Methodology & Validation

This page exists so you can judge NovaSolver's computations before citing or relying on them. Our position is not "trust the name" but rather that every tool shows its own method. Below we set out, plainly, how the tools are built, how we validate them, and where their limits lie.

What NovaSolver is

NovaSolver is a free, vendor-neutral library of 1,600+ interactive engineering and physics simulators across 22 domains, available in Japanese, English, and Chinese. Each tool combines a real interactive simulation, a written explanation of the phenomenon, the governing equations, and a worked example.

This is distinct from static calculator and reference sites, which only return a number, and from play-only educational simulations, which are narrow and introductory. NovaSolver is built so you can operate, understand, estimate, and sanity-check in one place.

How the tools are built

Each tool is a self-contained static HTML page with a vanilla-JavaScript compute core, using Chart.js and canvas for visualization. Everything runs entirely in your browser — no login, no paywall.

These are not auto-generated stubs. Each tool has its own compute logic, explanation, FAQ, and worked example, written for the specific phenomenon it models.

How we validate accuracy

This is the core of the page. NovaSolver's trustworthiness rests on the following practices.

• Every tool states its governing equation(s), model assumptions, and limits, and names the standard or canonical reference it follows.
• Compute cores are checked against recognized engineering standards and known textbook solutions. Standards and theories actually used on the site include:
  • IEEE 1584-2002 (arc-flash incident energy)
  • IAPWS-IF97 (steam properties)
  • ASCE 7 (wind load velocity pressure)
  • AGMA / Lewis (gear-tooth bending)
  • AWS D1.1 / AISC (weld strength)
  • VDI 2230 (bolt preload)
  • ISA-75 / IEC 60534 (valve sizing C_v)
  • ASTM E140 (hardness conversion)
  • Hertz contact theory
  • Glauert blade-element-momentum theory (wind-turbine blades)
  • Bragg's law (X-ray diffraction)
  • USGS moment magnitude (earthquakes)
• In 2026, a comprehensive audit reviewed and corrected the compute cores of all 1,600+ tools for sign, coefficient, and unit errors, non-conservative safety outputs, and divergence from standards. For example, the arc-flash core was rebuilt to IEEE 1584-2002, and the wind-turbine-blade power coefficient was re-derived with Glauert-optimum blade-element-momentum theory. High-traffic tools also received an explicit "Standards & Assumptions" card.

Transparency over authority

NovaSolver is built by engineers and AI agents under the name "NovaSolver Contributors." Rather than asking you to trust a name, every tool shows its method — formula plus standard plus assumptions — so you can verify the computation yourself. This is by design: the method is meant to be auditable.

Scope & honest limits

NovaSolver provides educational and reference-grade engineering computation. It is excellent for understanding, estimation, sanity-checking, and learning. It is not a substitute for certified, regulated, or project-specific engineering software, or for professional engineering judgment.

Many tools are intentionally simplified models. Where a tool simplifies, the page says so.

Corrections & contact

If you find an error, you can report it, and tools are revised when issues are confirmed. For contact details and more about who builds NovaSolver, see the links below.