COMSOL Day: Aerospace & Defense
See what is possible with multiphysics modeling
The use of modeling and simulation for research and development (R&D) was pioneered in the aerospace and defense industry, where the COMSOL Multiphysics® software has become a trusted simulation platform. New challenges, such as aviation decarbonization, electrification, the rise of drones, integration of high-performance sensors, extreme-speed platforms, and the use of composite and ceramic materials, require high-fidelity numerical modeling for efficient and reliable R&D.
These challenges call for models that account for multiple interacting physical effects — that is, multiphysics models. For example, electrification introduces high operating power and the risk of electrical discharge, requiring accurate models of heat transfer, electric heating, and dielectric breakdown. Another example is the manufacturing of composite materials, a process involving mechanical stresses, phase change, curing of polymers, and heat transfer that must all be captured for predictive design and quality control.
COMSOL Multiphysics® provides unique multiphysics modeling capabilities to meet the needs of the aerospace and defense industry. It also includes built-in functionality for simulation app creation and model data management to support collaboration and extend simulation benefits across teams.
This COMSOL Day will showcase the use of multiphysics modeling and simulation for compressible and turbulent flows, thermal management, electrical breakdown, composite materials, and more. Through technical presentations, COMSOL engineers and keynote speakers with practical modeling experience will share insights into how simulation can be used to help address today’s challenges in aerospace and defense.
Schedule
Raju Yalagada, AIRBUS
The aerospace industry is critically dependent on the integrity of its manufactured components, making it inherently vulnerable to material and process defects. Specific processes like welding are indispensable for creating strong, lightweight structures. However, they can introduce minute, critical defects that are invisible to the naked eye and may lead to catastrophic failure under the extreme operational stresses of flight. Consequently, a rigorous inspection regime is not merely a quality control measure but an absolute necessity for ensuring airworthiness and safety. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methodologies become paramount for this reason, enabling the precise detection and characterization of defects without compromising the structural integrity of the component, providing the confidence required for safe and reliable aerospace systems.
Electromagnetic NDE has emerged as a cornerstone technology for ensuring safety, reliability, and operational longevity of aerospace and space components. Unlike traditional inspection techniques that may compromise material integrity, electromagnetic NDE methods allow for the evaluation of structural properties and the detection of defects without detrimentally affecting the part under test. COMSOL Multiphysics® stands at the intersection of computational modeling and industrial practice, enabling sophisticated multiphysics simulations tailored for electromagnetic NDE. The presentation delves into the role of COMSOL Multiphysics® in simulating and optimizing electromagnetic NDE methods and tools, with an emphasis on eddy current array (ECA) testing and infrared thermography (IRT)-based electromagnetic heating.
Tech Lunches are informal sessions where you can interact with COMSOL staff and other attendees. You will be able to discuss any modeling-related topic that you like and have the opportunity to ask COMSOL technology product managers and applications engineers your questions. Join us!
Renil-Thomas Kidagan, SAFRAN
Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) plays a critical role in ensuring the safety and reliability of aircraft components. Simulation-assisted approaches enhance the effectiveness of NDE by providing predictive insights into defect detection, signal interpretation, and inspection optimization. This work presents the simulation of induction thermography, an advanced NDE tool based on induction heating and infrared radiation for the detection of defects on aircraft components. The simulation couples two different physics modules for solving the Maxwell’s equations and the Fourier heat diffusion equation. The case studies demonstrate how simulations can replicate real-world inspection scenarios, reduce experimental costs, and improve sensitivity to various defects.
Philippe Clouet, ONERA
Metaoptics are planar components made of nanostructures with subwavelength periodicity. These nanostructures are engineered to control their optical properties and, by extension, those of the metasurface. Their ability to produce quick variations in phase and amplitude on the scale of a nanostructure have opened new possibilities and interesting applications. This feature makes it possible to modify the wavefront of the incident wave and thus create original optical properties. In addition, they have a lower weight and volume than conventional optical components, making them ideal candidates for optical systems where space is a key issue. Because of these characteristics, metaoptics are attracting growing interest from the scientific community. Their development has expanded rapidly over the last twenty years with a wide range of applications including metalenses, optical vortex generators, polarization splitters, and photon routers.
Simulating this type of use case can be challenging. These components require thousands or even millions of nanostructures. It is essential to know their optical properties precisely, otherwise the component's performance will be compromised. At the same time, it is also crucial to minimize the calculation time required.
Learn how to use COMSOL Multiphysics® and the Application Builder to design a vortex beam generator metaoptic while keeping a reasonable computation time. We also discuss other types of photonic devices that can be created using COMSOL Multiphysics®. These components are specifically designed for the MWIR (3–5 µm) and LWIR (8–12 µm) spectral ranges and therefore have applications in industry, space, and defense.
Register for COMSOL Day: Aerospace & Defense
To register for the event, please create a new account or log into your existing account. You will need a COMSOL Access account to attend COMSOL Day: Aerospace & Defense.
For registration questions or more information contact info-uk@comsol.com.
COMSOL Day Details
November 20, 2025 | 9:30 a.m. GMT (UTC+00:00)
Invited Speakers
Mercier Cèdre is a PhD student specializing in the modeling of optical and thermal-infrared (8–12 µm) satellite signatures to identify spacecraft types and evaluate new observation systems. Cèdre holds two engineering degrees and a master’s degree from ENSIP, ENSMA, and the University of Poitiers. Cèdre carried out advanced CubeSat and large-satellite thermal modeling projects at ONERA. His research aims to improve the detection, tracking, and information gathering from space objects, including when they are in the earth’s shadow.
Philippe Clouet is a materials engineer at Université de Technologie de Troyes (UTT) with a master's degree in nanophotonics. He is currently pursuing a PhD in the development of complex devices for nanophotonics in the Optics department at ONERA, University Paris-Saclay. He is particularly interested in the development of metaoptics for infrared applications. Clouet uses COMSOL Multiphysics® and the Application Builder to study and design components with original optical properties.
Renil Thomas Kidangan is a research engineer at Safran in the Digital Science and Technology department, where he focuses on the research and development of thermography systems that offer a digital alternative to conventional NDT techniques. Kidangan has a background in mechanical engineering with a PhD in nondestructive evaluation, particularly in thermography techniques.