Services
Services
Building on the methods of mathematical physics, we offer specialist consulting and research support across three areas. In each, our approach places weight on theoretical grounding and empirical verification.
Cleanroom Airflow Analysis
Much of a cleanroom's construction and electricity cost comes from air handling and ventilation. We use mathematical models of how particles are generated in the room and carried by the airflow to determine the air change rate and the number of air purification units that are necessary and sufficient to hold the target cleanliness. We work from the planning stage of new facilities through reviews of existing equipment and root-cause investigation of problems.
- Cleanliness class design and airflow simulation
- Mathematical modeling of particle generation and dispersion
- Optimizing air change rates and the number of purification units
- Improvement and root-cause analysis for existing facilities
Technical topic
Air change rate and purifier count: two design decisions that move the cost a great deal
Much of what a cleanroom costs to build and maintain comes from its air conditioning and ventilation. How many times per hour the air is replaced, and how many purifiers of what capacity are installed: these two design judgments weigh heavily on both construction cost and electricity cost.
On many projects the tendency is to adopt the upper end of the range recommended by ISO standards. That is a decision made on the side of safety, but when the air change rate or the equipment count runs higher than necessary, both construction cost and day-to-day electricity cost become excessive.
At MPL we model the relationship between particle generation in the room, airflow patterns, and the cleanliness class, and calculate the air change rate and equipment count that are necessary and sufficient to hold the target cleanliness. The purpose of the analysis is to remove overspecification without any loss of yield.
In work carried out as technical advice to the parties involved, construction cost was reduced by 68% against a quotation from a major general contractor.
FEM Analysis & Mathematical Consulting
We reproduce the strength, vibration, and heat transfer of parts and structures on the computer using FEM (the finite element method). Because multiple design options and conditions can be compared before prototypes and experiments are repeated, development costs and lead times come down. This is not software operation on your behalf: a PhD physicist recasts the phenomenon as a mathematical model, and the work includes verifying whether the computed results are actually correct.
- Structural and strength analysis (static, contact)
- Natural vibration and frequency response analysis
- Heat conduction and thermal stress analysis
- Building mathematical models, and second opinions on existing analyses
Technical topic
Replacing prototypes and model experiments with FEM analysis: lower cost, far more conditions verified
Building prototypes and running model experiments in manufacturing carries substantial cost in materials, machining, and inspection time. There is also a limit to how many design conditions can be verified at once.
With FEM (finite element method) analysis, the behavior of structures, heat, vibration, and fluids can be simulated on a computer with real precision. Because multiple design options and conditions can be verified in parallel without physical prototyping, it is possible to converge efficiently on an optimal solution from the earliest stages of development. Lower prototyping and testing costs, together with a substantial expansion in the conditions that can be verified: both benefits arrive at once.
The reach of FEM is not confined to manufacturing. In agricultural production, the establishment of a technique for reproducing the internal structure of fruit mathematically through FEM analysis, and distinguishing sound fruit from abnormal or defective fruit non-destructively, has been reported in the academic literature. The director of MPL took part in that research as one of its authors, and the paper received the Annual Best Paper Award of the Japanese Society for Horticultural Science. Even where physical experiment is difficult, a mathematical model can open a way in. That is the strength of FEM analysis.
Renewable Energy Research
We carry out research and development in generation forecasting that combines meteorological data with physical models, in system performance evaluation, and in supply and demand optimization. Using methods from statistical physics and numerical analysis, we support decisions in which uncertainty has been quantified.
- Building and validating generation forecast models
- Performance evaluation of solar and wind systems
- Optimization analysis of energy supply and demand
- Technical support for R&D and demonstration projects
Not sure which service fits? Ask us.
We will propose the approach that best suits the problem at hand.