planes of symmetry (2D and 3D models), and Three perpendicular
planes of symmetry (3D models). A check box is available to show/hide the planes in
the Graphics window.
IMPROVED FUNCTIONALITY FOR CONVECTIVE HEAT FLUX MODELING

In the Heat Flux boundary condition, the Convective heat flux option has now two new
heat transfer coefficient correlations for External forced convection: Cylinder in cross flow
and Sphere. Such a heat transfer coefficient can be used to reduce the simulation cost
when the model configuration corresponds to one of the predefined correlations. In
that case, the flow computation and the heat convection in the fluid are replaced by a
heat flux boundary condition on the solid boundaries using the corresponding
predefined correlation. For the Cylinder in cross flow correlation, the cylinder axis is
supposed to be perpendicular to the flow direction.
In addition, sketches and more detailed equations have been added in the user
interface for all the correlations used for the Convective heat flux option. The images
appear in a new Sketch section, collapsed by default, showing the geometry along with
the input parameters used in each correlation.
DIFFUSE AND DIRECT SOLAR RADIATION IN SURFACE-TO-SURFACE

RADIATION MODELS
A new option is available in the Diffuse Surface and Diffuse Mirror features to account for
diffuse solar irradiation in surface-to-surface radiation modeling. This contribution
corresponds to solar radiation scattered by the atmosphere. It is added to the direct
solar irradiation (sun rays directly striking the surfaces) defined by the External
Radiation Source feature. The Clear sky noon diffuse horizontal irradiance, defined in the
Ambient Settings section of the physics interface, can be used as input.

A U T O M A T I C TE M P E R A T U R E D I F F E RE N C E W H E N E VA L U A T I N G T H E
EQUIVALENT CONDUCTIVITY FOR CONVECTION
In the Fluid feature of the Heat Transfer interface, the Equivalent Conductivity for
Convection section provides a new Automatic option for evaluating the Temperature
difference in the Rayleigh number, when choosing correlations for Horizontal cavity
heated from below and Vertical rectangular cavity. The temperature difference is then
determined by finding the difference between the maximum and minimum
temperature of the domain boundaries.
T I M E - D E P E N D E N T E N E RG Y S T O R A G E TE R M I N T H E R M A L L Y T H I C K
LAYER
The Thermally thick approximation option in the Thin Layer feature now accounts for a
time-dependent term modeling the energy storage over time. This term requires the
material density and the heat capacity at constant pressure as inputs in the new
Thermodynamics section in the feature user interface. For time-dependent models
modeling a thermally thick layer by a boundary, such an energy storage term improves
the accuracy of the temperature profile compared to modeling the thin layer by a full
geometrical domain.
THIN FILM AND THIN LAYERED SHELL EXTENDED CAPABILITIES

In the Heat Transfer and Heat Transfer in Thin Shells interfaces, a new subfeature
External Temperature is available under Thin Film node, when Thin film model is set to
General. When used in Heat Transfer in Thin Shells interface, you can specify the
Downside and Upside temperatures.
In Heat Transfer in Thin Shells interfaces, the Thin Layered Shell node has two new
subfeatures: External Temperature, to define the temperature on the downside and/or
upside of a thin layered shell, and Heat Source, to add an internal heat source within
each layer of a thin layered shell.
IMPROVED AMBIENT DATA FUNCTIONALITY

In the External Radiation Source global feature, the user interface (Location, Date, and
Local time) has been synchronized with the Ambient Settings functionality, when
Ambient data is set to Meteorological data (ASHRAE 2013).
Additionally, the ambient temperature has been added as a feature input in the
Isothermal Domain feature, when Temperature definition is set to From prescribed
temperature.
Finally, all the ambient data variables (ht.Is_amb, ht.Ish_amb, ht.Isn_amb,
ht.T_amb, ht.p_amb, ht.phi_amb, ht.v_amb, and ht.xvap_amb) are now available
as global variables and can be used in a Global Evaluation for postprocessing.
IMPROVED BIOLOGICAL TISSUE FUNCTIONALITY WITH DAMAGE

INTEGRAL ANALYSIS
In the Damaged Tissue section of the Biological Tissue node, it is now possible to account
for the enthalpy change due to the damage. Depending on damage integral model,
new fields for enthalpy change are added in the user interface, and the new variable
ht.Qdmg contains the damage heat source.
When the Biological Tissue node is active with the Include damage integral analysis check
box selected, the damage indicator is solved by an iterative Jacobi method by default.
N EW ON E- WAY CO UPLE D ST UD IE S F OR NO NI SO TH E RMAL FLOW

MODELING
Two new predefined studies are available with all the versions of the Nonisothermal Flow
and Conjugate Heat Transfer interfaces: Stationary, One-Way Coupled, NITF and Time
Dependent, One-Way Coupled, NITF.
These studies contain two steps (Stationary or Time Dependent), one solving for the
fluid flow interface, and one solving for the heat transfer interface.
While multiphysics stabilizations (streamline and crosswind diffusion) are available for
the fully-coupled studies, the stabilization of each solved physics is used instead when
one of the physics interfaces or the multiphysics coupling is not solved in a study step,
and the solver suggestions are uncoupled.
FEATURES AND OPTIONS NAME CHANGE

• Moisture Transport interface is renamed Moisture Transport in Building Materials.
• Porous Medium node in Moisture Transport interface is renamed Building material.
• Non-Isothermal Flow interface and feature are renamed Nonisothermal Flow.
• Inward heat flux option is renamed Convective heat flux in Line Heat Flux feature.
MISCELLANEOUS
• New predefined variables are available with the Heat Transfer in Thin Shells
interface for the control of fluxes on boundaries where this physics interface is active.
You can plot the (vectorial) variables htsh.tflux, htsh.dflux, htsh.cflux, and
htsh.teflux to control the total heat flux, conductive heat flux, convective heat
flux, and total energy flux on the boundaries. In addition, the (scalar) variables

htsh.ttflux, htsh.tdflux, htsh.tcflux, and htsh.tteflux contain the
corresponding in-plane fluxes.
• A new predefined variable ht.c_ref has been added when the Fluid feature is active
with Fluid type set to Moist air and Input quantity set to Relative humidity, to control
the concentration corresponding to the other reference variables set in the user
interface (temperature, pressure, and relative humidity).
• For turbulent flows, a clarification has been done for boundary temperature
definitions. Side temperatures (Tu and Td), wall temperatures (TWall_u and
TWall_d), and temperatures of the fluid in the turbulent boundary layer (TuWF and
TdWF) are defined.
• When the Local Thermal Non-Equilibrium coupling node is active, a new plot showing
the average temperature ltne1.T is available in the default plots.
• The Mass flow option is now available in the Inlet feature with the Heat Transfer
Module.
• A new option has been added in Isothermal Domain Interface feature to control the
Interface Opacity when Surface-to-surface radiation is enabled. In addition, the
variables Tu, Td, and TextFace have been added on boundaries, along with variables
for heat balance control.
• When the Equivalent Conductivity for Convection functionality is used in the Fluid
feature, the correlation used for the Nusselt number definition has been added to
the Equation section for clarity.
• The handling of different discretization orders for the temperature and the damaged
tissue indicator variables when Biological Tissue feature is active has been improved
when a multigrid solver is used.
• The default Discretization for temperature has been set to Linear in the Heat Transfer
in Fractures interface.
• The stabilization has been improved for the features Thin Film (with Thin film model
set as General) and Thin Layered Shell. In addition, heat balance has been improved
in Thin Film feature.
• In the External Radiation Source feature, when the Wavelength dependence of
emissivity is Solar and ambient or Multiple spectral bands, and Source position is Infinite
distance, the Source heat flux feature input has been added in the user interface.
• The definition of the layer thickness variable has been fixed in Thin Layer node when
Layer type is set to Thermally thick approximation or General.
• The assembly block size has been changed to 100 when the Diffuse Surface feature is
active, with the Include surface-to-surface radiation check box selected.
New Application in Version 5.3
ELECTRONIC CHIP COOLING

A new tutorial, Electronic Chip Cooling, uses a heat sink geometry that is defined from
the new Heat Transfer Module section part library. This tutorial model shows different
heat transfer modeling approaches to study the cooling of an electronic chip. In the
first part, only the solid parts are modeled, and the air flow cooling is modeled using
convective heat flux boundary conditions. Then, the model is extended to include a
fluid domain for the flow channel to compute the temperature and the velocity of the
fluid. In the last part, surface-to-surface radiation is considered to compare the results
with and without surface-to-surface radiation.
Updated Applications in Version 5.3
E VAP O R ATI VE C OO LI N G OF WATE R

The Evaporative Cooling of Water application has been updated to take advantage of
the new Moist Air version of the Heat and Moisture Transport interface. In this tutorial,
a beaker filled with water is surrounded by an air domain. The airflow transports the
water vapor which causes the liquid to cool down. The computation of the amount of
water that is evaporated from the beaker into the air uses in particular the Moist Air
domain node of the Moisture Transport interface with a Turbulent Mixing subnode and
the Wet Surface boundary node.
In addition, the size of the air domain has been increased such that further increasing
the domain would have no noticeable effect on the flow field around the beaker.
GEOMETRY UPDATE IN APPLICATIONS

The following applications have been updated to use geometry sequences: Free
Convection in a Light Bulb, Condensation Detection in an Electronic Device,
Shell-and -Tube Heat Exchanger, Power Transistor, Heat Sink, Microwave Heating of
a Cancer Tumor, Heat Transfer in a Surface-Mount Package for a Silicon Chip, and
Glazing Influence on Thermal Performances of a Window.
In all these applications, the Insert Sequence functionality under Geometry node has
been used to import the geometry defined in a separated MPH-file. With this process,
the geometry stay editable when imported in the application.

MISCELLANEOUS
• The Thin Layer feature has been removed from the Heat Sink tutorial as it did not
have any thermally relevant effect.
• The Marangoni Effect tutorial now uses an auxiliary sweep for better performance.
• The Thermal Annealing tutorial now uses a symmetry plane for surface-to-surface
radiation.
• Several applications have been updated to use the new algebraic multigrid solver set
as the default solver for fluid flow.

The obsolete features Convective Heat Flux and Out-of-plane Convective Heat Flux are
removed in Version 5.3. These were marked as obsolete with a warning message since
Version 5.0. These features will be removed from your model when opening in Version
5.3. Use instead the corresponding Heat flux and Out-of-Plane Heat Flux features, with
the option Convective heat flux. The variables ht.chflux, ht.chflux_u,
ht.chflux_d, and ht.chflux_z defined by these features have been also removed
from equation view and post-processing variables menu.
The new default option in Thin Moisture Barrier feature is Vapor barrier material
properties, and the Moisture barrier material properties option has been removed. When
loading a MPH file that was created before version 5.3 this latter option will be cleared,
and the corresponding user inputs used to define the Moisture transfer coefficient
directly. However, for the API, it will be necessary to update the code with an existing
option name.
In the Equivalent Conductivity for Convection section of the Fluid node, the new
Automatic option for Temperature difference has become the default option. When
loading a MPH file that was created before version 5.3, the User defined option will be
set automatically with the previous value. However, for the API, it will be necessary to
update the code to set the User Defined option.

Several enhancements or bug fixes may require an update of the existing applications
or induce a change in the results. Here is the list of the changes:
• When Solar position is selected in External Radiation Source, the new option Update
time from solver is selected by default. When loading an MPH file that was created
before version 5.2a this option will be cleared. However, for the API, for
time-dependent studies, it will be necessary to update the code to get the same
behavior as in previous versions. In most cases, removing the t term in the Second
field is the best option. Alternatively, clearing the Update time from solver option will
ensure that the same behavior as before is obtained.
• The crosswind stabilization of the heat transfer and fluid flow interfaces has been
updated. In general, the update reduces the smoothing induced by the stabilization
compared to previous version. In addition, when you use the Nonisothermal Flow
multiphysics coupling and the fluid is defined as incompressible, the uncoupled
versions of the streamlines and crosswind stabilization are used.
• Since Pair Thin Film and Pair Fracture are now pair features, their selection needs to
be redefined.
• The definition of the ht.feature.fc(RH.T,pA) function when Moist air fluid type
is used in Fluid feature has been corrected. This change can affect the results in
simulations where it is used.
• The frame support has been enhanced to support moving mesh combined with
deformed geometry in the same component.
• The Prescribed Radiosity feature has been updated so that it no longer ignores the
Temperature model input.
• In surface-to-surface boundary features, the ambient temperature definition has
been fixed when the Opacity Controlled and Defined ambient temperature on each side
options are used simultaneously.

CHANGES IN VAR IABLE NAMES
The names of the heat capacity variables have changed in several features for
consistency:
• In the Bioheat feature, ht.cb has become ht.cp_b.

• In the Thin Layer feature, ht.cs has become ht.cp_s.
• In the Thin Rod feature, ht.cl has become ht.cp_l.
• In the Thin Layered Shell feature, htsh.cs1 has become htsh.cp_s1, and so on.
• In the Heat Transfer in Porous Media feature, ht.c_pp has become ht.cp_p,
ht.c_pp1 has become ht.cp_p1, and so on.

• In the Immobile Fluids feature, ht.c_pg1 has become ht.cp_g1, and so on.
• In the Fracture feature, ht.c_pfr has become ht.cp_fr.
The names of the thermal resistance and absolute thermal resistance variables have
changed in the Isothermal Domain Interface feature:
• ht.idi1.Rs has become ht.idi1.R_t

• ht.idi1.Rsth has become ht.idi1.R_tth
The name of the fluid viscosity variable has changed in the Local Thermal
Non-Equilibrium multiphysics coupling: ltne1.mu_f has become ltne1.mu.
OBSOLETE FEATURES
A number of features are now obsolete because they have been merged or replaced by
a more general features. However, when models from COMSOL 5.0 or before contain
these features, some of the obsolete features are visible in version 5.2a with a warning
sign notifying that the feature is now obsolete (see Table 1-1). Some features have
been completely removed (see Table 1-2). A model containing any of them can be
opened in 5.2a, but the feature will be missing.
Updating the models is recommended. Use the new feature and remove the obsolete
feature to make sure that the model will remain compatible with future versions of
COMSOL Multiphysics.
The table below summarizes the changes:

TABLE 1-1: OBSOLETE FEATURES THAT ARE OBSOLETE BUT THAN CAN BE LOADED IN 5.1
OBSOLETE FEATURE REPLACE IN 5.2A BY
Convective Heat Flux Heat Flux with the Convective heat flux option
selected
Surface-to-Ambient Radiation Diffuse Surface with Include surface-to-surface
radiation deselected
Surface-to-Surface Radiation Diffuse Surface with Include surface-to-surface
radiation selected
Highly Conductive Layer Thin Layer with Layer type set to Conductive
Thin Thermally Resistive Layer Thin Layer with Layer type set to Resistive
TABLE 1-2: OBSOLETE FEATURES THAT ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE
OBSOLETE FEATURE REPLACE IN 5.2A BY
Infinite Element Infinite Element is no longer defined in the

physic interface. Infinite elements are defined in
the Definitions section instead.
Electrochemical Heat flux Boundary Heat Source
Reaction Heat Flux Boundary Heat Source
Heat Transfer in Participating Heat Transfer in Solids contributing to
Media Radiation in Participating Media
Porous Matrix Heat Transfer in Porous Media
Note that it is not possible to add any of the obsolete features from the COMSOL
Desktop in version 5.2a. Only the new features are available.
OBS OLET E PO STPROC ES SING VAR IABLES DELETED IN 5.1

List of deleted postprocessing variables: ndflux_acc, ndflux_acc_u, ndflux_acc_d,
ntflux_acc, ntflux_acc_u, ntflux_acc_d, nteflux_acc, nteflux_acc_u,
nteflux_acc_d, qout, qout_u, qout_d, qin, qin_u, qin_d, qw, qw_u, and qw_d.
CHANGES IN VAR IABLE NAMES

The variable ht.Tvar, used for nonisothermal flow wall functions, becomes a fully
scoped variable in the following features:
• Heat Flux (ht.hf1.Tvar), Line Heat flux, Point Heat flux, and Out of plane heat flux.
• Heat Source (ht.hs1.Tvar), Boundary heat source, Line heat source, and Point heat
source.
• Diffuse Surface (ht.ds1.Tvar).
The fully scoped variables Ptot, Pbtot, Pltot, and Pstot become P0, Pb, Pl, and Ps,
respectively, in the following features:
• Heat Flux
• Inflow Heat Flux
• Line Heat Flux
• Heat Source
• Boundary Heat Source
• Line Heat Source
• Line Heat Source (Thin Rod subfeature)
• Line Heat Source on Axis
• Layer Heat Source (Thin Layer subfeature)

In the Thermal Contact feature:
• Qfric, QfricPow, and Qrate become Qb, Pb, and Qbpart, respectively
• Qfric0, Qrate0, Econtact0, hrad0, hgap0, and hconstr0 are removed and
migrated to existing variables Qb, Qbpart, Econtact, hrad, hgap, and hconstr,
respectively, in old models.
The Change Effective Thickness feature from the Heat Transfer in Thin Shells interface
merges htsh.de into the existing variable htsh.ds.
The Heat Transfer in Thin Shells interface also merges the property de and variable
htsh.de into existing property ds and variable htsh.ds. An API command such as
model.physics("htsh").prop("de").set("de", [...]) now does not have any
effect.
O U T - O F - P L A N E H E A T TR A N S F E R U P D A T E
The out-of-plane heat transfer property, which was available in 2D and 1D geometries,
has been removed as of COMSOL Multiphysics 5.0. Now, all geometries are
considered 3D geometries and thickness or area parameters are always available.
API Users
With the Overall heat transfer rate option (previously named Total power or Total heat
flux), the thickness parameters (dz_entr and Ac_input) have been removed for the
following features:
• Heat Source
• Heat Flux
• Boundary Heat Source
• Layer Heat Source
• Inflow Heat Flux
Compatibility with previous code is maintained for most of the cases. However, three
configurations require manual updates of the code:
• If you specified the thickness parameter twice (there were two instances of specifying
the parameter).
• If you first specified the thickness and in a second command the total power value.
• If you first specified the thickness and then activated the out-of-plane heat transfer
option.
For these 3 cases, you need to rewrite this part of the Java® code by doing the
following. For a heat source example (2D and 1D axisymmetric geometries):
Ptot_50 = Ptot_44_value*ht.d/dz_entr_44_value,
where Ptot_44_value is the total power value used in previous versions, Ptot_50 is
the total power value used since COMSOL Multiphysics 5.0, and dz_entr_44_value
is the value used in previous versions.
In 1D geometries, the following update should be performed: Ptot_50 =

Ptot_44_value*ht.d/Ac_input_44_value ,
where Ac_input_44_value is the value used in previous versions.
Flux Variables
The flux variables are always given in W/m² (also for 2D or 1D geometries). To obtain
the corresponding flux variables in W/m on a boundary in 2D, for example, the flux
variables have to be multiplied by the thickness ht.d.
The following variables have been updated following this convention:
• Conductive heat flux, ht.dflux

• Convective heat flux , ht.cflux
• Translational heat flux, ht.trlflux
• Total energy flux, ht.teflux
• Total heat flux, ht.tflux
• Boundary convective heat flux, ht.chflux
• Radiative heat flux, ht.rflux
All flux variables now have the following sign convention: positive heat flux
corresponds to heating, whereas negative heat flux corresponds to cooling. The
variables chflux and rflux may have opposite signs compared to previous versions,
depending on the context where they are defined.
INFLOW HEAT FLUX IS ONLY APPLICABLE ON NON-SOLID DOMAINS

The Inflow Heat Flux feature is no longer applicable on boundaries adjacent to the
following domain features: Heat Transfer in Solids, Biological Tissue, and Isothermal
Domain. This restriction avoids ill-posed configurations due to the null velocity field in

these features. This may change model results if this boundary condition was
previously applied to a boundary adjacent to a nonfluid domain.
H E A T TR A N S F E R W I T H P H A S E C H A N G E N OW U S E S A VO L U M E T R I C
FORMULATION
The variables ht.thetai now represent volume fractions (they were mass fractions
before). This implies changes in the definition of density and heat capacity at constant
pressure close to the phase change interface. Far from the phase change interface, the
density and heat capacity are unchanged.
INTERIOR FLUXES UPDATED

Because the interior flux variable definitions have been revised, models that use interior
fluxes in definitions, physics interfaces, or postprocessing show different results in
versions 5.0 and later than in earlier versions.
IMPROVED ENERGY BALANCE

Changes introduced in the equation formulation to enable better energy balance may
slightly modify the results.
Among the changes, the reference enthalpy, HRef, the value of which is defined up to
a constant, is now set to 0 J/kg at the reference temperature and pressure. This
changes the absolute values of the enthalpy and several variables based on it. In
particular, the value of the convective heat flux is changed. Even the sign may be
changed in some cases. However, the quantity of interest, the net convective heat flux,
is identical because the shift induced by the change of HRef applies for the enthalpy
definition at the inlet as well as at the outlet.
H E A T TR A N S F E R I N P O RO U S M E D I A
Old models using the Porous feature will be supported in the COMSOL Multiphysics
interface. However, it is recommended to replace this feature with Heat Transfer in
Porous Media (see Obsolete Features and Variables). For a model using the API,
it will be necessary to update the model to use Heat Transfer in Porous Media.
SURFACE-TO-SURFACE RADIATION
The surface radiosity, previously named J, is now named ht.J by default (assuming
that ht is the physics interface tag).
Models created using versions 4.3 and 4.3a that contain surface-to-surface radiation
support the old syntax in multiphysics interfaces. It is, however, recommended that
you update the models to use the new syntax. Models created in a version before 4.2a
need to be opened in version 4.3 or 4.3a and resaved before being opened in 5.0 or a
later version.
For a model using the API, you must update the model to use the new syntax.
RADIATION IN PARTICIPATING MEDIA

The radiative intensity variable names, previously named I1 and so on, became ht.I1
(when there are fewer than 10 discrete directions) or ht.I01 (when there are 10 or
more discrete directions) by default.
Models created in versions 4.3 and 4.3a that include radiation in participating media
support the old syntax in multiphysics interfaces. It is, however, recommended that
you update the models to use the new syntax. Models created in a version before 4.2a
need to be opened in version 4.3 or 4.3a and resaved before being reopened in 5.0 or
a later version. In addition, for all versions, it may be necessary to regenerate the
default solver to get the correct solver settings.
The S2 quadrature in 2D has been replaced by the LSE symmetric quadrature. It has
been updated so that it coincides with the other quadratures. LSE symmetric
quadratures were already used for S4, S6, and S8 in 2D and for all 3D quadratures.
This quadrature update can result in significant changes in 2D models using the S2
quadrature. However, the theoretical error is not different and the 2D and 3D
implementations are now consistent.
THE DEFAULT MOD EL LIST HAS BEEN REMOVED

Heat transfer physics interfaces no longer have the default model list. This list was used
to change the default feature for heat transfer models. You can obtain a similar result
by adding the corresponding domain feature immediately below the default feature
and setting its domain selection to All domains.
Any model files for Java® that modify the default model value require a manual update.

I M P ROVE D S T A B I L I Z A T I O N O F H E AT T R A N S F E R I N S O L I D S
The streamline diffusion stabilization for Heat Transfer in Solids and Biological Tissue
features has been improved. It now accounts for contributions from linear source
terms from the Heat Source, Out-of-Plane Convective Cooling, Out-of-Plane Radiation, and
Out-of-Plane Heat Flux features. This improves the robustness of the convergence when
these contributions are large. This change may modify the convergence behavior of
existing models.
FRAME SELECTION IN DISCRETIZATION SECTION

The Frame type list, which was previously available when a moving mesh was detected,
has been removed. The frame type is now controlled by the features.
UPDATE OF FEATURE VARIABLE NAMES

In order to avoid name conflicts between feature variable names, some of them have
been renamed. This change concerns contributive features. Because they are
contributing, it is possible to have similar features active on the same boundary. To
make it possible to distinguish the variables from each feature, the feature scope has
been introduced in the variable name so that variable names now use a prefix. These
changes affect the following feature variables:
• Heat flux
• Out-of-plane heat flux
• Convective cooling
• Out-of-plane convective cooling
• Boundary heat source
• Heat source
• Line heat source
• Point heat source
• Edge heat flux/Point heat flux
• Electrochemical reaction heat flux
• Reaction heat flux
For example, in a Boundary Heat Source feature, ht.surf has been renamed into
ht.bhs1.surf (assuming that ht is the physics interface tag). In the Heat Flux
feature, the variable that was previously named ht.q0_hf1 is now ht.hf1.q0.
Any model files for Java® that use the old variable names in expressions (such as
expressions used for plotting or data evaluation that include such old variable names)
need to be updated manually.
NEW DEFAULT FLUID FEATURES AND OPAQUE SUBFEATURE

All MPH-files created in version 4.3 are converted to appear and behave the same way
as in 5.0 or a later version.
Due to these new default features, model files for Java can be simplified. In addition,
model files for Java that add the Fluid feature or the Opaque subfeature with the default
tag require a manual update to avoid duplicate tag conflicts.
WEAK CONSTRAINTS UPDATE FOR FLUID FLOW USER INTERFACES

The weak constraint formulations for some boundary conditions in the following
interfaces have been updated:
• Laminar Flow
• Turbulent Flow, k-ε
• Turbulent Flow, Low Re k-ε
• Nonisothermal Flow
• Conjugate Heat Transfer
See the CFD Module release notes for details.
Weak constraints for the Interior Wall feature are no longer available.
R E V I S I O N T O T H E TU R B U L E N C E M O D E L S
The formulations of some variables in the turbulence models have been revised in
order to improve accuracy. Simulations using a turbulence model can display a
different convergence behavior in versions 5.0 and later compared to version 4.3, and
the numerical result can differ slightly between the versions.
Obsolete Features and Variables

The following features have been removed:
• Convective Heat Flux (replaced by Heat Flux with Convective heat flux option)
• Out-of-plane Convective Heat Flux (replaced by Out-of-plane Heat Flux with Convective
heat flux option)
• Porous Matrix (replaced by Heat Transfer in Porous Media)

• Infinite Element (replaced by Infinite Element Domain declared in the Definitions node)
• Electrochemical Heat Flux (replaced by Boundary Heat Source)
• Reaction Heat Flux (replaced by Boundary Heat Source)
• Heat Transfer in Participating Media (replaced by Heat Transfer with Radiation in
Participating Media)
When models created in older versions are loaded in version 5.3, these features are
removed from the model tree and the model can still be opened. The new
corresponding feature can be added to replace the removed one. In the particular case
of a feature defined as the default feature of an interface in the model, the model
cannot be opened.
The table below contains a list of variables that have been removed and replaced by
new corresponding expressions.
TABLE 1-3: REMOVED VARIABLES AND CORRESPONDING EXPRESSIONS
REMOVED VARIABLE CORRESPONDING EXPRESSION
qin -qr_in
qout qr_out
qw -qr_net
ndflux_acc ndflux
ndflux_acc_u ndflux_u
ndflux_acc_d ndflux_d
ntflux_acc ntflux
ntflux_acc_u ntflux_u
ntflux_acc_d ntflux_d
nteflux_acc nteflux
nteflux_acc_u nteflux_u
nteflux_acc_d nteflux_d
MEMS Module
• Spring boundary conditions for the Rigid Domain and Rigid Connector features.
• Energy quantity variables have been added for contact modeling.
• Frequency domain analysis with contact modeling is now supported
• Harmonic Perturbation is now available for the Prescribed Velocity and Acceleration
features.
• Enhancements have been added for including external material functionalities.
See also the Structural Mechanics Module for improvements for the structural
mechanics interfaces in the MEMS Module.

The friction slip velocity is no longer defined as a dependent variable. When running
a model using the COMSOL API, you will need to remove the reference to this
variable in the solver settings. The friction slip velocity is usually defined as
<comp>_<solid>_vslip_<pairname>, where <comp> is the tag of the component,
<solid> is the tag of the Solid Mechanics physics interface where the Friction node is
defined, and <pairname> is the name of the contact pair.

For models using contact, plot expressions are not updated when you open an old
model where the pair names have been edited manually. Also, opening an old model
where a pair name has been manually edited might affect the solver configuration. It
is recommended that you regenerate a new default solver configuration.

Microfluidics Module
The Free Molecular Flow and Transitional Flow user interfaces now form the
Molecular Flow Module. A Molecular Flow Module license is required to use these
interfaces.
BRINKMAN EQUATIONS AND FREE AND POROUS MEDIA FLOW

The momentum equations in the Brinkman Equations interface and the Free and
Porous Media Flow interface have been corrected. The term −Qbr·u/εp2 on the
right-hand side previously lacked the factor 1/εp2, where εp is the porosity.
MOBILITY
In physics interfaces modeling migration (for example, Transport of Diluted Species),
anisotropic mobility is now supported, and the mobility can be set to follow the
Nernst-Einstein relation. The default setting when making new models has been
changed to the Nernst-Einstein relation. Model files for Java®-generated prior to 4.3b
using migration will have to be modified manually to account for these changes.
MICROFLUIDICS MODULE | 87
Molecular Flow Module
A Plane Symmetry boundary condition is now available for models with geometric
symmetry.

Due to the fact that multiple species are now supported, some variable names have
changed. In general, variables will now have _G appended to their names, where G is
the name specified for the Incident molecular fluxes in the Dependent Variables section.
So, if a model is updated and resolved, the expressions used in results should be
changed as follows:
• The number density should be changed from fmf.N to fmf.N_G.

• The pressure should be changed from p to fmf.p_G.
• The reconstructed number density should be changed from fmf.N to
fmf.ndr1.Nr_G, where ndr1 is the tag of the Number Density Reconstruction
feature.
• Any other variables can be updated using the Replace Expression button available
during results processing.
In addition, new variables exist for the total pressure, number density, and so on:
• The total number density, fmf.ntot.

• The total pressure, fmf.ptot.
• The total incident molecular flow, fmf.Gtot.

Multibody Dynamics Module
HIGHLIGHTING OF SELECTIONS
When working with complex assemblies in the Multibody Dynamics interface, there
may be many joints, each containing the selection of two rigid domains or attachments.
When you select a Joint node in the model tree, the selected objects are now
automatically highlighted in the graphics window as a quick feedback of the
correctness of the source and destination selections. Similarly, the two gears in a Gear
Pair, and the two parts joined by a Spring-Damper will be highlighted when the
corresponding nodes are selected.
PENA LT Y METH O D FO R CO MPUT IN G JO IN T FO RCES

In pure rigid body systems, it is not unusual that model of the system is
over-constrained. To handle this situation, a penalty method for enforcing the joint
constraints has been added. This makes it possible for you to determine the joint forces
in such a case, but the method is generally applicable. You select the method to be used
in the Joint Forces and Moments section in the settings for a certain joint. For this
situation, a penalty method for enforcing the joint constraints has been added. This
makes it possible for you to determine the joint forces in such a case, but the method
is generally applicable. Related to this, the default is now not to compute joint forces
between rigid bodies in order to reduce the risk of numerical problems caused by
overconstraints.
M O D A L R E D U C E D O R D E R M O D E L S T U D Y TY P E
The Modal Reduced Order Model study type is now supported also by the Multibody
Dynamics interface. This study type is useful for extracting system matrices represented
in a modal base for large MBD models.
ATTACHMENTS ON RIGID BODIES

It is now possible to use an Attachment also on a rigid domain. The purpose is to make
it easier to switch between a rigid representation and an elastic representation of a
certain domain, since its selection in a joint node does not have to be changed.
MULTIBODY DYNAMICS MODULE | 89

SERENDIPITY SHAPE FUNCTIONS
When modeling flexible parts in the Multibody Dynamics interface, you can choose to
discretize by serendipity shape functions. This will reduce the number of degrees of
freedom when using structured meshes with higher order elements.
OFFSET OPTION FOR POSITIONS IN SEVERAL FEATURES

When specifying positions, such as center of rotation, or location of forces, in the Rigid
Domain, Rigid Connector, Initially Rigid, Spring-Damper, gear, and joint features, it is now
possible to add an offset vector to the specified position.
New Applications in Version 5.3
VIBRATIONS AND NOISE IN A GEARBOX

This tutorial example illustrates the modeling of vibration and noise in a 5-speed
synchromesh gearbox inside a manual transmission vehicle. A transient multibody
dynamics analysis computes the gearbox vibrations for the specified engine speed and
external load. The normal acceleration of the gearbox housing is converted to the
frequency domain, to be included as a source of noise. An acoustics analysis is then
performed in order to compute the sound pressure levels in the near, far, and exterior
fields.
VIBRATION IN AN INDUCTION MOTOR

This tutorial example models an induction motor in which eddy currents are induced
in the rotor by the time harmonic currents on the stator windings and the rotation of
the rotor. The air gap between the rotor and stator is assumed asymmetric when
analyzing the resulting vibrations in the motor.
The electromagnetic simulation is modeled in 2D, whereas the multibody dynamics

simulation is modeled in 3D. The rotational torque, when an alternating current is
passed through the stator windings, is calculated as a function of time. The torque is
then used in the multibody dynamics model in order to compute the rotor speed,
accounting for inertial effects.

Nonlinear Structural Materials
Module
PO RO US PLAST ICITY
A new family of material models for modeling porous plasticity has been added. The
Porous Plasticity subnode is available for Linear Elastic Material and Nonlinear Elastic
Material.
There are five new porous plasticity models:
• Shima-Oyane
• Gurson
• Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman
• Fleck-Kuhn-McMeeking
• FKM-GTN
NEW VISCOPLASTIC MATERIAL MODELS

Two new material models have been added to Viscoplasticity:
• Chaboche
• Perzyna
EXTERNAL STRAIN FOR NONLINEAR ELASTIC MATERIAL

You can now add an External Strain node to the Nonlinear Elastic Material. This allows
you to add inelastic strain contributions to the material in several ways:

• Compute inelastic strain contribution using a user-coded external function.
NONLINEAR STRUCTURAL MATERIALS MODULE | 91

INELASTIC STRAINS FOR HYPERELASTIC MATERIAL
The possibility to describe inelastic strains when using Hyperelastic Material has been
significantly extended.
• Thermal expansion can now be non-isotropic.

• Hygroscopic swelling can now be non-isotropic.
• A new External Strain subnode has been added, in which you can prescribed any set
of inelastic strains, including strains computed from a user-coded external function.
MATERIAL PROPERTIES FOR ANAND MODEL

The material properties for the Anand viscoplastic model can now be specified under
the Material node.
A S S O C I A T E D F L OW R U L E F O R TRE S C A Y I E L D F U N C T I O N
An associated flow rule has been added to the Tresca yield function in Plasticity. As
before, the default flow rule is based on using the von Mises yield surface as plastic
potential.
SC OPE CHANGE OF PLA ST IC I TY VAR IA BL ES

As an effect of the addition of new plastic and viscoplastic material models, several
variables in the existing plasticity models have been moved from having “physics
scope” to having “feature scope” in order to resolve possible conflicts. As an example
the variable previously called solid.sY will now have a scope similar to
solid.lemm1.plsty1.sY.
In most cases, the old physics scope variables can still be accessed, so you should not
experience any backward compatibility problems, even if you have used such variables
in your own expressions.
LEMAITRE-CHABOCHE VISCOPLASTIC MODEL

This tutorial model demonstrates the Lemaitre-Chaboche viscoplastic constitutive law,
having a combination of isotropic hardening and a nonlinear kinematic hardening.
This viscoplastic model is commonly used in areas such as additive manufacturing, laser
welding, laser cutting, and thermal processing metals and alloys at high temperatures.

Optimization Module
The Optimization Module has been improved with better stability, consistency, and
error handling.

The Optimization check box in the Stationary and Time Dependent study steps have
been removed. Instead, use the Optimization study step. The Optimization check box
does appear in models created in earlier versions of COMSOL Multiphysics where you
have selected that check box.
OPTIMIZATION MODULE | 93
Particle Tracing Module
PERIODIC BOUNDAR Y CONDITION

The new Periodic Condition feature is used to model particle tracing in periodic
structures or in geometries with sector symmetry. When a particle reaches a surface
with the Periodic Condition, it immediately gets mapped to a destination point on
another surface. As the particle exits the destination surface, its velocity can either be
kept the same, rotated (for sector symmetry), or reset to a user-defined expression.
ROTATING FRAMES
Use the Rotating Frame feature to automatically apply the centrifugal, Coriolis, and
Euler forces for particle tracing in a rotating frame of reference. When releasing
particles, it is possible to specify the initial velocity in an inertial frame or with respect
to the rotating frame.
RANDOM INITIAL PO SITION S

It is now possible to release particles at random initial positions on selected domains,
boundaries and edges. Unique positions are chosen for each release time. This is
available in the Release, Inlet and Release from Edge features.
COORDINATE SYSTEM SELECTION FOR INLETS

When releasing particles at a boundary using the Inlet feature, it is now possible to
initialize the particle velocity or momentum using any coordinate system that has been
defined for the model component.
L A M B E R T I A N VE L O C I T Y D I S T R I B U T I O N
The particle release features can now release particles with a velocity distribution in 3D
following Lambert’s cosine law.
N O N U N I F O R M M A G N I T U D E S I N VE L O C I T Y D I S T R I B U T I O N S
For the spherical, hemispherical, conical, and Lambertian velocity distributions, it is
now possible to release particles with a distribution of speeds as well as directions.
By default, every particle that is released from the same point in a velocity distribution
will have the same magnitude. However, by expressing the initial speed in terms of the
unique particle index, it is now possible to apply a different initial speed to each particle

without changing the distribution of particle directions. This makes it easier to include
distributions of particle speed or energy as well as direction.
L I F T F O RC E F O R T H E P A R T I C L E TR A C I N G F O R F L U I D F L OW I N T E R F A C E
A dedicated Lift Force feature is now available for the Particle Tracing for Fluid Flow
interface.
Two different formulations of the lift force are available. The Saffman lift force is
applicable to inertial particles in a shear flow that are an appreciable distance away from
boundaries. A specialized wall induced correlation is also available for neutrally
buoyant particles in channels.
A N I S O T RO P I C TU R B U L E N T D I S P E R S I O N
When applying a random turbulent dispersion term to the drag force on particles in a
fluid using the continuous random walk model, the turbulent dispersion can now be
either isotropic (the default) or anisotropic. If anisotropic turbulence is used, the
turbulent dispersion terms are computed using specific expressions for the streamwise,
spanwise, and wall normal directions. Anisotropic turbulence can provide a more
realistic depiction of particle motion in a turbulent flow when the particles are close to
walls.
THERMIONIC EMISSION OF ELECTRONS

The dedicated Thermionic Emission feature is available to model the release of electrons
from a hot cathode. This feature is available in the Charged Particle Tracing interface.
The total current density released from the boundary is computed using Richardson’s
law, where the effective Richardson constant, work function of the metal, and
temperature can be specified.
DRAG CORRECTION FACTOR FOR PARTICLES CLOSE TO WALLS

The Drag Force feature for the Particle Tracing for Fluid Flow interface now supports
corrections to account for the presence of nearby walls.
S Y M M E T R Y C O N D I T I O N F O R P A R T I C L E TR A C I N G
The Symmetry condition is a specialized boundary condition for the Charged Particle
Tracing and Particle Tracing for Fluid Flow interfaces. It is a special case of the Wall
condition that always causes model particles to be specularly reflected at the boundary.
The physical interpretation of this reflection is that, for every particle that would leave
the modeling domain through a symmetry plane, an identical particle would
simultaneously enter the modeling domain at the same location and the same time.
P A R T I C L E TR A C I N G M O D U L E | 95
NEW OPTIONS FOR INLET PAIRS
When releasing particles from an Inlet Pair defined on an assembly, it is now possible
to release the particles from only the source boundary, destination boundary, or both.
This is most noticeable when using a mesh-based release of particles, since the mesh
on either side of the identity pair can be different.
Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2a and Earlier
REFERENCE EDGE FEATURES HAVE BEEN REMOVED

The Reference Edge subnode, which was previously used to specify the orientation of
the transverse beam directions for the Particle Beam feature in 3D, has been removed.
Instead, the orientation of the transverse beam directions is specified using an extra
selection field in the settings window for the Particle Beam feature itself. Similarly, the
Reference Point subnode for specifying the beam center has been replaced by an extra
selection in the settings window for the Particle Beam feature.
TU R B U L E N T D I S P E R S I O N C H A N G E S
In the settings window for the Drag Force for the Particle Tracing for Fluid Flow
interface, the Turbulent dispersion check box has been replaced by the Turbulent
dispersion model list. If the check box is selected in a model created in version 5.2 or
earlier, then after opening the model in version 5.2a, the option Discrete random walk
will be selected from the list. If the check box is cleared, then None will be selected from
the list.
PARTICLE DENSITY SPECIFICATIONS MERGED

In version 5.2, when specifying particle properties using the Particle Properties node or
Override Properties node in the Particle Tracing for Fluid Flow interface, it is possible
to specify two different values of the particle density, depending on whether the
Compute particle mass check box is selected. In version 5.2a, these two values have been
merged into a single parameter value; that is, the value or expression for the Particle
density will be retained when selecting or clearing the Compute particle mass check box
in the physics interface Advanced Settings section.

PARTICLE BEAM CHANGES
The names of several settings have been changed in the Particle Beam feature for the
Charged Particle Tracing interface.
In the Sampling from phase space distribution list, Uniform has been renamed KV.
In the Longitudinal velocity distribution list, Uniform has been renamed None and
Gaussian has been renamed Normal.
The parameters Position refinement factor and Release distribution accuracy order have
been removed. Due to some changes in the algorithm for initializing particle positions,
in version 5.2a, the distribution of particle positions no longer depends on the finite
element mesh and may differ from the distribution in version 5.2.
RENAMED PHYSICS INTERFACE SETTINGS

The Release type list in the settings windows for the Charged Particle Tracing and
Particle Tracing for Fluid Flow interfaces in earlier versions has been renamed Particle
release specification. For the Charged Particle Tracing interface, the options Static and
Transient have been renamed to Specify current and Specify release times (the default),
respectively. For the Particle Tracing for Fluid Flow interface, the options Static and
Transient have been renamed to Specify mass flow rate and Specify release times (the
default), respectively.
OLD NODES FOR PARTICLE-FIELD AND FLUID-PARTICLE INTERACTIONS

ARE OBSOLETE
The old Particle-Field Interaction and Fluid-Particle Interaction nodes, which could be
added directly to the Charged Particle Tracing and Particle Tracing for Fluid Flow
interfaces, respectively, are now obsolete. They will be removed in a future version.
Simulations of particle-field and fluid-particle interactions should instead use the
dedicated multiphysics nodes.
ELASTIC COLLISION FORCE NODE HAS BEEN REPLACED

If a model created in version 5.0 or earlier containing the Elastic Collision Force node is
opened in version 5.1 or later, this node will be replaced. If the Collision model in the
old Elastic Collision Force node was set to Monte Carlo, a Collisions node with the Elastic
P A R T I C L E TR A C I N G M O D U L E | 97
subnode will be created. If instead the Collision model was set to Friction, the Friction
Force subnode will be added.

P i pe Flo w M o d u l e
N E W O P T I O N F O R T- J U N C T I O N F E A T U R E F O R T H E P I P E F L O W
INTERFACE
An additional option for the T-Junction feature called Loss coefficients, extended
model is available for the Pipe Flow interface. This option allows you to specify six
dimensionless loss coefficients to account for joining and separating flows in junctions.
INTERNAL PRESSURE LOCK FEATURE

For the recirculating flows of incompressible fluids, the pressure value should be
specified in at least one point somewhere in the pipe network. The new Internal
Pressure Lock feature allows you to specify such pressure, and it can be used together
with valves, bends, contraction/expansion, and lossless fittings.
REVISED FORMULATION OF THE PIPE FLOW INTERFACE

The Pipe Flow interface has been amended in version 5.2 with an inertial term. The
stabilization and element shape functions have also been changed. Models created in
previous versions will be opened using the old interface with a notification. For new
models, only the new interface is available in the physics interface list.
PIPE FLOW MODULE | 99

Plasma Module
• Global modeling from within the Plasma interface is now possible.

• The local field approximation can be used to compute transport and source
coefficients instead of solving the electron energy equation.
• The electron mobility can now be automatically computed from the list of electron
impact reactions.
• Units can be assigned to all of the tables in the Plasma interface.
New and Updated Applications and Models in Version 5.3
NEW APPLICATION
Boltzmann DC Glow Discharge: This application models a DC glow discharge that
periodically solves the two-term Boltzmann equation to update the transport and
source coefficients.
NEW MODELS
• Atmospheric Pressure Corona Discharge in Air
• Negative Streamer in Nitrogen in 1D
• Chlorine Discharge Global Model
• Microwave Microplasma

The old Inductively Coupled Plasma and Microwave Plasma interfaces can still be
opened, edited, and solved. When such a model is opened, a warning is given
indicating that the interface is obsolete and will eventually be removed.

Models using the Reduced Electric Fields study will interpret the unit in the edit field
for the Reduced electric fields as Townsend. For example, when opening a model

created in version 5.1, if the value for the Reduced electric fields was 10, this will now
appear as 10[Td] in the study settings.

Old models will be updated to use the new boundary conditions, but re-solving a
model still gives the same results as before. The following changes to the model are
made upon opening:
• If an Electric Potential feature is applied to boundaries adjacent to a Plasma Model

feature, it is converted to a Metal Contact feature. The settings from the original
model are retained. If an Electric Potential feature is applied to boundaries adjacent
to a Charge Conservation feature, it remains the same.
• If an Electric Potential feature is applied to a combination of boundaries adjacent to
a Plasma Model and Charge Conservation feature, a Metal Contact feature is created for
the boundaries adjacent to the Plasma Model feature, and the Electric Potential
feature remains on boundaries adjacent to the Charge Conservation feature.
• Any External Surface Charge Accumulation boundary conditions are replaced by a new
Dielectric Contact feature. The settings from the original model are retained. The
External Surface Charge Accumulation boundary condition is now obsolete.
PLASMA MODULE | 101

Ray Optics Module
R AY TE R M I N A T I O N FE A T U RE
The new Ray Termination feature can be used to annihilate rays without requiring them
to stop at a boundary. The rays can be terminated as they exit a bounding box, which
can be based on the geometry or user-defined spatial extents. Use the Ray Termination
feature to easily discard unnecessary information about the ray paths and remove
clutter from the trajectory plots.
IMPORT PHOTOMETRIC DATA FILES

It is possible to specify nonuniform distributions of ray intensity and power by
importing photometric data files into a ray optics model. The Photometric Data Import
feature supports the *.ies file extension, the standard photometric data file format of
the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA).
When the photometric data file is imported into a model, it generates a set of functions
that are used to initialize the ray intensity and power as a function of the initial ray
direction. You can specify directions for the photometric horizontal and photometric
zero, which indicate the orientation of the lamp according to IES standards.
GEOMETR Y PAR T VARIANTS

There are now several different ways to specify the dimensions of geometry parts in the
dedicated Part Library for the Ray Optics Module. It is possible to choose from
different combinations of input parameters when loading the part into a model.
NEW GEOMETRY PARTS: COMPOUND PARABOLIC CONCENTRATORS

The Part Library for the Ray Optics Module now includes the Compound Parabolic
Concentrator (CPC). The CPC has parabolic surfaces that are positioned close enough
together so that the end of each side is located at the focal point of the opposite side.
Light that is incident at anything less than a specified angle, called the acceptance
half-angle, will always be transmitted through the concentrator, making it a useful tool
for focusing incoming radiation from several different directions.

LAMBERTIAN EMISSION
The ray release features can now release rays with a Lambertian distribution of initial
directions. Rays can be released with initial directions based on Lambert’s cosine law.
I M P ROVE D H A N D L I N G O F R AY TR A C I N G I N 2 D A X I S Y M M E T R I C
GEOMETRIES
When computing ray intensity in 2D axisymmetric models, the wavefront associated
with the propagating ray is now treated as a spherical or ellipsoidal wave instead of a
cylindrical wave (which is only an appropriate simplification in true 2D models). In
other words, the principal radius of curvature associated with the azimuthal direction
is computed for all rays. This leads to more realistic calculations of ray intensity in 2D
axisymmetric models.
In addition, dedicated release features are now available to release rays from edges,
points, or at specified coordinates along the axis of symmetry. When using one of these
dedicated release features, a built-in option is available to release rays in an anisotropic
hemisphere such that each ray subtends approximately the same solid angle in 3D.
RAY DETECTOR FEATURE

A Ray Detector feature is a domain or boundary feature that provides information
about rays arriving on a set of selected domains or surfaces from a release feature. Such
quantities include the number of rays transmitted and the transmission probability, or
the ratio of the number of transmitted rays to the number of released rays. It is possible
to count all rays or only those rays released by a specific physics feature. The feature
provides convenient expressions that can be used in the Filter node of the Ray
Trajectories plot, which allows only the rays that reach a specified set of domains or
boundaries to be visualized.
The following variables are defined by an instance of the Ray Detector feature with the
feature tag <tag>:
• <tag>.Nsel is number of transmitted rays from the release feature to the detector.
• <tag>.alpha is the transmission probability from the release feature to the
detector.
• <tag>.rL is a logical expression for ray inclusion. This can be set in the Filter node
of the Ray Trajectories plot in order to visualize the rays that connect the radiation
source to the detector.
RAY OPTICS MODULE | 103

COORDINATE SYSTEM SELECTION FOR INLETS
When releasing rays at a boundary using the Inlet feature, it is now possible to initialize
the particle velocity or momentum using any coordinate system that has been defined
for the model component.
ADVANCED OPTIONS TO SPECIFY RAY RELEASE TIMES

It is now possible to enter a range of different ray release times. In previous versions,
all rays had to be released at the same time. To enable specification of different release
times, select the Allow multiple release times check box in the physics interface Advanced
Settings section.
Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2a and Earlier
REFERENCE EDGE FEATURES HAVE BEEN REMOVED

The Reference Edge subnode, which was previously used to specify the orientation of
some optical components in 3D, has been removed. Instead, the orientation of these
components is specified directly in the parent feature settings using an extra selection
input. The following features are affected:
• Linear Polarizer
• Linear Wave Retarder
• Mueller Matrix
• Grating
ANISOTROPIC REFRACTIVE INDICES CAN NO LONGER BE SPECIFIED

In version 5.2 and earlier, it is possible to specify an anisotropic refractive index in the
settings window for the Medium Properties node, despite the fact that the anisotropy of
the refractive index is not taken into account when modeling ray propagation. In
version 5.2a, only isotropic refractive indices can be specified in the settings window
for the Medium Properties node. If an anisotropic refractive index was specified in an
older version, then when opening the model in version 5.2a, all of the diagonal terms
will be populated using the first diagonal value and all off-diagonal terms will be set to
zero.

RENAMED INTENSITY COMPUTATION METHODS
The options in the Intensity Computation list in the settings window for the
Geometrical Optics interface have been renamed.
• Using principal curvatures has been renamed to Compute intensity.

• Using principal curvatures and ray power has been renamed to Compute intensity and
power.
• Using curvature tensor has been renamed to Compute intensity in graded media.
• Using curvature tensor and ray power has been renamed to Compute intensity and
power in graded media.
RENAMED POLARIZATION SETTING

In the Initial polarization type list, available for most ray release features in the
Geometrical Optics interface, the option Partially coherent has been renamed to
Partially polarized.
CHANGES TO PER TURBATIONS FOR SOLAR RADIATION

The treatment of perturbations due to sunshape and surface roughness has been
changed in version 5.2a. This change affects the Illuminated Surface and Solar Radiation
features for the Geometrical Optics interface.
The Use corrections for finite source diameter check box has been replaced by the
Corrections for finite source diameter list. If the check box was selected, Create light
cones at release points will be selected from the list after opening the model in version
5.2a. If the check box was cleared, None will be selected from the list.
For the Illuminated Surface, the Standard deviation of the angle of incidence parameter
has been renamed Surface slope error and is now used to define a Rayleigh distribution
for perturbations to the surface normal, rather than the angle of incidence of radiation.
To account for the different effect that the surface slope error has on the model, any
value or expression entered for the Standard deviation of the angle of incidence in version
5.2 or earlier will be divided by 2, before being used to specify the Surface slope error
in version 5.2a.
The Number of rays in wave vector space Nw,r has been removed. The effect of surface
roughness can no longer multiply the number of degrees of freedom created by a
release feature at each release point.

ACTIVATION CONDITIONS ON OPTICAL COMPONENTS
The following boundary conditions require some form of ray intensity computation in
order to have any effect on the solution:
• Linear Polarizer
• Linear Wave Retarder
• Circular Wave Retarder
• Ideal Depolarizer
• Mueller Matrix
If any of these features is present in a model created in version 5.2 or earlier, and None
is selected from the Intensity computation list in the settings window for the
Geometrical Optics interface, then the feature will be automatically disabled when the
model is opened in version 5.2a. To enable these features, select any option other than
None from the Intensity Computation list.
RENAMED SETTINGS
The Wall condition Bounce has been renamed to Specular reflection.
CHANGES TO FREQUENCY-DEPENDENT MATERIAL PROPERTIES

The Frequency-dependent refractive indices check box has been renamed to Allow
frequency distributions at release features.
Expressions involving the ray frequency must always be included within the noenv()
operator. Some expressions for user-defined refractive indices may fail to be evaluated
properly in version 5.2a unless this operator is applied.
THIN DIELECTRIC FILM SETTINGS

In version 5.0, if the ray intensity is computed, the option to add Thin Dielectric Film
nodes to a Material Discontinuity node is always available. In version 5.2a, the Thin
Dielectric Film subnode can only be added if Add layers to surface or Add layers to
surface, repeating is selected from the Thin dielectric films on boundary list in the Material
Discontinuity settings window. If a model created in version 5.0 is opened in version
5.2a, and any Thin Dielectric Film nodes have been added, then Add layers to surface is
selected from the Thin dielectric films on boundary list instead of the default None.

CHANGES T O T HE CIRCULAR WAVE RETARDER
The Retardance of the Circular Wave Retarder now indicates the rotation angle of the
polarization ellipse of a ray that passes through the device. In version 5.0, the
retardance corresponds to half of this rotation angle. The behavior of the Circular Wave
Retarder is now consistent with the documentation. If a model created in version 5.0
is opened in version 5.2a, the expression for the Retardance of any Circular Wave
Retarder node is multiplied by 2.
OBSOLETE DEPOS IT ED R AY POWER NODE

The Deposited Ray Power node for absorbing domains is obsolete and will be removed
in future versions. For simulations in which rays generate heat due to absorption, the
Ray Heat Source multiphysics node should be used instead.

RF Module
RF MODULE PART LIBRARY

The RF Module part library includes the following parts:
• 36 rectangular waveguides (straight and 90-degree bend, H-bend)

• 22 surface mount device footprint
• 3 SMA connectors (4 holes, 2 holes, and vertical mount)
NEW AND ENHANCED FEATURES

A surface magnetic current density feature is now available.
Enhanced features:
• Lumped element feature with extended options: series LC, parallel LC, series RLC,
and parallel RLC.
• Two-port network for advanced two-port device modeling with Touchstone file
import.
• Transient lumped port supporting S-parameter calculation.
• Scattering boundary condition for Electromagnetic Waves, Transient can be used
now also under high loss conditions.
N EW FAR -FIELD PO STPROCESS IN G VARIABL ES

• EIRP and EIRPdB: effective isotoropic radiated power and its dB-scaled value.
• gainEfar and gaindBEfar: gain excluding input mismatch and its dB-scaled value.
• rGainEfar and rGaindBEfar: realized gain including input mismatch and its
dB-scaled value
NEW SETTINGS FOR ENHANCED USABILITY

In the Electromagnetic Wave, Frequency Domain physics interface:
• Default enabled physics-controlled mesh

• The mesh picks up the frequency from study steps automatically
• Default fast analysis methodology for solver settings (FGMRES)

The default 3D far-field plot now uses a finer angular resolution (theta 45, phi 45).
Automatic excitation on for the first port.
The GHz frequency unit is now available for Frequency Domain, Frequency-Domain
Modal, and Eigenfrequency studies. The GHz units is also now used unit in the default
S-parameter plot with simpler S-parameter descriptions.
For frequency-domain modal analysis:
• Eigenfrequency search method around shift as Larger real part.

• The linper operator applied internally in an excited port or lumped port feature.
New and Updated Models and Applications in Version 5.3
NEW AND UPDATED MODELS

• Modeling of a Low-Pass and Band-Pass Filter Using Lumped Elements
• Anechoic Chamber Absorbing Electromagnetic Waves
• Double-Ridged Horn Antenna
• Fast Modeling of a Transmission Line Low-Pass Filter
• Fast Modeling of a Transmission Line Wilkinson Power Divider
• Fast Prototyping of a Butler Matrix Beamforming Network
• Time-to-Frequency Fast Fourier Transform of a Coaxial Low-Pass Filter
• Filter Characterized by Imported S-parameters via a Touchstone File
• High-Speed Interconnect Tuning by Time-Domain Reflectometry
• Defining a Mapped Dielectric Distribution of a Metamaterial Lens has been
renamed as Defining a Mapped Dielectric Distribution of a Material
U P D A T E D TU T O R I A L S U S I N G R E D U C E D O RD E R M O D E L I N G TE C H N I Q U E S
Using asymptotic waveform evaluation:
• Evanescent Mode Cylindrical Cavity Filter

• RF Coil
Using frequency-domain modal analysis:
• Cascaded Rectangular Cavity Filter

• Coupled Line Filter
RF MODULE | 109
• CPW Bandpass Filter
• Waveguide Iris Filter

The following models have been moved from the RF Module Application Library to
the Wave Optics Module Application Library:
• Beam Splitter
• Photonic Crystal
• Scattering on Substrate
• Optical Scattering Off of a Gold Nanosphere
• Dielectric Slab Waveguide
• Fabry-Perot Cavity

Rotordynamics Module
INLET AND OUTLET ON THE BEARING SURFACE

In the Hydrodynamic Bearing interface, Inlet and Outlet boundary conditions for
surfaces have been added. This makes it possible to model situations where a lubricant
is supplied inside the bearing.
MODIFIED REYNOLDS EQUATION

The modified Reynolds equation for modeling gas lubricated bearings is now available
in the Hydrodynamic Bearing interface in the Rotordynamics Module. In previous
versions, the MEMS Module license was required for this feature.
VISCOUS DISSIPATION
The viscous dissipation is now computed in the Hydrodynamic Bearing interface. This
makes it possible to compute the temperature distribution in the lubricant. The
variable containing the dissipated energy is named hdb.Qvd.
ROTOR BEARING SYSTEM SIMULATOR

The Rotor Bearing System Simulator application can be used to design and analyze
rotor systems, consisting of a rotor, and varying disks and bearings. The app user can
modify the rotor settings, enter geometrical and inertial properties of the disks, and
specify the bearing stiffness. The visual results include whirl and Campbell plots, and
the critical speeds are calculated.
ROTORDYNAMICS MODULE | 111

Semiconductor Module
• A new physics interface: Schrödinger Equation. This physics interface solves the
Schrödinger equation for general quantum mechanical problems as well as for the
electron and hole wave functions in quantum-confined semiconductors under the
assumption of the envelope function approximation.
• Better convergence for current-driven Schottky contacts.
• More options for the trap density specification.
• A user-defined impact ionization model.
New Application and Models in Version 5.3
N E W A P P L I C A T I O N : S U P E R L A T T I C E B A N D G A P TO O L
The superlattice band gap tool helps the design of periodic structures made of two
alternating semiconductor materials (superlattices). The tool uses the effective mass
Schrödinger equation to estimate the electron and hole ground state energy levels in a
given superlattice structure.
NEW AND UPDATED MODELS

New models:
• Double Barrier 1D
• ISFET
• MOSCAP 1D
• Si Solar Cell 1D
The Bipolar Transistor Thermal has been improved and updated.

Structural Mechanics Module
S P E C I A L S T U D Y S T E P F O R B O L T P R E - TE N S I O N
When using Bolt Pre-Tension and Bolt Selection, one extra degree of freedom (DOF) is
added for each bolt. Typically, these DOFs should only be solved for once, in an initial
study step. In version 5.3, the bolt DOFs are only active when you use the new Bolt
Pre-Tension study type, while they are inactive in all other types of study steps. This
means that you do not any longer actively have to make manual changes of the status
for these DOFs in the solver sequence.
Study sequences in models created in a version prior to 5.3 are not affected. In such a
model you will also, in the settings for the Bolt Pre-Tension node, find a Solve in bolt
pre-tension study only check box through which you can control the solver behavior
for any new study sequence you may generate.
AUTOMATIC DETECTION OF BOLTS IN A SYMMETRY PLANE

Sometimes a symmetry plane cuts through a bolt. This can now be automatically
detected. Modeling is then simplified, since both the given pre-tension force and
computed bolt forces are interpreted with respect to a full bolt. This functionality is
controlled by the Automatic symmetry detection check box in the settings for the Bolt
Selection node.
RIGID MOTION SUPPRESSION

For cases where the loads are self-equilibrating, the actual locations of the constraints
are not important, as long as they fulfill two conditions: rigid body motions are not
possible, and no reaction forces are introduced. A new boundary condition, Rigid
Motion Suppression has been introduced for handling such cases. If you add this
boundary condition to a number of domains, a suitable set of boundary conditions is
automatically added, based on the type of physics interface and geometrical dimension.
The Rigid Motion Suppression boundary condition is available for the following physics
interfaces:
• Solid Mechanics (3, 2D, 2D axisymmetric)

• Shell (3D)
• Plate (2D)
STRUCTURAL MECHANICS MODULE | 113

• Membrane (3D, 2D)
• Beam (3D, 2D)
• Multibody Dynamics (3D, 2D)
B U C K L I N G S T U D Y TY P E F O R T H E B E A M I N T E R F A C E
It is now possible to perform linearized bucking analysis also using the Beam interface.
This makes if easier to analyze critical loads for various frame structures under
compression. Also, models in which different structural mechanics interfaces are mixed
can now use this study type, since it was available with, for example, the Solid
Mechanics and Shell interfaces already in previous versions.
MODE ANALYSIS IN SOLID MECHANICS

Mode analysis has been added in the Solid Mechanics interface. This makes is possible
to study waves traveling in the out-of-plane direction for 2D structures and also
circumferential modes in axially symmetric models. Mode analysis is particularly
important in coupled acoustic-structure problems. You enable mode extension in the
2D Approximation and Axial Symmetry Approximation sections, respectively, in the
settings for the Solid Mechanics interface.
NEW FRAMEWORK FOR INELASTIC STRAINS IN GEOMETRICALLY

NONLINEAR ANALYSIS
For the case of geometric nonlinearity, a more rigorous handling of the decomposition
into elastic and inelastic deformations has been implemented. In previous versions, an
additive decomposition approach was used with a few exceptions (most notably, large
strain plasticity), which uses a multiplicative decomposition approach.
In COMSOL Multiphysics version 5.3, the default option uses a multiplicative

decomposition of deformation gradients for all inelastic contributions in studies where
geometric nonlinearity is active. The main advantage with this approach is that it is
possible to handle several large inelastic strain contributions in a material. Also,
linearization will be more consistent; as an example, it is now possible to accurately
predict the shift in eigenfrequencies caused by pure changes in the size due to thermal
expansion.
A multiplicative decomposition is, for finite deformations, order dependent. The

contributions are treated in the order that thee appear in the model tree.
The default is to use the new framework. If you want to switch to the behavior in
previous versions, there is a new Additive strain decomposition check box in the settings
for the material models.

NEW MULTIPHYSICS COUPLINGS BETWEEN STRUCTURAL MECHANICS
INTERFACES
Connecting different types of structural mechanics interfaces is significantly easier
through the introduction of three new multiphysics couplings: Solid-Shell Connection,
Solid-Beam Connection, and Shell-Beam Connection. The old Beam Connection, Shell
Connection, and Solid Connection nodes inside the Solid Mechanics, Shell, and Beam
interfaces are now obsolete, since the same functionality is available in a more
convenient manner using these new multiphysics couplings.
With the Solid-Shell Connection and Solid-Beam Connection couplings you can connect
domains from either the Solid Mechanics or the Multibody Dynamics interfaces.
ELASTIC LAYERS DESCRIBED BY PHYSICAL DATA

You can now prescribe the elastic properties of a Spring Foundation or a Thin Elastic
Layer also by material data such as Young’s modulus and shear modulus, together with
a given thickness of a layer. This simplifies the modeling of, for example, adhesive
layers.
Since a layer thickness is known, it is also possible to compute strains in the elastic layer
when this type of input is used, and such variables have been made available.
STRESS LINEARIZATION
Stress linearization is a technique where the stresses through a thin section in a solid
model are represented by a constant membrane stress and a linearly varying bending
stress. Using this type of evaluation is common when analyzing pressure vessels. It is
described in ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 1, Subsection
NB. Other fields of application are for computing reinforcement in concrete
structures, and for some types of weld analysis.
The new Stress Linearization node make it possible to select edges along which a stress
linearization is to be performed. Membrane, bending and peak stresses are reported,
and stress intensities are computed for each such stress classification line.
SAFETY FACTOR COMPUTATION

The new safety factor evaluation allows you to study the utilization of the materials in
the structure. You can add it to a Linear Elastic Material and a Nonlinear Elastic Material.
The safety factor can be computed with respect to a large number of different failure
criteria. When a Safety node is present, you will get access to postprocessing variables
for safety factor, margin of safety, damage index, and failure index.

NEW DATA SET FOR SHELL RESULTS
A new type of data set, Shell, has been added under Results. When this data set is used,
results will be plotted on two parallel surfaces, which as a default are separated by the
shell thickness. You can also modify the separation to improve visualization of very thin
shells. Result which depend on the through-thickness position, like stresses and strains,
will be evaluated at each side, so you will get a correct plot with a 3D look and feel.
When using the Shell interface, a Shell data set is automatically added when default
plots are generated.
SPRING BOUNDARY CONDITIONS FOR RIGID DOMAIN AND RIGID

CONNECTOR
The Rigid Connector and Rigid Domain features in all physics interfaces have been
augmented with a spring boundary condition, called Spring Foundation, with the
following properties:
• The spring can be attached at an arbitrary position

• Both translational and rotational springs are available
• The spring can have loss factor damping
• The spring can act in parallel with viscous damping (for both translation and
rotation)
RIGID DOMAIN IN SHELL AND BEAM INTERFACES

The Rigid Domain material model has been added also to the Shell and Beam interfaces.
This is an efficient modeling technique for parts that are significantly stiffer than the
surroundings, since it only requires the degrees of freedom of a rigid body for an entire
set of boundaries (Shell) or edges (Beam). Just as for the corresponding material model
in the Solid Mechanics and Multibody Dynamics interfaces, it is possible to apply
loads, springs, and inertia at arbitrary locations on the rigid body.
RIGID CONNECTOR IN BEAM INTERFACE

A Rigid Connector condition has been added to the Beam interface. A set of nodes can
be selected to form a rigid region. This can, for example be used for not overestimating
the flexibility at beam connections. It can also be a means of applying off-center loads,
springs, or extra inertia contributions.

OFFSET OPTION FOR POSITIONS IN RIGID DOMAIN AND RIGID
CONNECTOR
In all types of selection of positions in the Rigid Domain and Rigid Connector features,
such as center of rotation, or location of forces, it is now possible to add an offset
vector to the position specification.
EXTERNAL MATERIAL ENHANCEMENTS

Several enhancements have been made to the usability of material models created with
user-defined C-code:
• Inelastic strain contributions for nonlinear elastic and hyperelastic materials can now
be implemented
• Two new interfaces to the C code that takes several more quantities as input,
including deformation gradients
• Serendipity shape functions can now be used
• Small strain formulation has been added
• You can start by making a special initialization call to the user function
• You can make a cleanup call to the user function (for example closing files)
• The state variables can be named individually
• The time is available as an input argument
EXTERNAL STRAIN ENHANCEMENTS

In the External Strain node, you can now include inelastic strain contributions to the
material in several ways:

• As before, the inelastic strain can be computed from a user coded external function.
EN ERGY VA RIABLES F OR CON TA CT

New variables containing energy quantities for contact have been added. You can now
obtain the energy dissipated by friction, as well as the elastic energy stored in the
contact penalty factors. This is useful for checking energy balances, as well as a
posteriori checks on selected penalty factors. The variable are:
• Energy dissipated by friction: solid.Wfric

• Total energy dissipated by friction: solid.Wfric_tot

• Energy stored in penalty stiffness: solid.Wcnt
• Total energy stored in penalty stiffness: solid.Wcnt_tot
FREQUENCY DOMAIN ANALYSIS WITH CONTACT

The frequency response of a structure where a contact state has been computed in a
previous study can now be analyzed. As an example, you can perform frequency
domain analyses of bolted structures and study the influence of contact states on the
dynamic properties.
H A R M O N I C PE R T U R B A T I O N F O R P RE S C R I B E D VE L O C I T Y A N D
ACCELERATION
In the Shell, Plate, and Beam interfaces, you can provide values for harmonic
perturbation for the Prescribed Velocity and Prescribed Acceleration nodes.
IMPROVED PERIODICITY CONSTRAINTS IN PLATE AN D SH EL L

INTERFACES
In the settings for Periodic Condition in the Plate interface, the sector angle when using
the Cyclic Symmetry option is now as a default automatically determined. It can, as
before, also be set manually.
When using the same functionality in the Shell interface, it is now possible to
automatically remove superfluous constraints when parts of the shell is located on the
axis of rotation.
New Model in Version 5.3
TR A N S I E N T R O L L I N G C O N T A C T
This conceptual example shows how to handle a transient contact problem with
stick-slip friction transition. A soft hollow pipe subjected to gravity load is released at
the top of a halfpipe. The motion varies between sliding and rolling, depending on its
position in the halfpipe and its velocity. The cross section of the pipe is also ovalized
due to the contact and inertial forces. An energy balance validates the accuracy of the
solution.

The friction slip velocity is no longer defined as a dependent variable. When running
a model using the COMSOL API, you will need to remove the reference to this
variable in the solver settings. The friction slip velocity is usually defined as

<comp>_<solid>_vslip_<pairname>, where <comp> is the tag of the component,
<solid> is the tag of the Solid Mechanics physics interface where the Friction node is
defined, and <pairname> is the name of the contact pair.

• If an old model using the Beam interface is opened, the Euler-Bernoulli formulation
is used. The Beam Formulation selection is still shown but cannot be changed from
Euler-Bernoulli. If Advanced Physics Options is enabled, then the new section
Backward Compatibility is shown. If you clear the Use pre 4.4 formulation check box,
then the new formulation is used. Doing this enables the use of Timoshenko beams,
but you must manually handle solver settings like segregation and scaling. This
legacy option does not support beams mixed with solids or shells in cases where the
same names for degrees of freedom were used in both physics interfaces.
• For models using mechanical contact, plot expressions are not updated when you
open an old model where the pair names have been edited manually. Also, opening
an old model where a pair name has been manually edited might affect the solver
configuration. It is recommended that you regenerate a new default solver
configuration.

• When using version 5.2a, in the Solid Mechanics interface, the property
ControlsSpatialFrame from version 4.3a no longer exists, and COMSOL
Multiphysics now always assumes that the displacements control the spatial frame.
Remove all lines setting the value of ControlsSpatialFrame. See Support
Knowledge Base article 1156.
• When opening old models that include contact, the penalty factor control is set to
User defined and the contact normal penalty factor is set to the expression used in
the model.

Subsurface Flow Module
N E W TR A N S P O R T O F D I L U T E D S P E C I E S I N F R A C T U R E S I N T E R F A C E
The new Transport in Diluted Species in Fractures interface is used to model mass
transport along thin fractures occurring in solid or porous media. The interface is
defined and solved on boundaries in the model geometry, assuming that the fracture
thickness is very small compared to its other dimensions.
N E W F R A C T U R E N O D E I N T H E TR A N S P O R T O F D I L U T E D S P E C I E S I N
POROUS MEDIA INTERFACE
N E W I N T E R N A L WA L L N O D E I N T H E D A R C Y ’S L A W, R I C H A R D S
E Q U A T I O N S A N D TW O - P H A S E D A R C Y ’S L A W I N T E R F A C E S
The Darcy’s law, Richards Equations, and Two-Phase Darcy’s Law interfaces can now
define thin interior walls. This is useful to avoid meshing thin impermeable structures
embedded in porous media, such as retaining walls, plates, and slabs.
N EW T H I N B A R R I E R N O D E I N T H E D A RC Y ’S L AW A N D R I C H A RD S
EQUATIONS INTERFACES
The Darcy’s Law and Richards Equations interfaces can now define permeable walls
on interior boundaries. These internal boundaries are typically used to represent thin
low permeability structures. The new Thin Barrier feature allows to avoid meshing thin
structures like geotextiles or perforated plates.
N E W W E L L N O D E I N T H E D A R C Y ’S L A W, R I C H A R D S E Q U A T I O N S A N D
TW O - P H A S E D A R C Y ’S L A W I N T E R F A C E S
The Darcy’s law, Richards Equations, and Two-Phase Darcy’s Law interfaces include
the possibility to model wells. The new Well node makes it possible to select edges in
3D or points in 2D where either Injection wells or Production wells are active.

New Model in Version 5.3
A Q U I F E R WA T E R TA BL E M O D E L
This tutorial model demonstrates the application of COMSOL Multiphysics to a
benchmark case of steady-state subsurface flow and transient solute transport along a
vertical cross section in an unconfined aquifer. The solute transport is subjected to
highly irregular flow conditions with strong anisotropic dispersion.
SUBSURFACE FLOW MODULE | 121

Wave Optics Module
NEW FEATURE
A Surface Magnetic Current Density boundary condition node is now available.
UPDATED FEATURE
The Scattering Boundary Condition node for Electromagnetic Waves, Transient can now
be used also under high loss conditions.
N EW FAR -FIELD PO STPROCESS IN G VARIABL ES

• EIRP and EIRPdB: effective isotoropic radiated power and its dB-scaled value.
• gainEfar and gaindBEfar: gain excluding input mismatch and its dB-scaled value.
• rGainEfar and rGaindBEfar: realized gain including input mismatch and its
dB-scaled value
NEW SETTINGS FOR ENHANCED USABILITY

In the Electromagnetic Waves, Frequency Domain physics interface:
physics-controlled meshes reads the wavelength from study steps automatically.
For the periodic port:
• The maximum frequency is defined automatically from study steps.

• The angles of incidence are defined only with the excitation port.
For frequency-domain modal analysis:
• The eigenfrequency search method around shift is now set as Larger real part.
• The linper operator is applied internally in an excited port or lumped port feature.
R E N A M E D TU T O R I A L M O D E L
The Defining a Mapped Dielectric Distribution of a Metamaterial Lens model has been
renamed as Defining a Mapped Dielectric Distribution of a Material.

PERFECTLY MATCHED LAYERS PHYSICS FEAT URE NO LONGER

AVAILABLE
The Perfectly Matched Layer physics feature that for version 5.2 and earlier versions was
marked deprecated is no longer available. Thus, models using the Perfectly Matched
Layer physics feature, must first be rebuilt in a version earlier than 5.2a to use the
Perfectly Matched Layer feature from under the Definitions node, before being loaded in
5.2a.
N EW D E F A U L T VA L U E F O R G A U S S I A N B E A M B A C K G RO U N D F I E L D S P O T
RADIUS
The Gaussian beam background field is based on the paraxial approximate solution to
Helmholtz’ equation. Since this approximation is less accurate for small spot radii, the
default value for the spot radius has been changed from one wavelength to ten
wavelengths.
PO R T PHA SE PARA METER R ENAMED AND REL OCAT ED

The parameter Port phase, which was previously located in the Port Properties section,
is now called Mode phase and is located in the Port Mode Settings section. The API,
however, has not changed.
BOUNDARY MODE STUDY SEQUENCES NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN THE

MODEL WIZARD
Previously, when the Laser Heating multiphysics was selected, the Boundary Mode,
Frequency-Stationary and Boundary Mode, Frequency-Transient study sequences
were available from the Model Wizard. Now, these two study sequences are removed.
Instead, a Boundary Mode Analysis step can be added manually to the
Frequency-Stationary and Frequency-Transient studies.
WAVE O P T I C S M O D U L E | 123
Material Library
New and Updated Material Data in Version 5.3
Data has been added for the following materials: C36000, P92, VM12-SHC (ASME
Code Case 2781), IN-939 SSC, C26000, 17-4 PH, Copper, A182 Grade F1 (Ravne
No. 760), A537 (S185), Silicon, BS 460B steel reinforcing bars, BS B500B steel
reinforcing bars, 1040 steel, SMn443, JIS G 4801 SUP12, 52100, 6150, G4802
SK5-CSP, ASTM A723, PMMA, BK7 glass, GaS, 28CrMoV5-8, 5132, 9310, Ferrium
C61 (AMS 6517), Ferrium S53, Inconel 803, Inconel 864, 201, 9310, Ferrium C64,
Ferrium M54, AerMet 100, 304LN, 718, Al2TiO5, NaBr, Sulfur, Alloy D9, A319,
MAR-M247, GRCop-84, Dupont Delrin resins, Dupont Crastin, Hytrel, Minlon,
Rynite, Zenite, Zytel resins, Elf Atochem KYNAR resins, Petra 140 BK-112, Lexan
101, Celacex 1600A, Pro-fax 6823, ULTEM PEI resin, 1070, TRIP 800, P91, ASME
P23, T23 steels, ductile iron 80-55-06 (NE-GJS-600), 2101 duplex stainless, 2024 Al,
and for the following Cr steels: 1.4037 (X65Cr13), 1.4122 (X39CrMo17-1), 1.4742
(X10CrAlSi18), 1.4910 (X3CrNiMoBN17-13-3), 1.3964
(X2CrNiMnMoNNb21-16-5-3), and 430F.
Also, data for several electronic potting materials was added.
For steels 2304, 2507, S32304, and S32750, an additional reference was added for the
elastic modulus resulting in the values changing by 0 to 5%. For M2 steel an additional
reference was added for the expansion resulting in the values changing by 0 to 2%.

LiveLink™ for MATLAB ®
LiveLink™ for MATLAB® now supports MATLAB® R2016b and R2017a.
The following sections list new and improved functionality in LiveLink™ for
®
MATLAB .
A C C E S S T O F U N C T I O N S F R O M T H E A P P S TA B O F T H E TO O L S T R I P I N
MATLA B ®
By installing the LiveLink for MATLAB.mltbx file you gain access to four functions
from the Apps tab of the toolstrip in MATLAB®. These functions are:
mphmodellibrary, mphnavigator, mphopen, and mphsearch. This makes it easy to
perform common tasks such as loading and searching for models, navigating the model
object structure, and viewing the model settings.
MPHRAY FUNCTION
The new mphray function has been added to support ray optics and ray acoustics data
sets.
MPHPARTICLE FUNCTION
The mphparticle function now supports the properties 'solnum', 'outersolnum',
'times' and 'velocities'. These new options give improved access to particle data
from parametric sweep studies.
MPHPLOT FUNCTION
Support is added for the following plot types: Height Aberration Plots, Arrow Surface
Plots (normal and tangent angles), Streamline Surface Plots, and Line Plots with two
y-axes.
MPHPLOT, MPHGEOM AND MPHMESH FUNCTIONS

Support for views has been introduced for these functions. This adds support for some
of the view settings associated with the plot when creating the plot in MATLAB®. This
is controlled by the property 'view' that can have the value 'auto' for automatically
selecting a view based on the plot type, or a specific tag for the view to be used.
The new syntax is
L I V E L I N K ™ F O R M AT L A B ® | 125
mphplot(model, 'pg1', 'view', 'view1')
mphgeom(model, 'geom1', 'view', 'view1')
mphmesh(model, 'mesh1', 'view', 'view1')
MPHTHUMBNAIL FUNCTION
The new mphthumbnail function enables the setting and getting of the thumbnail
images of models. Note that model thumbnails are now preserved by default when
loading and saving models. In previous versions, these were silently removed.

The functions mpheval, mphglobal, and mphinterp, which extract numerical data,
now support complex values by default; that is, the property 'complexout' is 'on' by
default. If you want to have the previous behavior, set 'complexout' to 'off'.

• The mphint2 command: For data sets other than Solution, Particle, Cut Line,
Cut Plane, Time Integral, Time Average, Surface, and Line, the integration order
now corresponds to the element refinement. The default value is set to 4 instead of
1. This change can affect the solution in cases where the problem is not resolved well
enough.
• The mphapplicationlibraries function replaces the mphmodellibrary function
for showing the Application Libraries window.

LiveLink™ for Excel ®
Supported Versions
Excel® 2007 is no longer supported starting with version 5.3 of COMSOL
Multiphysics.

• Buttons for loading and saving COMSOL Multiphysics models and handling server
connections have been moved from the COMSOL ribbon tab to the File tab in Excel®.
This leaves more space on the COMSOL tab for functionality for working with the
COMSOL Multiphysics models in the Excel workbook.
• To enable easier access to the product documentation, all windows and dialog boxes
now have a Help button to open context-sensitive help.
• Two new buttons have been added to the Numerical Results section of the COMSOL
ribbon tab. The Result Parameters button provides access to parameters defined in
the Parameters node in the Results section of the Model Tree. When clicked, the
Clear and Evaluate All button first clears all table entries and then evaluates all derived
values.
LIVELINK™ FOR EXCEL® | 127

The COMSOL API for Use with Java®
COMSOL 5.3 API Changes
NEW COMPONENT SYNTAX

The geometry component is now included in the code for features that appear in a
component. For example,
model.geom("geom1")
in earlier versions is now instead
model.component("comp1").geom("geom1")
to indicate which component the geometry belongs to. To keep the old syntax in
generated Model Java® files, clear the Use component syntax check box under Code
generation on the Methods page in the Preferences window. All old scripts and Java®
source code files will continue to work using the old syntax.
ECAD IMPORT MODULE CHANGES

• The default value for the sellayer property of the Import function is now on.
Previously, the default was off.
• The default value for the sellayershow property of the Import function is now
all. Previously, the default was dom.
COMSOL 5.2a API Changes
AC/DC MODULE CHANGES
New Coil Feature

In the Magnetic Fields, Magnetic and Electric Fields, and Rotating Machinery,
Magnetic interfaces, a new unified Coil feature has replaced the Multi-Turn Coil feature.
The functionality of the old Multi-Turn Coil feature can be replicated by using the new
Coil feature with the Conductor model set to Homogenized Multi-Turn, but all of the
other parameters are unchanged. The only change required is to the create statements
such as:
model.physics("mf").feature().create("mtcd1",
"MultiTurnCoilDomain", 3);

which should be modified to:
model.physics("mf").feature().create("mtcd1", "Coil", 3);

model.physics("mf").feature("mtcd1").set("ConductorModel",
"Multi");
User-Defined Coil Geometry Subfeature Selection

In 3D models, when using a user-defined geometry for a Coil feature, the User Defined
Coil Geometry subfeature has been transformed from a boundary feature to a domain
feature. New Input and Output subnodes are used to select the coil input or output
boundaries instead. Any code setting the selection of this feature should be modified
to set the selection on the Input subfeature instead.
Relative Permeability for Magnetic Shielding in Magnetic Fields, No Current

The relative permeability parameter mur in the Magnetic Shielding feature in the
Magnetic Fields, No Currents interface is now a scalar quantity. Setting a tensor
quantity will not cause exception, but only the first component of the tensor will be
used as the value.
ACOUSTICS MODULE CHANGES

The default settings have changed for the Incident Pressure Field in the Pressure
Acoustics interfaces. Add the following line to obtain the old behavior of this feature
when ipf1 is a subfeature to pwr1:
model.physics("acpr").feature("pwr1").feature("ipf1").
set("c", "acpr.c_c");
ACOUSTICS MODULE CHANGES

The ratio of specific heats is now a material parameter. If the default value was used in
a model, add the following line to the Java® file to obtain the old behavior:
model.physics("cpf").feature("cpf1").set("gamma_mat", "userdef");
ELECTROCHEMISTRY MODULES CHANGES

There are changes for the Tertiary Current Distribution, Nernst-Planck interface. The
Java® API syntax for creating and accessing vectors and tensors has changed, as well as
the syntax for setting physics properties. See the following examples:
• Specifying the diffusion tensor.

Old syntax:
THE COMSOL API FOR USE WITH JAVA® | 129

model.physics("tcdee").feature("ice1").set("D_0", new
String[]{"D1", "0", "0", "0", "D1", "0", "0", "0", "D1"});
String[]{"D2", "0", "0", "0", "D2", "0", "0", "0", "D2"});
String[]{"D3", "0", "0", "0", "D3", "0", "0", "0", "D3"});
New syntax (includes the species name in the first argument of the set method):
model.physics("tcdee").feature("ice1").set("D_c1", new
String[]{"D1", "0", "0", "0", "D1", "0", "0", "0", "D1"});
String[]{"D2", "0", "0", "0", "D2", "0", "0", "0", "D2"});
String[]{"D3", "0", "0", "0", "D3", "0", "0", "0", "D3"});
• Accessing tensor components (in the definitions of other variables, for example).
Old syntax:
Dxx_c1, Dxy_c1, Dxz_c1...
New syntax (component index after the species name):

D_c1xx, D_c1xy, D_c1xz...
• Specifying the reaction rate vector.

Old syntax:
model.physics("tcdee").feature("reac1").set("R_0", new
String[]{"R1"});
String[]{"R2"});
String[]{"R3"});
New syntax (includes the species name in the first argument of the set method):
model.physics("tcdee").feature("reac1").set("R_c1", new
String[]{"R1"});
String[]{"R2"});
String[]{"R3"});
• Accessing vector components.

Old syntax:
tfluxx_c1, tfluxy_c1, tfluxz_c1
New syntax (component index after the species name):

tflux_c1x, tflux_c1y, tflux_c1z

• Specifying initial values.
Old syntax:
model.physics("tcdee").feature("init1").setIndex("c2", "c20", 0);
model.physics("tcdee").feature("init1").setIndex("c3", "c30", 0);
model.physics("tcdee").feature("init1").setIndex("V", "V0", 0);
New syntax:
model.physics("tcdee").feature("init1").setIndex("initc", "c20",
1);
model.physics("tcdee").feature("init1").setIndex("initc", "c30",
2);
model.physics("tcdee").feature("init1").setIndex("initphil",
"V0");
• Selecting properties.
Old syntax:
model.physics("tcdee").prop("Convection").set("Convection", 1,
"0");
model.physics("tcdee").prop("ConvectiveTerm").setIndex("Convectiv
eTerm", "noncons", 0);
New syntax (the property name corresponds to the section in the user interface):
model.physics("tcdee").prop("TransportMechanism").set("Convection
", 1, "0");
model.physics("tcdee").prop("AdvancedSettings").setIndex("Convect
iveTerm", "noncons", 0);
For information about API backward compatibility for the Surface Reactions interface,
see the Chemical Reaction Engineering Module release notes.
ECAD IMPORT MODULE CHANGES

• The default value for the grouping property of the Import function is now set to
layer. Previously, the default was all.
• For ODB++® and ODB++(X) files (the type property is odb), new rules apply for
the initialization of the importlayer property of the Import function. Now, only
layers of the types Metal and Dielectric are initialized with the string on in the
importlayer string array. Previously this also included layers of type Drill.
®
LIVELINK™ FOR SOLID EDGE CHANGES
The default value for the keepfree property of the LiveLinkSolidEdge function is

LIVELINK™ FOR SOLIDWORKS® CHANGES
The default value for the keepfree property of the LiveLinkSOLIDWORKS function is
DOCUMENTATION
The COMSOL Multiphysics Programming Reference Manual replaces the
COMSOL API for Use with Java® Reference Manual.
DEPRECATED METHODS
The following methods were deprecated in COMSOL 5.0:
TABLE 1-4: DEPRECATED METHODS AND THEIR REPLACEMENTS
DEPRECATED METHOD NEW METHOD
com.comsol.model.OptFeature.field() OptFeature.comp()
com.comsol.model.OptFeature.field(String) OptFeature.comp(String)
com.comsol.model.Group.identifier() Group.paramName()
com.comsol.model.Material.identifier() ModelEntity.tag()
com.comsol.model.MaterialModel. ModelEntity.tag()
identifier()
com.comsol.model.ModelNode.identifier() ModelEntity.tag()
com.comsol.model.physics.Physics. Use tag() instead.
identifier()
com.comsol.model.physics. ModelEntity.tag()
MultiphysicsCoupling.identifier()
com.comsol.model.Group.identifier(String) Group.paramName(String)
com.comsol.model.Material. ModelEntity.tag(String)
identifier(String)
com.comsol.model.MaterialModel. ModelEntity.tag(String)
identifier(String)
com.comsol.model.ModelNode. ModelEntity.tag(String)
identifier(String)
com.comsol.model.physics.Physics. Use tag(string) instead.
identifier(String)
com.comsol.model.physics. ModelEntity.tag(String)
MultiphysicsCoupling.identifier(String)
com.comsol.model.ModelEntity.name() ModelEntity.label()

TABLE 1-4: DEPRECATED METHODS AND THEIR REPLACEMENTS
DEPRECATED METHOD NEW METHOD
com.comsol.model.ModelEntity.name(String) ModelEntity.
label(String)
com.comsol.model.ParameterEntity. Use the 0-based version
set(String, int, double) (setIndex) instead.
set(String, int, double) (setIndex) instead.
set(String, int, double[]) (setIndex) instead.
set(String, int, int) (setIndex) instead.
set(String, int, int[]) (setIndex) instead.
set(String, int, int, double) (setIndex) instead.
set(String, int, int, int) (setIndex) instead.
set(String, int, int, String) (setIndex) instead.
set(String, int, String) (setIndex) instead.
set(String, int, String[] (setIndex) instead.
PHYSICS INTERFACES
• The default Initial Value features in the following interfaces have been extended:
- Transport of Concentrated Species
- Reacting Flow in Porous Media (rfcs)
- Reacting Flow
- Rotating Machinery, Reacting Flow
Previously, only the initial mass fractions could be specified. Now, the initial values
can be specified in terms of mass fractions, mole fractions, molar concentrations,
number densities, or densities. When opening an old Model MPH file, Mixture
specification is set to Mass fractions, and the mass fractions specified are entered in

the respective text fields. In old model files for Java®, commands specifying the
initial value of a mass fraction return an error in version 5.0 and later. To specify the
initial mass fraction of a species w2, which is the second in the list of species (seen in
the Dependent Variables section when clicking the interface), change the COMSOL
API Java® command
model.physics("chcs").feature("init1").set("w2", 1, "0.1");
to
model.physics("chcs").feature("init1").set("w0", 2, "0.1");
• The Pressure Acoustics, Frequency Domain interface and the Boundary Mode
Acoustics interface have a new default feature. If the default feature has been edited
in a Java® file, the following line should be added to the Java® file to obtain the old
behavior for Pressure Acoustics, Frequency Domain:
model.physics("acpr").feature().create("pam1",
"PressureAcousticsModel").selection().all();
or
model.physics("acbm").feature().create("pam1",
"PressureAcousticsModel").selection().all();
for Boundary Mode Acoustics.

This line should be added directly after the line where the physics interface is
created.
• For models using mechanical contact, the variable field name in the solver settings
for the old contact variables is different than in earlier versions. For example:
- In version 5.2 and later: mod1_solid_contact_old_p1,
mod1_solid_cm_old_p1.
- In version earlier than 5.0: mod1_solid_contact_p1_old,

mod1_solid_cm_p1_old.
• The parameter form in the property EquationForm can no longer be set to

ModeAnalysis in 3D and 2D axisymmetric calculations for the Pressure Acoustics,
Frequency Domain and Pressure Acoustics, Transient interfaces. In these cases, the
parameter modeFreq has been removed.

COMSOL 4.3b API Changes
PHYSICS INTERFACES
• The Crosswind diffusion formulation has been updated for all physics interfaces
supporting Crosswind diffusion. Models solved with the new formulation can give
different results than models solved in versions earlier than 4.3b. Java® files can be
modified to retain old crosswind formulations. Please contact COMSOL Support
for details.
• The default settings have changed for the Background Pressure Field in the Pressure
Acoustics interfaces. Add the following line to obtain the old behavior of this
feature:
model.physics("acpr").feature("bpf1").set("c", 1, "acpr.c_c");
• In the Acoustics Module, the Far-Field Calculation feature is no longer available in

1D and 1D axisymmetric models.
• The shape function property border has been deprecated and replaced by order.
GENERAL API CHANGES

• Class files compiled with COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.3 or earlier need to be
recompiled if they contain code that changes the contents of model.selection().
• The solutionintitle property governs whether to show solution information in
plot titles. But since solution information has never been shown for 1D plots,
regardless of the content of the property, the property has been removed from 1D
plot groups.
FLUID FLOW INTERFACES API

• Fluid flow features in the CFD Module and Microfluidics Module that previously
created a scalar Lagrange multiplier field with default name model.un_lm now
create a vectorial Lagrange multiplier field with default name model.u_lm. The
default component names in 3D are model.u_lm, model.v_lm, and model.w_lm,
respectively. Java® files must be updated accordingly.
• Weak constraints for the Interior Wall feature are no longer available. Any references
to its weak constraint parameter (weakConstraints) or Lagrange multipliers must
be removed.

• The Automatic setting for the Pseudo time stepping property now sets the variable
<phtag>.locCFL to the built-in variable CFLCMP, which in turn triggers a PID
regulator via the automatic solver suggestions. Here, <phtag> is the physics
interface tag. Java® files where pseudo time stepping is active and the local CFL
number is set to Automatic must be modified by adding the command
model.physics(<tag>).prop("PseudoTimeProperty").set("CFLNumbExpr"
, 1, "Manual");
before calling a solver.

• In the Acoustics Module, the far-field variables pfar and Lp_far have new names
with full scope. They are now referred to as acpr.ffc1.pfar and
®
acpr.ffc1.Lp_far, respectively. Any model files for Java that use the old variable
names in expressions (such as expressions used for plotting or evaluation that
include such old variable names) require a manual update.
• The following methods
model.physics(<tag>).feature(<ftag>).params();
model.physics(<tag>).prop(propname).params();
are deprecated and replaced by the methods

model.physics(<tag>).feature(<ftag>).param();
model.physics(<tag>).prop(propname).param();

• Class files compiled with COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.1 or earlier need to be
recompiled.
• The Far Field feature in the Electromagnetic Waves interface has changed from being
a boundary feature with a boundary selection only, to a domain feature with a
domain selection. It also has a subfeature — a boundary selection.
• The dependent variable associated with gauge fixing in the Magnetic Fields,
Magnetic and Electric Fields, Electromagnetic Waves, and Transient
Electromagnetic Waves interfaces is now unique to each interface. It is no longer
available in the model scope, for example, mod1.psi. Instead, the gauge fixing field
is only available in the interface scope, for example, as mod1.mf.psi.
• In the scattered field formulation in the Electromagnetic Waves interface, the
scattered field is no longer available in the model scope (for example, mod1.relEx).

Instead, the scattered field is only available in the interface scope as, for example,
mod1.emw.relEx.
• In the Solid Mechanics interfaces (SolidMechanics, PiezoelectricDevices,

AcousticStructure, Poroelasticity, ThermallyInducedStresses,
JouleHeatingThermalExpansion, TransientAcousticStructure, and
FluidStructureInteraction), tensors in local coordinate systems (el, eel, Sl,
si, and ei) have new names. The coordinates of the local system (for example, x1,
x2, and x3) are no longer used. Instead 1, 2, and 3 are used together with double
indexing for all components. As an example, elX2 is replaced by el22 and elx2x3
is replaced by el23. The tensors si and ei are now called Sil and eil.
• In the Darcy’s Law interface and the Richards’ Equation interface in the Subsurface
Flow Module, fluid compressibility is now a material parameter and no longer has a
default value. If the default value was used, you now have to set the value. The
following example sets the permeability to the old default value:
model.physics("dl").feature("smm1").set(chif_mat,userdef);
model.physics("dl").feature("smm1").set(kappa,4e-10);
• In the Poroelasticity interface in the Subsurface Flow Module, the fluid

compressibility and the Biot-Willis coefficient are now material parameters and no
longer have default values. If the default values were used, you now have to set the
value. The following example sets the permeability to the old default value:
model.physics("dl").feature("smm1").set(chif_mat,userdef);
model.physics("dl").feature("smm1").set(kappa,4e-10);
• The Level Set and Phase Field interfaces now include the Initial Interface feature by
default. If you have a model that was created in an earlier version of COMSOL
Multiphysics, it will fail to create a feature with the same tag name.

The following changes were made to the COMSOL API between versions 4.0a and
4.1:
• In version 4.0a, the property nonlin in the stationary solver could have the values
auto, on, off, and linearized. The default in most cases was auto, but in some
cases, specifically in a frequency-domain study, the default was linearized. In
version 4.1, the possible values are auto, on, off, and linper, with auto as default,
except in the Frequency Domain, Linearized study step where the default is linper.
The value linearized can still be set, but this is treated as auto. If the problem is
linear and the linearization point is zero, auto should give the same solution as

linearized. For nonlinear problems where the linearization point is zero, the
solution given by auto might be slightly different, and probably more accurate,
while changing to off should give exactly the same solution as linearized. When
there is a nonzero linearization point, it is relevant to use the linper option. This
option works like linearized, except that source terms that contribute to the
linearized problem must be enclosed by the linper operator.
• In the Darcy’s Law interface, Brinkman interface, Richards’ Equation interface, and
Poroelasticity interface (in the CFD Module and Subsurface Flow Module), the
permeability and porosity are now material parameters and no longer have default
values. If the default values were used in a model file for Java®, you now have to set
them. The following example sets the permeability to the old default value:
model.physics("dl").feature("dlm1").set(kappa_mat,userdef);
model.physics("dl").feature("dlm1").set(kappa,3e-11);
• The pressure variable in solid mechanics, typically solid.pw, now only gets
allocated degrees of freedom for incompressible materials. If you have referred to it,
for example, during segregation in the solver, the code will have to be changed to
remove the field.
• The solution to eigenvalue and eigenfrequency problems may now appear in a
different order.
• The Batteries & Fuel Cells Module’s boundary feature,
BoundaryReactionCoefficient, is tagged by rc instead of brc by default. This
means that files that explicitly refer to the old default tag name must be modified to
refer to the new tag name.
COMSOL 4.0a Java API Changes

The following changes were made to the COMSOL API between versions 4.0 and
4.0a:
• The units of the load face parameter (Fph) of the Phase feature in
AcousticStructure, TransientAcousticStructure,
ThermallyInducedStresses, SolidMechanics,
JouleHeatingThermalExpansion, Poroelasticity, and
FluidStructureInteraction have changed from degrees to radians.
• The physics.field() operator for Beam and Truss are not backward compatible
with 4.0. Scalar fields are now vector fields.
• The variables for strain and stress in the Shell interface have been renamed. Variable
names that began with a lowercase s now begin with an uppercase S. For variables

names that ended in lowercase l (L), the letter was moved to the third position. For
example, emXXl is now emlXX.
• Force loads on solids and trusses have been moved from the material to the spatial
frame. This means that the index notation of some variables has changed from
uppercase XYZ to lowercase xyz.
• The acoustics interfaces (PressureAcoustics, TransientPressureAcoustics,
AcousticStructure, and TransientAcousticStructure) have been moved
from the material to the spatial frame. This means that the index notation of vector
variables has changed from uppercase XYZ to lowercase xyz.
This concludes the release notes for COMSOL Multiphysics version 5.3.

I n d e x
A AC/DC Module Electrochemistry Module
backward compatibility 33 backward compatibility 61
new application 32 new functionality in 60
new functionality 32 Electrodeposition Module
Acoustics Module backward compatibility 63
b 35 new functionality in 62
new functionality in 35
F Fatigue Module
Application Builder. new functionality in
10
G general new functionality 10
B backward compatibility, general consid-
Geomechanics Module
erations 23
Battery & Fuel Cells Module
geometry and mesh, new functionality
backward compatibility 39
for 15
H Heat Transfer Module
C CAD Import Module
backward compatibility 75–76
new applications in 74
CFD Module
new functionality in 43 L LiveLink for Excel
new models in 44 new functionality in 127
Chemical Reaction Engineering Module supported versions 127
backward compatibility 52 LiveLink for MATLAB
new functionality in 51 backward compatibility 126
COMSOL API changes 128 new functionality in 125
COMSOL Multiphysics, new functionali- LiveLink™ products for CAD
ty in 13 new functionality in 40
COMSOL Server, new functionality in 12 M Material Library

Corrosion Module new and updated material data in 124
backward compatibility 58 new material data in 124
new and updated models in 58 MEMS Module
new functionality 57 backward compatibility 86
D Design Module new functionality in 86
new functionality in 40 Microfluidics Module

E ECAD Import Module
Mixer Module
INDEX| 141
new functionality in 88 new functionality in 112
Molecular Flow Module Structural Mechanics Module
backward compatibility 88 backward compatibility 118
Multibody Dynamics Module new functionality in 113
new applications in 90 new models in 118
new functionality in 89 studies and solvers, new functionality in
18
N Nonlinear Structural Materials Module
Subsurface Flow Module
new model in 121
O operators, functions, and definitions,
W Wave Optics Module
new and updated 18
Optimization Module
P Particle Tracing Module

Pipe Flow Module
Plasma Module
new models in 100
R Ray Optics Module

results and visualization, new functionali-
ty in 20
RF Module
new and updated apps and models in
109
Rotordynamics Module
S Semiconductor Module
142 | I N D E X

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COMSOL Multiphysics

• Support Center: www.comsol.com/support

Part number: CM010001

Chapter 1: Release Notes

CAD Import Module, Design Module, and LiveLink™ Products

Chemical Reaction Engineering Module 51

ECAD Import Module 59

Heat Transfer Module 67

Multibody Dynamics Module 89

Nonlinear Structural Materials Module 91

Particle Tracing Module 94

Pipe Flow Module 99

Plasma Module 100

Ray Optics Module 102

Rotordynamics Module 111

Semiconductor Module 112

Structural Mechanics Module 113

Subsurface Flow Module 120

Wave Optics Module 122

Material Library 124

LiveLink™ for MATLAB® 125

The COMSOL API for Use with Java® 128

COMSOL Multiphysics® version 5.3 includes extended and improved versions of

IMPROVED PERF OR MA NC E A ND US ER IN TERFA CE

New Functionality in the Application Builder

GENERAL NEW FUNCTIONALITY

10 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

IMPROVEMENTS TO THE METHOD EDITOR AND APPLICATION LANGUAGE

New Functionality in COMSOL Server

12 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

New and Improved General Functionality in COMSOL Multiphysics

14 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

16 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

New and Updated Operators, Functions, and Definitions

New Functionality in Studies and Solvers

STUDIES AND STUDY STEP FUNCTIONALITY

18 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

NEW AND IMPROVED GRAPHICS AND PLOT FUNCTIONALITY

20 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

IMPROVED DATA EXPOR T AND ANIMATIONS

NEW AND IMPROVED DATA SETS

IMPROVED REPOR T GENERATION

New Java® API Methods

22 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

General Backward Compatibility Considerations

Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2a

API SYNTAX FOR ERROR HANDLING

is no longer supported. Instead, use the following documented syntax:

FREE QUAD MESHING

Backward Compatibility with Version 5.2

FREE QUAD MESH

GEOMINFO CHECK() METHOD

THE CONST PROPER TY IN SOLVERS

24 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

SELECTIONS IN PART INSTANCES

DORMAND-PRINCE 5 TIME-STEPPING SOLVER

Backward Compatibility with Version 5.0

DISPLAY OF MAX/MIN MARKERS IN PLOTS

MERGED MPH-FILE FORMAT