COMSOL Day Leuven
See what is possible with multiphysics modeling
Modeling and simulation is used for innovation across a range of industries, and this COMSOL Day will highlight some of its many applications.
Keynote speakers from leading organizations from Belgium and Luxembourg will present real-world examples of multiphysics modeling in research, development, and product design. COMSOL-led sessions will highlight news from the latest version of COMSOL Multiphysics®, which includes new products, more powerful AI functionality, and various advancements in modeling capabilities. We will also showcase the software's functionality for solving large models and demonstrate surrogate modeling based on deep neural networks and how this enables digital twins.
Additionally, there will be opportunities at this free 1-day event to ask questions and interact with COMSOL applications engineers and simulation experts in Belgium.
Complimentary lunch, snacks, and refreshments will be included.
Schedule
From the 19th-century hydraulic boat lifts on the Canal du Centre to the first commercially usable lead–acid battery, Belgium and Luxembourg are famous for their engineering achievements and forward thinking. During this session, we will go over how the COMSOL Multiphysics® software and its modeling capabilities can be used to help advance R&D in Belgium and Luxembourg.
Patrik Kennes, Cochlear Technology Centre Belgium
In this keynote talk, Patrik Kennes will share insights into how Cochlear has leveraged the COMSOL® software in the development of its most innovative hearing implant: the OSI300. This piezoelectric transducer fundamentally differs from traditional electromagnetic bone conduction devices by converting electrical signals directly into precise mechanical vibrations that stimulate the inner ear.
The success of the OSI project demonstrates how computational modeling can accelerate innovation, reduce development costs, and ultimately bring life-changing technology to patients more quickly than traditional development approaches would allow.
Arnaud Leblay, BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems
In the highly competitive battery electric vehicle (BEV) market, developing cost-effective and high-performance integrated Drive Modules (iDMs) requires a deep understanding of coupled multiphysics phenomena.
In this keynote talk, Arnaud Leblay will present a methodology that combines high-fidelity simulation performed in the COMSOL Multiphysics® software with experimental validation to capture electromagnetic, thermal, and fluid interactions within the system.
Leblay will demonstrate how multiphysics modeling of key iDM components — such as power modules and electric machines — enables improved design insights and accelerates the development of integrated, system-level digital twins for next-generation electric powertrains.
This hands-on session is designed for anyone who would like to directly get started with multiphysics modeling. Join us and build your own model from scratch with guidance from a COMSOL engineer. This session is also the perfect opportunity to ask any modeling questions that you may have.
Solver performance becomes increasingly important as physics-based simulation models grow in size and complexity. The COMSOL Multiphysics® software provides a wide selection of solver technologies for stationary and time-dependent problems, nonlinear systems, optimization, and both direct and iterative linear solvers, supporting built-in and user-defined multiphysics couplings for many engineering and scientific applications.
In this session, we will highlight solver and performance developments, including support for explicit dynamics formulations for structural analysis, as well as a new NVIDIA CUDA® direct sparse solver (cuDSS) for NVIDIA® GPUs that is generally applicable for any physics. In addition, we will discuss a new mode-following method for parametric eigenfrequency analyses and practical strategies for solving large-scale problems efficiently, including solver selection based on time and memory requirements and the role of hardware factors such as memory bandwidth, processor architecture, and parallelization in overall simulation performance.
Alexia Coulon and Calvin Zogning, Thales Alenia Space
In this keynote talk, Alexia Coulon and Calvin Zogning will show how the COMSOL® software is used to assess the criticality of voids encased inside electrical insulation of high-voltage modules for space applications. Such voids may cause critical failure of space products if partial discharges of sufficient amplitude occur.
This case study illustrates that the modeling capabilities of COMSOL Multiphysics® enable the leveraging of detailed scientific knowledge to better assess the reliability of high-voltage space products, ultimately improving production output and reducing costs.
Modeling and simulation is no longer limited to the expertise of a few individuals within an organization. The availability of simulation tools throughout the product or process design workflow — from R&D to the factory floor — allows for a more collaborative and innovative approach to problem solving. Now, even those without prior modeling knowledge can contribute to the process, leveraging the expertise of modeling experts and advanced techniques like digital twins and surrogate models.
To facilitate this collaboration, the Application Builder in the COMSOL Multiphysics® software enables modeling experts to create custom apps with user-friendly interfaces that can be used by scientists and engineers with no modeling experience. Taking it a step further, COMSOL Compiler™ enables organization-wide use of standalone simulation apps without licensing restrictions.
By using the Application Builder and COMSOL Compiler™ together with the COMSOL Multiphysics® platform's built-in Model Builder and Model Manager, engineering organizations can establish an efficient, collaborative, simulation-based environment, supported by the realistic and predictive capabilities of digital twins and surrogate models.
Join this session to learn how the Application Builder and COMSOL Compiler™ can transform your organization's approach to simulation, making advanced tools accessible and fostering a culture of collaborative innovation.
Register for COMSOL Day Leuven
To register for the event, please create a new account or log into your existing account.
For registration questions or more information, contact info-nl@comsol.com.
COMSOL Day Details
Location
There is a paid indoor parking available near Park Inn by Radisson Leuven.
Keynote Speakers
Patrik Kennes joined the Cochlear Technology Centre Belgium in 2007, where he is currently leading the simulation activities for future implantable hearing solutions. He previously worked as a research engineer at Tenneco Automotive in the field of semiactive electronic suspension systems. Kennes earned an MS and a PhD in bioscience engineering at Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven.
Arnaud Leblay is a senior system simulation engineer at BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems, where he develops high-fidelity multiphysics models for electrified powertrains. He received his engineering degree from the École polytechnique de l'université de Lorraine (ESSTIN) and a research master’s degree from the University of Lorraine, France, in 2002. In 2006, he received a PhD in mechanics in collaboration with Honeywell (Garrett).
He began his career at Delphi Technologies as a structural analyst, working on mechanical, thermal, and fluid simulations for internal combustion engine powertrain components. Through this experience, he built strong expertise in simulation-driven product development across multiple physical domains.
Since joining BorgWarner in 2021, he has focused on system-level modeling of electric machines and inverters, with an emphasis on coupled electromagnetic, thermal, and fluid phenomena. His work supports the development and optimization of next-generation integrated Drive Modules (iDMs) through validated finite-element-based multiphysics approaches.
Alexia Coulon completed her MSc in 2014 at the Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences at the Louvain School of Engineering (EPL) in Belgium. She has been working at Thales Alenia Space since then on high-voltage electronic equipment for space applications.
Her work focuses on the design and validation of insulation technology for high-voltage electronic boards. This involves the selection and validation of materials and processes (printed board materials, potting, etc.), as well as the validation of appropriate insulation design rules.
Calvin Zogning earned a PhD in engineering sciences and technology from the Faculty of Engineering (FPMS) at the University of Mons, Belgium, in 2025. He is currently a research fellow at the FPMS and a teaching assistant in physics and lighting technology in the Department of Physics. His research focuses on gas discharges, surface discharges, and the impact of these discharges on space systems, in partnership with Thales Group.
