Comsol Apps

SUMMARY: Successful teaching of the fundamental chemical enginering principles is critical to preparing the next generation’s workforce. However, in today’s uncertain world of the COVID-19 pandemic most experimental laboratories (including those used for academic courses) have been shut down. This has made delivering “hands on” materials, such as teaching how core chemical engineering labs, especially challenging. Consequently, we have seen an increased demand for virtual instruction materials and visual teaching aids that can help students to learn in a remote setting. COMSOL is a powerful Multiphysics software package with a very intuitive user interface, which makes it an attractive visual accessory for teaching physical phenomena to students. Unfortunately, even with the very detailed tutorials available online, there is still a “learning curve” which prevents many instructors from using it in their courses. Additionally, the COMSOL license may be unaffordable to some smaller schools and universities. Therefore, the goal of this CACHE-sponsored project is to create self-standing executable apps (COMSOL runtime libraries can be downloaded for free), that students / teachers across the world could use “out of the box” in order to learn the science behind basic chemical engineering processes.

Prof’s Voronov’s COMSOL Apps can be found here:

1) PLUG FLOW_TUBE_REACTOR
This application was designed to simulate a plug flow tubular reactor (PFTR) commonly encountered in chemical engineering labs and courses. It was written by Prof. Voronov’s research assistant Chemical Engineering Senior Vasilios C. Halkias, who has won the 2020 International Association for the Engineering Modelling, Analysis and Simulation Community (NAFEMS) Americas & engineering.com Student Award for its development.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vb5QAubYr7WBNFT3_N6hnsIRx8yMWVC2/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VYBGoDNDKGZOx4NmPBE8q-EsNrq9Z6TS/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VZYzudy5e9cVPp9i38IKUTSwfL4idsPi/view?usp=sharing

2) 3D PRINTER NOZZLE
This application was designed to demonstrate complex fluid flow and heat transfer occurring within a simple 3D printer nozzle, which is relevant to Structures and Properties of Materials and Additive Manufacturing courses.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/13AmdGvbfP_PLfgZzltEuqs-28V-4FR33/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/13G3bM2rD3rW4FIdzDuZFC7Ut5ji-DBQZ/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/13BPQlp-_f6pesmK7BdMs2m6bqOBe5a7J/view?usp=sharing

3) REACTION YIELD ENHANCEMENT VIA BAFFLES IN 2D FLOW
This application was designed to demonstrate how the introduction of baffles can affect a reaction occurring under flow in a simple 2D reactor. The user can run a parametric sweep over two selected parameters (e.g., baffle width and baffle height) and see how changing them improves or worsens the reaction yield (see 3D plot). The results can be used in order to optimize the reactor geometry in order to maximize the yield.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/12U698hXsz8hf3m14vGOmOVt7WOKSR3cA/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/12V2ax0Qasgq6jJy7Okbh9AGH-ELQpcbr/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/12adbsEJgNWrgVM8nunXlyKOe5LVL5Hl2/view?usp=sharing

4) IMPELLER OPTIMIZATION IN A STIRRED TANK REACTOR
This application was designed to demonstrate how an impeller morphology can affect the reaction yield in a stirred tank. The user can run a parametric sweep over the thickness and radius of the impeller and changing them improves or worsens the reaction yield (see 3D plot). Additionally, the app can export an STL file so that the students can 3D print the impeller of different sizes and try to reproduce the app’s results in the lab. This is relevant for Unit Ops lab and Kinetics courses.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/18Wj80FbVR0nC8h8iPn0KgX2c2QoVYTyL/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/18WddHHl3GO9RniQgQRJ6aP170ywy5CPe/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/18XeDeR9DGpPSvhv4_18qaQSs_D0nQxqp/view?usp=sharing

5) DISPERSION_FROM_A TOXIC_STACK
This application was designed to demonstrate a classical chemical engineering problem that tracks how plumes and puffs of a toxic pollutant distribute down stream from a stack or a ground source that they’ve been released from. The students can plot and animate the results for various conditions tabulated in a textbook. The app is relevant to Safety and Design/Capstone courses.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/16f4Okf-DdVQ-xrlj3aO4_GtiMQQSO8CL/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/16csvPSTQzEfUgSjY4sUa3PQCjfGJalNR/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/16k9XIMjJs3PYB3CxcZ1Y-6iNFxf-8eW4/view?usp=sharing

6) LAMINAR_STEADY_PIPE_FLOW
This application was designed to demonstrate a classical chemical engineering problem of laminar flow in a pipe. The students can visualize the flow field and get a feel for how changing the various input parameters affects the Reynold’s number. The app is relevant to the Fluid Flow course.
Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-kvuPclM_qZARgM4l3F6jrhsnBOQ3sgC/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-fMaSygfw-FnG2cp0EH7QXJiNrKGqnT1/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-bqQUu-7N-TrO972yvN3lS-Uq2zmj4Rm/view?usp=sharing

7) LAMINAR_STEADY PIPE_ENTRANCE _FLOW
This application was designed to demonstrate a classical chemical engineering problem of laminar entrance flow in a pipe. The students can visualize how the parabolic velocity profile develops within the entrance region. The app is relevant to the Fluid Flow course.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-DFt6gzhNLw72a7qFthsUQ-SVgTQleuq/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-0hcu2f8qwpqnRa0XSvaQ8yB29aBYZH5/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-NnTIFmg-I7Tsfy6_VD0byAHhkBaC1cb/view?usp=sharing

8) HEATED_PIPE_FLOW
This application was designed to demonstrate a classical chemical engineering problem of laminar flow in a heated pipe. The students can the temperature profile evolves based on their inputs. The app is relevant to the Heat Transfer course.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/14m_K1XtfCbaRSRquzcn0q-mHsqJq9x1a/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/14q0skER4MbshB2_LtXsHrFdQgoFSxgeq/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/15-jpk30s2p3LCIiRC2kyrl2fq1rUoCi7/view?usp=sharing

9) MASSFLUX_PIPE FLOW
This application was designed to demonstrate a classical chemical engineering problem of laminar flow in a pipe experiencing mass transfer. The students can the concentration profile evolves based on their inputs. The app is relevant to the Mass Transfer course.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/15KGhnW1yzSD7z8WLxCriS3VMXFFTxCM/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/15KhZBlgvUyHIaKE2vgW3UvZdJE74t7nc/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/15N_iH24E1u83mHYt7y2PlzbBGtjPu_TI/view?usp=sharing

10) FRICTION LOSS IN PIPE_ELBOW
This application was designed to demonstrate a classical chemical engineering problem of laminar flow in a pipe elbow. The students can vary the elbow angle and various other pipe parameters in order to compare the simulation friction loss results to the correlations from literature. The app is relevant to the Unit Ops lab.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/16vQMGAVvoD-mOo4RidHdmibJVT7bMOiu/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/16vRkSkWN5GU6DS0tdXYeqcejyUnazeo7/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/16xN53rKc4Anffi9X76903Ib8DmXLKC-k/view?usp=sharing

11) ORIFICE_FLOWMETER
This application was designed to demonstrate the inner workings of a classical chemical engineering orifice flow meter. The students can compare the simulation results to a solved textbook problem and/or to their lab measurements. The app is relevant to the Unit Ops lab.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/17dU8y7nMA0DwpvCpD9finGUwHrgMm8Yw/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/17craPRkCpt-WwcY7ltNSOTrI3qGrUnU5/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/17efsl2ANE9lD2JQO_H8aN0CEjWVbvn8D/view?usp=sharing

12) VENTURI_FLOWMETER
This application was designed to demonstrate the inner workings of a classical chemical engineering venturi flow meter. The students can compare the simulation results to a solved textbook problem and/or to their lab measurements. The app is relevant to the Unit Ops lab.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/14N_9tjbLv_vSM7ue5krBqOgPRgubxSKO/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/14MmwcPhW8yGsDapR2rhjc2fVbsvRNkxx/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/14Cgi8hRNea8CsRaOYkBuOskCBinzIewk/view?usp=sharing

13) DIFFUSION_INTO_A_FALLING_FILM
This application was designed to demonstrate a classical chemical engineering problem of gas diffusion into a falling liquid film. The students can compare the simulation results to a solved textbook problem and/or to their lab measurements. The app is relevant to the Mass Transfer course.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/160rvz6gIv0pPHo8TRaISluLF1TPjh6Ys/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/15zp1xvKROhZNSKbQekSHPZ7vxpMbw7mn/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/169zMtwjg0QyFeNX845nmO3zYNUHLaYg4/view?usp=sharing

14) FLOW_AROUND_CAR
This application was designed to demonstrate a “fun” chemical engineering problem of calculating the drag coefficient around a streamlined body (in this case a car). The students are then able to compare the simulation results to a drag coefficient plot for a rounded nose cylinder.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/11KWu3hQvop4s-zCjUZKONUpMX44rmVns/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/11Lg-rIPL9_1j4AS6MlpH17VZqqfdPJwE/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/11QRm_2CkYtqnEVqp8XeZAS6TeOolIl8O/view?usp=sharing

15) FLOW_AROUND_AN_AIRPLANE
This application was designed to demonstrate a “fun” chemical engineering problem of calculating the drag coefficient around a less streamlined body (in this case an airplane). The students are then able to compare the simulation results to a drag coefficient plot for a blunted and rounded nose cylinders.

Windows – https://drive.google.com/file/d/10rosNa88cdjrcHlCe6zpeozInjqQm58_/view?usp=sharing
Linux – https://drive.google.com/file/d/10iYXKnql6sNyMFXrSBeLxa_PoKWP_t9w/view?usp=sharing
MacOS – https://drive.google.com/file/d/10qqJFHg0wbX9ZVHKtbVa-HaPJk470h28/view?usp=sharing

3) Please do NOT open executable files obtained from places other than this website (e.g., a student sending you a copy of my app), because it is possible that malware could have been added to them. So please only download them DIRECTLY from this website.

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February 13, 2022

Our Issue Cover SLAS Technology article entitled “Review of Low-Cost 3D Bioprinters: State of the Market and Observed Future Trends” is being honored with a 2021 SLAS Technology Readers Choice Award, reflecting popularity among readers throughout 2021. Check out the paper and the accompanying podcast!

December 4, 2019

PhD student Anne (Anh) Tong won $3,000 in an elevator pitch New Business Model Competition. Many entrepreneurs submit practical innovative ideas for review by a panel of judges at a chance to win a $3,000 summer fellowship to pay them to work on their idea. Program sponsor Capital One provides Innovation Acceleration Fellowships to winners ($3,000 each). The Fellowships allow winners to work on their business ideas, while they participate in the NJIT Martin Tuchman School of Management Summer Lean Start-up Accelerator. Anne and only three other students received the 3k award out of the 92 initial competitors. Learn more about the competition here:

http://centers.njit.edu/njiac/students/challenge/index.php

August 11, 2019

Ph.D. Candidate Danh Thanh Nguyen has been awarded a scholarship of $1,000 by the Department of Chemical Engineering for publishing in a research article in a repubtable journal during the first year of his studies. Congratulations Danh!

April 10, 2019

Prof. Voronov’s ChemE Car team scores 2nd Place in the AICHE 2019 Regionals Poster Competition!

April 10, 2019

Danh Thanh Nguyen has joined the V-Lab as a PhD student!

September 20, 2018

Undergraduate Research Assistant Migle Surblyte has been highlighted by NJIT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0NPROniMSA

September 15, 2018

Prof. Voronov’s first PhD student Long Pham has started a postdoctoral appointment in the Prof. David Kaplan group at Tufts. Read more about Prof. Kaplan’s work here: https://news.njit.edu/biomedical-journey-ingenuity-and-invention-along-david-kaplans-silk-road/

August 28, 2018

PhD candidate Femi Kadri has passed his Dissertation Proposal.

August 27, 2018

PhD candidate Long Pham has passed his Dissertation Defense.

June 1, 2018

PhD student Anh Tong has passed her Qualifying Exam.

March 6, 2018

Undergraduate student Migle Surblyte wins the Blue Waters supercomputing award, which provides financial support for her to do a year-long internship in Prof. Voronov’s lab. Also, as a part of this award, she will attend a two-week Petascale Institute at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (May 21-June 1, 2018). https://bluewaters.ncsa.illinois.edu/internships/interns/2018/

March 3, 2018

PhD student Anh Tong wins the Spring 2018 NSF I-Corps Site award!

December 1, 2017

December 1, 2017. Prof. Voronov gave an invited Seminar, “Cell-Cell Interactions Affect Fibroblast Directional Decision-Making during Chemotaxis in Tissue-Mimicking Microfluidic Mazes,” at the Center for Engineering in Medicine at the Shriners Hospital (a subsidiary of the Massachusetts General Hospital), Boston, MA.

February 27, 2017

Prof. Voronov wins a one year $35,000 grant from the NJ Health Foundation, titled: “Novel Mechanism of Blood-Clotting Could Revolutionize Stroke and Heart Attack Treatments”.

November 16, 2016

Prof. Voronov gave an invited seminar titled: “Statistical Analysis of Undergraduate ChE Curricula of U.S. Universities”, at the 2016 AIChE Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA. Read more here: https://www.aiche.org/conferences/aiche-annual-meeting/2016/proceeding/paper/610b-statistical-analysis-undergraduate-che-curricula-us-universities/

October 2, 2015

PhD student Long Pham wins the Fall 2015 NSF I-Corps Site award!

November 14, 2014

Prof. Voronov wins the NJIT Faculty Seed Grant, titled: “Collaborative Multidisciplinary Platform for Single Cell Analysis – Microfluidics, Biomedical Imaging, Computation, Drug Delivery & More”. Profs. Basuray and Xu are collaborators on the grant.

October 23, 2014

Prof. Voronov wins a 3 year $400,000 Major Investment Grant from the Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer Research Foundation, titled: “Developing New Tissue Engineering Technology for Bone Implants”. The grant includes $100,000 for undergraduate research stipends

September 1, 2013

Dr. Voronov begins as an Assistant Professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s York Otto Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Engineering.