Discussion Forum

I am in the process of evaluating Comsol. I have a trial version, but I am struggling to find out if it will simulate what I want..before I spend serious cash on the full version.

Here is my application:

I have essentially a non insulated coaxial structure with a small aperture cut in the outer. The cable is immersed in a partially conducting fluid which penetrates into the cable such that it is contacting the inner (live) conductor and the bare braid. One end of the coax is driven with a low frequency sine wave signal at around 10 kHz at say 10Vpp and the other end is terminated in a 50 Ohm load.

I have an array of metal pads suspended in the liquid, at some distance above the cable and at some distance from the aperture. I would like to find the voltage developed across two of these pads in a 3D space as I move the pads around, adjust the size and shape of the aperture and vary the conductivity of the liquid.

I am assuming I should be using the AC/DC module (not RF) as I am at 10 kHz and the aperture is in the order of a few cm.

Any hints and tips on modelling, is AC/DC the correct tool? I suppose I just want to simulate the electric field in the liquid, which could equally be done at dc rather than 10 kHz. I am convinced this is simply a low freq electric field simulation and that there are no magnetic/TEM fields. I am looking at propagation in a conducting fluid, not in free space. I don't think electrostatic modelling is the correct way forward as I don't have a pure dielectric.

Thanks, Julian.