Multiphysics Modeling Powers Electrification’s Future

The race to electrify everything from transportation to energy grids is facing a critical prototyping bottleneck, where laboratory models often fail under real-world conditions. This challenge is driving increased reliance on multiphysics simulation technology that can simultaneously calculate electromagnetic, thermal, and structural parameters in complex systems like wireless charging apparatus and battery packs. As industries grapple with the complexities of energy storage and conversion, these advanced simulation platforms are becoming essential rather than optional tools for research and development.

According to recent analysis of multiphysics simulation advances in electrification, this technology represents a fundamental shift in how engineers approach system design. Bjorn Sjodin, senior vice president of product management at COMSOL, explains the core challenge: “In electrification, at its core, you have this combination of electromagnetic effects, heat transfer, and structural mechanics in a complicated interplay.” This complexity demands simulation approaches that can handle multiple physical phenomena operating simultaneously rather than in isolation.

Beyond Single-Physics Limitations

Traditional engineering simulation typically focused on individual physical phenomena—electromagnetic behavior, thermal characteristics, or structural integrity analyzed separately. Multiphysics modeling breaks down these silos, enabling engineers to understand how these factors interact in real operating conditions. This holistic approach is particularly crucial for electrification technologies where thermal management, electromagnetic performance, and structural durability are deeply interconnected.

Niloofar Kamyab, a chemical engineer and applications manager at COMSOL, challenges the perception that simulation replaces experimental work: “Sometimes, I think some people still see simulation as a fancy R&D thing because they see it as a replacement for experiments. But no, experiments still need to be done, though experiments can be done in a more optimized and effective way.” This perspective highlights how multiphysics simulation complements rather than replaces traditional engineering methods.

Battery Innovation Through Multi-Scale Analysis

Battery development represents one of the most significant applications for multiphysics simulation. “When it comes to batteries, there is another attraction when it comes to simulation,” Kamyab notes. “It’s multi-scale—how batteries can be studied across different scales. You can get in-depth analysis that, if not very hard, I would say is impossible to do experimentally.” This capability is particularly valuable given how battery behaviors manifest differently at cell versus pack levels, with complex interactions that can lead to thermal runaway and other safety concerns.

Thermal management remains a primary focus for battery pack simulations. “Most of the people who do simulations of battery packs, thermal management is one of their primary concerns,” Kamyab explains. “You do this simulation so you know how to avoid it. You recreate a cell that is malfunctioning.” This approach allows engineers to safely test designs under extreme conditions that would be too dangerous or destructive to replicate physically.

Meanwhile, parallel technological developments are creating new opportunities across industries, as seen in recent advancements in federal technology compensation structures that could help attract simulation expertise to public sector electrification projects.

Wireless Charging and Thermal Challenges

Wireless charging systems present unique multiphysics challenges, particularly as power levels increase. Nirmal Paudel, a lead engineer at Veryst Engineering, explains the thermal-electromagnetic interplay: “At higher power levels, localized heating of the coil changes its conductivity.” This thermal effect can cascade through the entire system, altering circuit behavior and requiring coordinated thermal and electromagnetic analysis to optimize performance and reliability.

Paudel observes that simulation is transforming wireless charging development: “Traditional design cycles tweak coil geometry. Today, integrated multiphysics platforms enable exploration of new charging architectures,” including flexible charging textiles and smart surfaces that adapt in real-time. This expanded design space allows engineers to consider configurations that would be impractical to prototype physically.

Electric Motors and Power Conversion

Electric motor development is pushing power density and efficiency to new levels, with thermal management emerging as a critical constraint. According to Vignesh Gurusamy, electrical engineer and COMSOL senior application engineer, “The recent surge in electrification across diverse applications demands a more holistic approach as it enables the development of new optimal designs.” Older development methods are proving inadequate for these new demands.

Gurusamy highlights specific technical advances: “Multiphysics models that couple electromagnetic and thermal simulations incorporate temperature-dependent behavior in stator windings and magnetic materials.” Even seemingly simple components like copper wire windings in motor stators contain multiple parameters that multiphysics optimization can improve. GPU accelerators and surrogate models are enabling significant jumps in simulation capability, allowing for more complex motor designs and higher efficiency targets.

Transportation and Grid Applications

Freight transportation exemplifies the complex decisions facing electrification engineers. “For trucks, people are investigating, Should we use batteries? Should we use fuel cells?” Sjodin says. “Fuel cells are very multiphysics friendly—fluid flow, heat transfer, chemical reactions, and electrochemical reactions.” Each technology pathway requires different simulation approaches and presents unique integration challenges.

The electric grid itself represents perhaps the most complex multiphysics challenge. “The grid is designed for a continuous supply of power,” Sjodin notes. “So when you have power sources [like wind and solar] shutting off and on all the time, you have completely new problems.” These intermittency issues require simulations that can model generation, storage, distribution, and consumption across multiple time scales and physical domains.

These engineering breakthroughs coincide with broader industry transformations, including the type of strategic corporate restructuring seen in major consumer goods companies that could reallocate resources toward electrification initiatives.

Innovative Battery Chemistry Integration

One of the most promising applications of multiphysics simulation involves hybrid battery systems that combine different chemistries. Berlin-based automotive engineering company IAV has developed powertrain systems integrating multiple battery formats and chemistries in single packs. “Sodium ion cannot give you the energy that lithium ion can give,” Kamyab explains. “So they came up with a blend of chemistries, to get the benefits of each, and then designed a thermal management that matches all the chemistries.”

Jakob Hilgert, a technical consultant at IAV, described a dual-chemistry battery pack combining sodium-ion cells with more expensive lithium solid-state batteries. “If we have some cells that can operate at high temperatures and some cells that can operate at low temperatures, it is beneficial to take the exhaust heat of the higher-running cells to heat up the lower-running cells, and vice versa,” Hilgert said. “That’s why we came up with a cooling system that shifts the energy from cells that want to be in a cooler state to cells that want to be in a hotter state.” This thermal synergy would be extremely difficult to develop without multiphysics simulation tools.

The Future of Multiphysics Simulation

According to Sjodin, IAV’s work represents a broader trend across industries impacted by electrification. “Algorithmic improvements and hardware improvements multiply together,” he says. “That’s the future of multiphysics simulation. It will allow you to simulate larger and larger, more realistic systems.” This scaling capability is crucial as electrification systems grow in complexity and integration.

Kamyab points to batteries as a continuing driver of innovation: “The reason that many ideas that we had 30 years ago are becoming a reality is now we have the batteries to power them. That was the bottleneck for many years. And as we continue to push battery technology forward, who knows what new technologies and applications we’re making possible next.” This progression highlights how multiphysics simulation both enables and is driven by technological advancement.

The expansion of simulation capabilities also raises important questions about intellectual property and development ethics, similar to concerns highlighted in recent legal challenges regarding artificial intelligence and content creation. As multiphysics simulation becomes more sophisticated, these considerations will likely grow in importance for the electrification industry.

From wireless charging to grid management, electric vehicles to aircraft, multiphysics simulation is proving indispensable for navigating the complex interactions that define modern electrification challenges. By enabling engineers to explore design spaces that were previously inaccessible and optimize systems across multiple physical domains, this technology is accelerating the transition to electrified systems across every sector of the global economy.