Compatibility Notes

These notes give an overview of changes between versions 3.4 and 3.5a of COMSOL
Multiphysics® that require special attention with regards to backward compatibility.

Stabilization in the Fluid-Flow Application Modes

Most application modes for fluid flow and convective heat transfer in COMSOL
Multiphysics, Chemical Engineering Module, Heat Transfer Module, and Earth
Science Module have updated and improved numerical stabilization. The settings for
this stabilization appear on a Stabilization page in the Subdomain Settings dialog box.
The new stabilization settings depend on the element types in the model.

When opening models created in earlier versions of COMSOL Multiphysics, the

following update of the stabilization settings occurs:

• For models that use streamline diffusion, the updated setting is streamline diffusion
using the Galerkin least-squares (GLS) method.
• For models that use crosswind diffusion, the updated setting is crosswind diffusion
using the Galerkin least-squares (GLS) method.
• For models that use pressure stabilization, the updated setting is streamline
diffusion using the Galerkin least-squares (GLS) method.
• Models with Lagrange - P4P3 elements retain their elements. If such models have
any streamline diffusion active, they get the Galerkin least-squares (GLS) method
optimized for Lagrange - P3P2 elements in version 3.5a.
• If the Temperature check box on the Density page (when available) is selected, the
Non-isothermal flow button is selected on the new Stabilization page. The setting in
the Temperature edit field appears in the corresponding edit field on the new
Stabilization page. If the Temperature check box on the Density page (when available)
is cleared, the Isothermal flow button is selected on the new Stabilization page.

Predefined Element Types for Fluid Flow

The Lagrange - P4P3 element type for velocities and pressure in application modes for
the Navier-Stokes equations and other fluid-flow applications are no longer available
as a predefined option in the Model Navigator. Old models with that element type retain

COMPATIBILITY NOTES | 1
 their element types, but the default element type is Lagrange - P3P2, which is the
element type that you get if you add new domains to such models in version 3.5a.

The Electrostatics, Generalized Application Mode

In the AC/DC Module, the Electrostatics, Generalized application mode is no longer
available, but it is still possible to open models using this application mode.

The General Heat Transfer Application Mode

TIME-SCALING COEFFICIENTS
The following two time-scaling coefficients are no longer available in the General Heat
Transfer application mode:

• Time-scaling coefficient (subdomain level)

• Layer time-scaling coefficient (boundary level in 2D, 2D axisymmetry, and 3D)

In subdomains where the time-scaling coefficient was different from unity (1), the
program adds the following term to the heat source coefficient, Q_htgh:

(1-Dts_htgh)*rho_htgh*C_htgh*Tt

where Dts_htgt represents the value of the time-scaling coefficient Dts_htgt in

models created with earlier versions of COMSOL Multiphysics.

Similarly, on boundaries, the program adds the following term to the heat flux
coefficient q_htgh

(1-Dtss_htgh)*rhos_htgh*Cs_htgh*Tt

where Dtss_htgh represents the value of the layer time-scaling coefficient Dtss_htgh
in models created with earlier versions of COMSOL Multiphysics. The program only
applies this update on boundaries if the highly conductive layer is active.

Thermal-Structural Interaction
The selection Thermal-Structural Interaction>Transient analysis, available in the Model
Navigator for the Structural Mechanics Module and the MEMS Module, sets up a
model where the analysis type for the structural mechanics application mode is
Quasi-static transient analysis. This is the normal setting for a transient
thermal-structural analysis and corresponds to the selection Thermal-Structural
Interaction>Quasi-static analysis in earlier versions. If you want to model the structural

2 | COMPATIBILITY NOTES
mechanics part as transient, change the analysis type for the corresponding application
mode to Transient analysis in the Solver Parameters dialog box or the Application Mode
Properties dialog box.

Initial Temperature Setting for Heat Transfer Models

For new models using the application modes for heat transfer in COMSOL
Multiphysics, Earth Science Module, and Chemical Engineering Module, the default
value for the initial temperature is 273.15 K instead of 0 K as in earlier versions.
Existing models retain their settings for the initial temperature, so this change only
affects new models.

Time-Scaling Coefficient for Convection and Conduction

The time-scaling coefficient δts for time-dependent (transient) analysis in the
Convection and Conduction application mode is partially unavailable in version 3.5a.
The implementation of streamline diffusion using the Galerkin least-squares (GLS)
and the streamline upwind Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) methods is not compatible with
the time-scaling coefficient. For that reason, the Time-scaling coefficient edit field on
the Physics page in the Subdomain Settings dialog box is unavailable (grayed out) if any
of these streamline diffusion methods is active.

This change applies to the Convection and Conduction application mode in

COMSOL Multiphysics and the Chemical Engineering Module.

Earth Science Module’s Convection and Conduction Settings

The Convection and Conduction in Porous Media application mode in the Earth
Science Module now uses the nonconservative equation formulation. Version 3.5a
converts old models built using the conservative equation formulation to the
nonconservative formulation.

Color Tables
The following color tables are available in COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5a: Cyclic, Disco,
DiscoLight, GrayScale, GrayPrint, Rainbow, RainbowLight, Thermal,
ThermalEquidistant, Traffic, TrafficLight, Wave, and WaveLight. The bone, cool,
gray, hot, hsv, jet, and pink color tables are no longer available. Version 3.5a also
provides the possibility to create custom color tables.

COMPATIBILITY NOTES | 3
 Solver Sequences
The Solver Sequences feature supersedes the Solver Scripting feature as a means of
solving a model using a sequence of solver calls. On the Sequence page in the Solver
Manager dialog box, you can store solver settings, create a solver sequence, and make
COMSOL Multiphysics solve models using the solver sequence. For more
information, see the section “Solver Sequences” in the COMSOL Multiphysics User’s
Guide.

Entering Vector-Valued Expressions

The range function supersedes the : (colon) operator as a means of creating an array
of numbers. For example, range(2,0.2,5) creates the array 2.0, 2.2, 2.4, …, 4.8, 5.0.
You can also use a new Edit dialog box in connection with the edit fields that support
arrays of numbers (such as the Output times edit field for time-dependent simulations).
For more information, see the section “Entering Vector-Valued Expressions” in the
COMSOL Multiphysics User’s Guide. The : operator and the functions linspace
and logspace are no longer available. COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5a converts
expressions using these functions to equivalent expressions using the range function,
if possible, when opening old models.

Functions and Operators

The following table lists new functions and operators in 3.5a and the functions and
operators from earlier versions of COMSOL Multiphysics that they replace.
NEW FUNCTIONS AND OPERATORS

NAME DESCRIPTION REPLACES

range Create numeric array :

! Not ~
!= Not equal ~=
{} Numeric array []
&& Logical and &
|| Logical or |
arg Polar angle angle
d Differentiation operator diff
pd Differentiation operator pdiff

4 | COMPATIBILITY NOTES
When opening models created in earlier versions of COMSOL Multiphysics that
contain functions and operators that are no longer available, the program replaces
them with equivalent, valid expressions.

The quad operator is not available in version 3.5a.

Format for Material Properties, Units, and Cross-Section Data Files

The data files for material properties, units, and beam cross sections now use an
XML-based format. See the section “Using the Materials/Coefficients Library” in the
COMSOL Multiphysics User’s Guide for information about how to add or edit the
contents of data stored using this format.

COMSOL Script
COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5a is not compatible with any version of COMSOL Script.
For scripting capabilities, you can connect COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5a to a supported
version of MATLAB® from The MathWorks, Inc. For up-to-date compatibility
information, see http://www.comsol.com/products/requirements.

Opening Model Files

COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5a can open Model M-files only when you run COMSOL
Multiphysics with MATLAB, but it is always possible to save a Model M-file. For
saving and opening COMSOL Multiphysics models, we recommend the binary Model
MPH-file format.

COMSOL Multiphysics Documentation

The COMSOL Multiphysics MATLAB Interface Guide replaces the COMSOL
Multiphysics Scripting Guide because interfacing COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5a from
a script-based environment requires MATLAB.

COMPATIBILITY NOTES | 5