Equation-Based Modeling:

Building your Equations from scratch

2u
u
ea 2 + d a
(cu + u ) + u + au = f
t
t
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Outline
Demo of using built-in physics interface
Demo of the same, using PDE interface
Adding other equation-based modeling features

A quick demo using the built-in Heat

Transfer in Solids physics interface

A spinning wafer gets heated up by a laser moving

back and forth over the surface
Radiation to ambient cools the wafer

Built-in functionality used:

Heat Transfer in Solids interface

Translational motion feature
Heat Flux boundary condition
Diffuse radiating surface boundary condition
Coupling operators are used to monitor the
average, minimum & maximum temperature

Now we will implement the same model

using the equation-based PDE interface

Coefficient Form/General Form/Weak Form

Manual boundary conditions
Couplings to domains we do not want to model
Couplings to implement a feedback control system

Lets look at the Heat Transfer equation

in a more general way
T
C p
(kT ) = 0
t

d a ut (cu ) = 0

Equation of Transient
Heat Transfer in a Solid

Generic Parabolic Equation

COMSOL provides a general coefficient form

2u
u
ea 2 + d a
(cu + u ) + u + au = f
t
t
ea = = = = a = f = 0

2u
u
ea 2 + d a
(cu + u ) + u + au = f
t
t

d a ut (cu ) = 0

Where to get started with Equationbased modeling

Implementing Conductive Heat Transfer

in the Coefficient Form Interface

Now lets add in the advective term

T
C p
+ C p u T (kT ) = 0
t

u: velocity vector

T
C p
(kT ) = C p u T
t

T
T

u T = u x
+ uy
y
x

T
T
T

C p
+ uy
(kT ) = C p u x
y
t
x

Implementing Advective Term, 1st way

How to evaluate derivatives?

Solution field:

Spatial 1st derivatives:

ux, uy, uz

Spatial 2nd derivatives:

uxx, uxy, , uyz, uzz

Time derivatives:
Mixed derivatives:
Derivatives tangent to surfaces:

ut, utt
uxt, uytt
uTx, uTy, uTz

Implementing Advective Term, 2nd way

Implementing Conductive Heat Transfer

in the General Form Interface

Implementing boundary conditions

All boundary conditions conditions are either:
Mixed (or Robin) condition:

n (cu + u ) + hu g = 0

Dirichelet condition:

ur =0

For Heat Transfer:

= = 0
n (cu ) = g hu

All Heat Transfer conditions can be

represented with the same interface
Insulation:
Heat Flux into domain:
Convective condition:

Radiative condition:

n (cu ) = 0

Default (natural)
boundary condition

n (cu ) = q ' '

n (cu ) = h(Tair T )
4
n (cu ) = (Tamb
T 4)

A fixed temperature (or Dirichelet) condition could also be used,

but it is often more realistic to use a very high convection coefficient

Implementing a Heat Flux Condition

Implementing a Radiative Flux Condition

Now lets add:

Convective heat flux to ambient gas
A volume of air, that we do not want to model,
gets heated up by the wafer

Considering a volume of gas

Known volume (mass) of air
Assume that air is well-mixed
Assume a heat transfer coefficient
between wafer and air
Spinning wafer

Temperature variation
of a well-mixed volume
of air of known mass is:

20

Integral of heat flux

out of the wafer

A Global Equation is used to add an

additional degree of freedom to the model
f (u , ut , utt , t ) = 0

Implementing the air volume

Next lets add:

Convective heat flux to ambient gas
A volume of air, that we do not want to model,
gets heated up by the wafer

A simpler temperature controller

Heat the wafer until the minimum temperature
goes above 100C

The minimum integration operator can

control the heat flux
If the
minimum
temperature
goes above
100C then
turn off the
heat flux

Features covered
Setting up an equation from the coefficient form
Adding additional terms
Multiple ways of addressing the same problem

Evaluation of derivatives
Implementing boundary conditions
Adding addition Global Equations
Using coupling variables for feedback control

Questions?