COMSOL Multiphysics Tutorial: Workflow, Mesh, Solvers

COMSOL is a multiphysics simulation platform used to model real devices and processes by following a repeatable workflow. This tutorial shows what to click next for your first credible model, how to mesh toward a stable decision metric, and how to choose solver settings that converge. You will finish with a solver micro-matrix, triage flow, and checklist. (COMSOL)

7-Step Mini Workflow

1. Model Wizard

2. Geometry

3. Materials

4. Physics

5. Mesh

6. Study And Solver

7. Results

Most “bad COMSOL results” are not solver math problems. They are input problems that the solver exposes. Units slip. Constraints drift. The mesh is refined where gradients are not real. Then the solver is forced to compensate, and it cannot. This page is designed to prevent that chain reaction by keeping everything procedural and first-model oriented.

How We Think Differently
A model is a decision system, not a plot generator. So we converge the decision metric first, then we optimizethe runtime second. That single mindset shift removes most reruns.

What COMSOL Is

If you searched for what is COMSOL Multiphysics, the practical answer is simple. It is a simulation platform that supports single-physics and fully coupled multiphysics modeling, built to take you from setup to results inside one guided workflow. (COMSOL)

If you searched for what COMSOL software is, think of it as the broader product suite built around the same platform, where add-on modules extend physics and application areas, but the workflow discipline stays the same. (COMSOL)

The reason COMSOL feels different from many tools is the Model Wizard and the model tree. You are not only building a solution. You are also building a traceable decision path that another engineer can audit later. (cdn.comsol.com)

Workflow In 7 Steps

The shortest way to build a credible first model is to follow the seven steps above with zero improvisation. COMSOL itself teaches a streamlined workflow reflected throughout the interface. (COMSOL)

Model Wizard

Start here. Choose a dimension, then add physics interfaces, then choose a study type.

COMSOL’s own introduction guide frames the Model Wizard as the place where those choices are made up front. (cdn.comsol.com)

Geometry

Import or build geometry, then simplify features that do not move the decision metric. Tiny fillets and cosmetic threads often create cost without value.

Materials

Define materials early and confirm units. Temperature dependence and reference conditions are common credibility leaks in coupled models.

Physics

Apply boundary conditions and couplings with one question in mind: Does the load path match reality?

If not, fix this before mesh.

Mesh

Refine where gradients live, not where stress looks dramatic.

Study And Solver

Choose stationary or time-dependent based on physics behavior, then pick a coupling strategy that matches the interaction strength.

Results

Validate with balances and sanity checks before you export plots.

First Model Checklist

Use this box as the “done” definition before you trust results.

• Inputs Ready: Units consistent, materials complete, boundary conditions reviewed

• Study Chosen: Stationary or time-dependent matches the physical story

• Mesh Sanity: Refinement targets gradients, contacts, and boundary layers

• Solver Strategy: Coupling and linear solver choice match problem size and stiffness

• Result Checks: Reaction balance or flux balance, where applicable, plus sensitivity to one key parameter

Mesh Rules That Engineers Trust

Most pages say “refine the mesh.” Engineers need the stop rule.

Where To Refine

Refine in three places because they break first in real models: strong gradients, contacts, and thin gaps, and boundary layers.

What To Monitor

Monitor the decision metric. Examples: displacement at the seal, peak temperature at a bondline, pressure drop across a channel. Avoid using max corner stress as the controlling metric unless the corner is physically meaningful.

When To Stop

Stop when the decision metric changes by less than 1–2% across successive refinements, or when the remaining change is smaller than your engineering tolerance.

Engineers Remember This: Waves Need Elements Per Wavelength

For wave problems, COMSOL guidance repeatedly points to an elements-per-wavelength rule of thumb. A practical guideline is at least five second-order elements per local wavelength, and rarely more than ten. (COMSOL)

That one rule prevents under-resolved oscillations that look “smooth” but are wrong.

Solver Choice Micro-Matrix

This is the reusable artifact that most competitors do not give you. It turns “try settings” into “choose a strategy.”

COMSOL explicitly distinguishes Fully Coupled vs Segregated approaches and discusses Direct vs Iterative linear solvers as practical choices. (COMSOL)

Two rules keep you out of solver trouble:

• Use Fully Coupled when interactions are strong, because that is what it is designed for, even though it is more memory-intensive. (COMSOL)

  
  

• Switch strategy when the symptom changes. If the log showsa linear solver failure, changing nonlinear damping will not rescue you.

Convergence Triage Flow

This is the “one screen” decision tree teams paste into internal wikis.

Diverging

First three moves:

1. Scale variables and units so that magnitudes are reasonable

2. Ramp loads or add continuation instead of jumping to full load

3. Simplify couplings, solve a stable subproblem, then reintroduce physics (COMSOL)

A real pain point shows up in coupled flow and heat transfer. AltaSim describes a case where large temperature differences create different densities, and that density mixing can trigger convergence difficulty. (AltaSim Technologies, LLC)

Slow

First three moves:

1. Change the linear solver class or settings before you tighten tolerances

2. Reduce DOF by simplifying geometry that does not move the metric

3. Revisit mesh placement, because over-refinement in the wrong region slows everything (COMSOL)

Weird Peaks 

First three moves:

1. Recheck constraints and reference conditions before mesh changes

2. Validate materials, especially temperature dependence and units

3. Audit postprocessing choices, because corners can create apparent singular peaks

Results You Can Defend

A simulation is only useful if the evidence matches the decision risk. That is why your finish line is not “a contour plot.” Your finish line is “a stable metric plus a sanity argument.”

The 10-Minute Audit Before You Share Results

Run these in order:

• Balance: reaction forces match applied loads within tolerance

• Metric stability: the decision metric is stable under refinement

• Sensitivity: one key parameter change does not flip the conclusion

• Physics credibility: boundary conditions produce a believable load path

• Solver behavior: the log matches the expected story, not repeated failure patterns

Download, Licensing, And Practical Reality

Download is the easy part, but your real constraint is licensing and deployment. Validate what’s allowed (local vs floating vs cloud, server access, and user rules) before you design workflows around it.

Pricing is usually quote-based, so treat it like an engineering requirement: define modules, seats, and compute needs up front, then lock renewal and version support expectations early.

COMSOL Multiphysics Download And Install Notes

A COMSOL Multiphysics download is tied to licensing and installation choices, and COMSOL’s installation guidance is structured by license type and operating system. (COMSOL)

From a practical standpoint, COMSOL lists baseline requirements like at least 4 GB RAM and roughly 2–25 GB disk space depending on licensed products, so plan your workstation accordingly. (COMSOL)

Licensing Options In One Breath

COMSOL publicly compares license types such as CPU locked, named single user, and floating network. (COMSOL)

For example, COMSOL’s learning center notes that a named single-user license can allow one user access on up to four personal systems, while a floating network license is designed for multi-user flexibility. (COMSOL)

COMSOL Multiphysics Price Reality

COMSOL generally provides pricing information through direct contact, and they explicitly ask how you intend to use the software to provide accurate pricing. (COMSOL)

So treat the COMSOL Multiphysics price as quote-based, driven mainly by license type, add-on modules, and seat count, rather than expecting one public list that fits every configuration. (COMSOL)

FAQ 

1) What Is COMSOL Multiphysics?
COMSOL Multiphysics is a simulation platform used to model devices and processes with single-physics and fully coupled multiphysics capabilities, organized around a guided workflow from setup to results. (COMSOL)

2) What Is COMSOL Software?
COMSOL software refers to the broader product suite built around the same platform, where add-on modules extend physics areas while the workflow and solver concepts stay consistent. (COMSOL)

3) What Is The Correct Workflow For A First Model?
Follow the seven steps shown at the top, and do not tune solvers until materials, boundary conditions, and mesh intent are correct. The workflow is taught as a streamlined sequence in COMSOL training. (COMSOL)

4) How Do I Choose Between Segregated And Fully Coupled?
Start segregation when couplings are weak and the size is large. Switch to fully coupled when multiphysics interactions are strong and nonlinear behavior is driving instability. (COMSOL)

5) What Is A Reliable Mesh Rule For Wave Problems?
Use elements-per-wavelength guidance. COMSOL references commonly point to about 5–6 second-order elements per wavelength as a rule of thumb, and a practical upper bound is often around ten. (COMSOL)

References

• COMSOL release history showing 6.4 on November 18, 2025. (COMSOL)

• COMSOL press release announcing version 6.4 on November 18, 2025. (COMSOL)

• COMSOL product overview describing the platform and multiphysics capabilities. (COMSOL)

• COMSOL introduction PDF (6.4) describing Model Wizard setup steps. (cdn.comsol.com)

• COMSOL Knowledge Base on Fully Coupled vs Segregated and solver strategy. (COMSOL)

• COMSOL wave meshing guidance and elements-per-wavelength rules. (COMSOL)

• AltaSim example describing density mixing as a convergence difficulty. (AltaSim Technologies, LLC)