COMSOL Multiphysics^® 6.3 Release Highlights

For users of the Plasma Module, COMSOL Multiphysics^® version 6.3 provides new interfaces for nonisothermal plasma flows, the ability to import electron impact reactions into the feature used for reaction groups, and new inflow and outflow features for heavy species. Learn more about these updates below.

New Nonisothermal Plasma Flow Interfaces

A new Nonisothermal Plasma Flow branch in the Model Wizard tree includes interfaces for simulating the coupling between plasma, fluid flow, and heat transfer. This branch combines the Plasma, Heat Transfer in Fluids, and Laminar Flow interfaces and automatically adds the Nonisothermal Plasma Flow multiphysics coupling. All relevant quantities, such as thermal conductivity, dynamic viscosity, and fluid velocity, are automatically passed between the interfaces. The Plasma interface calculates the enthalpy of reactions and energy transferred to heavy species by electron impact elastic collisions, which are then automatically implemented in the Heat Transfer in Fluids interface as a volume heat source.

Note that the associated Plasma, Time Periodic and Inductively Coupled Plasma with RF Bias interfaces are only available for 2D and 2D axisymmetric models. These new interfaces are featured in the Model of an Argon–Chlorine Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactor with RF Bias and Model of an SF₆–Argon Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactor tutorial models.

Support for Electron Impact Reactions in the Reaction Group Feature

It is now possible to add electron impact reactions to the Reaction Group feature, where the reactions can be defined using cross-section data or Arrhenius parameters. These inputs can be manually added, imported from a file, or imported automatically using the Plasma Chemistry add-in. View this functionality in the new Model of an SF₆–Argon Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactor and Global Model of an SF₆–Argon Plasma tutorial models.

New Inflow and Outflow Features

In version 6.3, there are new Inflow and Outflow features available that allow for specifying flow properties at selected boundaries of large groups of heavy species. These new features considerably simplify the process of defining such properties compared to previous versions, where individual subfeatures had to be added. These additions can be seen in the Model of an SF₆–Argon Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactor and Model of an Argon–Oxygen Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactor tutorial models.

New Tutorial Models

COMSOL Multiphysics^® version 6.3 brings two new tutorial models to the Plasma Module.