Case Study: Institute of High Current Electronics identifies critical electrical arcing regions in satellite systems with COMSOL

Institute of High Current Electronics - Customer Case Study

The Institute of High Current Electronics (IHCE) in Tomsk, Russia, confronted unpredictable electrical arcing in high‑voltage satellite power systems that can cause partial or complete mission failure. To find the small (often sub‑5 mm) critical regions where self‑sustained discharges originate across a wide range of pressures and ionization conditions, the institute used Comsol Multiphysics and its Application Builder to develop a simulation-driven diagnostic approach.

Using Comsol, IHCE implemented a decomposition methodology and a custom app that preprocesses CAD geometry (including automatic boundary correction), performs 3D electrostatic scans to locate field‑enhancement areas, and runs focused 2D DC‑discharge simulations of identified critical regions. The Comsol‑based workflow produced electron‑density hotspot maps, supported PCB redesign recommendations, narrowed experimental testing, and cut computational effort—average simulations ran in under two hours versus particle‑in‑cell methods estimated to be 5–20× slower—making arcing diagnostics practical for satellites and other harsh‑environment electronics.

Institute of High Current Electronics

Vasily Kozhevnikov

Researcher