ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

"Combustion is essential to the world’s energy generation and transport needs, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Mitigating its impact on the climate and human health, by reducing its associated emissions, is thus a priority. One significant challenge for gas-turbine combustion is combustion instability, which is currently inhibiting reductions in NOx emissions (these damage human health via a deterioration in air quality). Combustion instability is caused by a two-way coupling between unsteady combustion and acoustic waves - the large pressure oscillations that result can cause substantial mechanical damage. Currently, the lack of fast, accurate modelling tools for combustion instability, and the lack of reliable ways of suppressing it are severely hindering reductions in NOx emissions. This proposal aims to make step improvements in both fast, accurate modelling of combustion instability, and in developing reliable active control strategies for its suppression. It will achieve this by coupling low order combustor models (these are fast, simplified models for simulating combustion instability) with advances in analytical modelling, CFD simulation, reduced order modelling and control theory tools. In particular: * important advances in accurately incorporating the effect of entropy waves (temperature variations resulting from unsteady combustion) and non-linear flame models will be made; * new active control strategies for achieving reliable suppression of combustion instability, including from within limit cycle oscillations, will be developed; * an open-source low order combustor modelling tool will be developed and widely disseminated, opening access to researchers worldwide and improving communications between the fields of thermoacoustics and control theory. Thus the proposal aims to use analytical and computational methods to contribute to achieving low NOx gas-turbine combustion, without the penalty of damaging combustion instability."

1 489 309 €

Start date: 2013-01-01, End date: 2017-12-31

Back pain affects eight out of ten adults during their lifetime. It a huge economic burden on society, estimated to cost as much as 1-2% of gross national product in several European countries. Treatments for back pain have lower levels of success and are not as technologically mature as those for other musculoskeletal disorders such as hip and knee replacement. This application proposes to tackle one of the major barriers to the development of better surgical treatments for back pain. At present, new spinal devices are commonly assessed in isolation in the laboratory under standardised conditions that do not represent the variation across the patient population. Consequently many interventions have failed during clinical trials or have proved to have poor long term success rates. Using a combination of computational and experimental models, a new testing methodology will be developed that will enable the variation between patients to be simulated for the first time. This will enable spinal implants and therapies to be more robustly evaluated across a virtual patient population prior to clinical trial. The tools developed will be used in collaboration with clinicians and basic scientists to develop and, crucially, optimise new treatments that reduce back pain whilst preserving the unique functions of the spine. If successful, this approach could be translated to evaluate and optimise emerging minimally invasive treatments in other joints such as the hip and knee. Research in the spine could then, for the first time, lead rather than follow that undertaken in other branches of orthopaedics.

1 498 777 €

Start date: 2012-12-01, End date: 2018-11-30

Cooling is essential for food and drinks, medicine, electronics and thermal comfort. Thermal changes due to pressure-driven phase transitions in fluids have long been used in vapour compression systems to achieve continuous refrigeration and air conditioning, but their energy efficiency is relatively low, and the working fluids that are employed harm the environment when released to the atmosphere. More recently, the discovery of large thermal changes due to pressure-driven phase transitions in magnetic solids has led to suggestions for environmentally friendly solid-state cooling applications. However, for this new cooling technology to succeed, it is still necessary to find suitable barocaloric (BC) materials that satisfy the demanding requirements set by applications, namely very large thermal changes in inexpensive materials that occur near room temperature in response to small applied pressures. I aim to develop new BC materials by exploiting phase transitions in non-magnetic solids whose structural and thermal properties are strongly coupled, namely ferroelectric salts, molecular crystals and hybrid materials. These materials are normally made from cheap abundant elements, and display very large latent heats and volume changes at structural phase transitions, which make them ideal candidates to exhibit extremely large BC effects that outperform those observed in state-of-the-art BC magnetic materials, and that match applications. My unique approach combines: i) materials science to identify materials with outstanding BC performance, ii) advanced experimental techniques to explore and exploit these novel materials, iii) materials engineering to create new composite materials with enhanced BC properties, and iv) fabrication of BC devices, using insight gained from modelling of materials and device parameters. If successful, my ambitious strategy will culminate in revolutionary solid-state cooling devices that are environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

1 467 521 €

Start date: 2016-04-01, End date: 2021-03-31

The agile and efficient flight of birds shows what flight performance is physically possible, and in theory could be achieved by unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) of the same size. The overall aim of this project is to enhance the performance of small scale UAVs by developing novel technologies inspired by understanding how birds are adapted to interact with airflows. Small UAVs have the potential to dramatically change current practices in many areas such as, search and rescue, surveillance, and environmental monitoring. Currently the utility of these systems is limited by their operational endurance and their inability to operate in strong turbulent winds, especially those that often occur in urban environments. Birds are adapted to be able to fly in these conditions and actually use them to their advantage to minimise their energy output. This project is composed of three tracks which contain elements of technology development, as well as scientific investigation looking at bird flight behaviour and aerodynamics. The first track looks at developing path planning algorithms for UAVs in urban environments based on how birds fly in these areas, by using GPS tracking and computational fluid dynamics alongside trajectory optimization. The second track aims to develop artificial wings with improved gust tolerance inspired by the features of feathered wings. Here, high speed video measurements of birds flying through gusts will be used alongside wind tunnel testing of artificial wings to discover what features of a bird’s wing help to alleviate gusts. The third track develops novel force and flow sensor arrays for autonomous flight control based on the sensor arrays found in flying animals. These arrays will be used to make UAVs with increased agility and robustness. This unique bird inspired approach uses biology to show what is possible, and engineering to find the features that enable this performance and develop them into functional technologies.

1 998 546 €

Start date: 2016-04-01, End date: 2021-03-31

Implants are often employed in orthopaedic and dental surgeries. However, risks of failure, which are difficult to anticipate, are still experienced and may have dramatic consequences. Failures are due to degraded bone remodeling at the bone-implant interface, a multiscale phenomenon of an interdisciplinary nature which remains poorly understood. The objective of BoneImplant is to provide a better understanding of the multiscale and multitime mechanisms at work at the bone-implant interface. To do so, BoneImplant aims at studying the evolution of the biomechanical properties of bone tissue around an implant during the remodeling process. A methodology involving combined in vivo, in vitro and in silico approaches is proposed. New modeling approaches will be developed in close synergy with the experiments. Molecular dynamic computations will be used to understand fluid flow in nanoscopic cavities, a phenomenon determining bone healing process. Generalized continuum theories will be necessary to model bone tissue due to the important strain field around implants. Isogeometric mortar formulation will allow to simulate the bone-implant interface in a stable and efficient manner. In vivo experiments realized under standardized conditions will be realized on the basis of feasibility studies. A multimodality and multi-physical experimental approach will be carried out to assess the biomechanical properties of newly formed bone tissue as a function of the implant environment. The experimental approach aims at estimating the effective adhesion energy and the potentiality of quantitative ultrasound imaging to assess different biomechanical properties of the interface. Results will be used to design effective loading clinical procedures of implants and to optimize implant conception, leading to the development of therapeutic and diagnostic techniques. The development of quantitative ultrasonic techniques to monitor implant stability has a potential for industrial transfer.

1 992 154 €

Start date: 2016-10-01, End date: 2021-09-30

"Photovoltaics (PV) based on Silicon (Si) semiconductors is one the most growing technology in the World for renewable, sustainable, non-polluting, widely available clean energy sources. Theoretical and applied research aims at increasing the conversion efficiency of PV modules and their lifetime. The Si crystalline microstructure has an important role on both issues. Grain boundaries introduce additional resistance and reduce the conversion efficiency. Moreover, they are prone to microcracking, thus influencing the lifetime. At present, the existing standard qualification tests are not sufficient to provide a quantitative definition of lifetime, since all the possible failure mechanisms are not accounted for. In this proposal, an innovative computational approach to design and durability assessment of PV modules is put forward. The aim is to complement real tests by virtual (numerical) simulations. To achieve a predictive stage, a challenging multi-field (multi-physics) computational approach is proposed, coupling the nonlinear elastic field, the thermal field and the electric field. To model real PV modules, an adaptive multi-scale and multi-field strategy will be proposed by introducing error indicators based on the gradients of the involved fields. This numerical approach will be applied to determine the upper bound to the probability of failure of the system. This statistical assessment will involve an optimization analysis that will be efficiently handled by a Mathematica-based hybrid symbolic-numerical framework. Standard and non-standard experimental testing on Si cells and PV modules will also be performed to complement and validate the numerical approach. The new methodology based on the challenging integration of advanced physical and mathematical modelling, innovative computational methods and non-standard experimental techniques is expected to have a significant impact on the design, qualification and lifetime assessment of complex PV systems."

1 483 980 €

Start date: 2012-12-01, End date: 2017-11-30

Space benefits mankind through the services it provides to Earth. Future space activities progress thanks to space transfer and are safeguarded by space situation awareness. Natural orbit perturbations are responsible for the trajectory divergence from the nominal two-body problem, increasing the requirements for orbit control; whereas, in space situation awareness, they influence the orbit evolution of space debris that could cause hazard to operational spacecraft and near Earth objects that may intersect the Earth. However, this project proposes to leverage the dynamics of natural orbit perturbations to significantly reduce current extreme high mission cost and create new opportunities for space exploration and exploitation. The COMPASS project will bridge over the disciplines of orbital dynamics, dynamical systems theory, optimisation and space mission design by developing novel techniques for orbit manoeuvring by “surfing” through orbit perturbations. The use of semi-analytical techniques and tools of dynamical systems theory will lay the foundation for a new understanding of the dynamics of orbit perturbations. We will develop an optimiser that progressively explores the phase space and, though spacecraft parameters and propulsion manoeuvres, governs the effect of perturbations to reach the desired orbit. It is the ambition of COMPASS to radically change the current space mission design philosophy: from counteracting disturbances, to exploiting natural and artificial perturbations. COMPASS will benefit from the extensive international network of the PI, including the ESA, NASA, JAXA, CNES, and the UK space agency. Indeed, the proposed idea of optimal navigation through orbit perturbations will address various major engineering challenges in space situation awareness, for application to space debris evolution and mitigation, missions to asteroids for their detection, exploration and deflection, and in space transfers, for perturbation-enhanced trajectory design.

1 499 021 €

Start date: 2016-08-01, End date: 2021-07-31

"The last few years have seen a growing interest for computational cell mechanics. This field encompasses different scales ranging from individual monomers, cytoskeleton constituents, up to the full cell. Its focus, fueled by the development of interdisciplinary collaborative efforts between engineering, computer science and biology, until recently relatively isolated, has allowed for important breakthroughs in biomedicine, bioengineering or even neurology. However, the natural “knowledge barrier” between fields often leads to the use of one numerical tool for one bioengineering application with a limited understanding of either the tool or the field of application itself. Few groups, to date, have the knowledge and expertise to properly avoid both pits. Within the computational mechanics realm, new methods aim at bridging scale and modeling techniques ranging from density functional theory up to continuum modeling on very large scale parallel supercomputers. To the best of the knowledge of the author, a thorough and comprehensive research campaign aiming at bridging scales from proteins to the cell level while including its interaction with its surrounding media/stimulus is yet to be done. Among all cells, neurons are at the heart of tremendous medical challenges (TBI, Alzheimer, etc.). In nearly all of these challenges, the intrinsic coupling between mechanical and chemical mechanisms in neuron is of drastic relevance. I thus propose here the development of a neuron model constituted of length-scale dedicated numerical techniques, adequately bridged together. As an illustration of its usability, the model will be used for two specific applications: neurite growth and electrical-chemical-mechanical coupling in neurons. This multiscale computational framework will ultimately be made available to the bio- medical community to enhance their knowledge on neuron deformation, growth, electrosignaling and thus, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer or TBI."

1 128 960 €

Start date: 2013-05-01, End date: 2018-04-30

Proposal summary (half page) The vision is firstly, to develop correlative tomography to radically increase the nature and level of information (morphological, structural and chemical) that can be obtained for a 3D volume of interest (VoI) deep within a material or component by coupling non-destructive (3D+time) X-ray tomography with destructive (3D) electron tomography and, secondly to exploit this new approach to shed light on damage accumulation processes arising under demanding conditions. Successful completion of this project will provide new 3D & 4D insights across many areas and yield key experimental data for multiscale models. Objective 1: To build the capability of correlative tomography - To connect platforms across scales and modalities in order to track a VoI that may be located deep below the surface and to combine multiple techniques within a single platform. - To add new facets to correlative tomography including + 3D chemical imaging + 3D crystal grain mapping + the local stress distribution + mechanical performance mapping at the VoI scale Objective 2: To apply it to gain new insights into damage accumulation Correlative tomography will provide a much richer multi-faceted hierarchical picture of materials behaviour from life science to food science from geology to cultural heritage. This project will focus specifically on identifying the nucleation, propagation and aggregation of damage processes in engineering materials. - We will identify and track the mechanisms that control the progressive degradation of conventional bulk engineering materials operating under demanding conditions. - We will examine the hierarchical strategies nature uses to control failure in natural materials through heterogeneous chemistry, morphology and properties. Alongside this we will examine the behaviour of man-made nano-structured analogues and whether we can exploit some of these strategies.

2 926 425 €

Start date: 2016-11-01, End date: 2021-10-31

Current water treatment technologies are mainly aimed to improve the quality of water. High-value nutrients, like nitrate and phosphate ions, often remain present in waste streams. Electro-driven separation processes offer a sustainable way to recover these nutrients. Ion-selective polymer membranes are a strong candidate to achieve selectivity in such processes. The aim of E-motion is to chemically modify porous electrodes with membranes to introduce selectivity in electro-driven separation processes. New, ultrathin ion-selective films will be designed, synthesized and characterized. The films will be made by successively adsorbing polycations and polyanions onto the electrodes. Selectivity will be introduced by the incorporation of ion-selective receptors. The adsorbed multilayer films will be studied in detail regarding their stability, selectivity and transport properties under varying experimental conditions of salinity, pH and applied electrical field, both under adsorption and desorption conditions. The first main challenge is to optimize and to understand the film architecture in terms of 1) stability towards an electrical field, 2) ability to facilitate ion transport. Also the influence of ion charge and ion size on the transport dynamics will be addressed. The focus of E-motion is set on phosphate ions, which is rather complex due to their large size, pH-dependent speciation and the development of phosphate-selective materials. Theoretical modelling of the solubility equilibria and electrical double layers will be pursued to frame the details of the electrosorption of phosphate. E-motion represents a major step forward in the selective recovery of nutrients from water in a cost-effective, chemical-free way at high removal efficiency. The proposed surface modification strategies and the increased understanding of ion transport and ionic interactions in membrane media offer also applications in the areas of batteries, fuel cells and solar fuel devices.

1 950 000 €

Start date: 2016-11-01, End date: 2021-10-31

Techniques for separating fluid mixtures are important in many industries like the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. The most relevant of these separation techniques, like distillation and absorption, are based on mass transfer over fluid interfaces. Results from molecular thermodynamics, which have recently become available, show that for many industrially important mixtures a strong enrichment of components occurs at the fluid interface. There is a striking congruence between shortcomings of the present design methods for fluid separations and the occurrence of that enrichment. It is the central hypothesis of the present research that the enrichment leads to a mass transfer resistance of the fluid interface which has to be accounted for in fluid separation process design. The fact that it is presently neglected causes unnecessary empiricism and inconsistencies in the design. ENRICO will advance the knowledge on the enrichment of components at fluid interfaces using a novel combination of two independent theoretical methods, namely molecular simulations with force fields on one side and density gradient theory coupled with equations of state on the other. This will enable reliable predictions of the occurrence of the enrichment and its magnitude. These results will be combined with the theory of irreversible thermodynamics to establish for the first time a model for the mass transfer resistance of the interface due to the enrichment. On that basis, a new approach for designing fluid separation processes will be developed in ENRICO, which will lead to more efficient and robust designs. The theoretical results will be validated by experiments from laboratory to pilot plant scale, and the benefits of the new approach will be demonstrated. ENRICO will thus establish a link between molecular physics and engineering practice. The results from ENRICO will have a major impact on chemical engineering world-wide and change the way fluid separation processes are designed.

2 498 750 €

Start date: 2016-10-01, End date: 2021-09-30

Metallic glasses (MGs), among the most actively studied metallic materials, have attractive mechanical properties (high elastic limit) but show work-softening and lack ductility. Recent work suggests the as-cast state of MGs can be much altered by thermomechanical treatments: rejuvenation (to higher energy) offers improved plasticity (perhaps even desirable work-hardening); relaxation (to lower energy) offers access to ultrastable states. Work of the PI has just shown that even simple thermal cycling can induce rejuvenation comparable with that from heavy plastic deformation, while elastic stress cycling can accelerate annealing. The research aims to extend the range of glassy states and to explore the consequences of unusual states, particularly for mechanical properties and for phase stability/crystallization. One possible limit to rejuvenation is the onset of fast crystallization. This regime will be studied for its relevance to crystallization of melts of low glass-forming ability, of interest to fill a gap in existing crystal-growth theory and for application in phase-change memory. Nine work-packages address these and further issues: exploitation of inhomogeneity in MGs to improve properties and enable processing, e.g. to permit stress relief without accompanying undesirable embrittlement; probing the maximum extent of anisotropy in MGs and the links between anisotropic structure and flow. Complementing the many mechanical and structural studies, molecular-dynamics simulations will be used to identify local events relating to rejuvenation/relaxation, to characterize (at atomic level) the anisotropy induced by anelastic strain and viscoplastic flow, to characterize the processes at the solid/liquid interface in pure-metal systems to understand crystal-growth mechanisms, especially why growth of ccp metals is so fast (and glass-forming ability very low). From preliminary results, it is expected that properties can be widened much beyond those of as-cast MGs.

2 434 090 €

Start date: 2016-10-01, End date: 2021-09-30

Using recent progress in laser technology and in particular in the field of ultra-fast lasers, we are getting close to accomplish the alchemist dream of transforming materials. Compact lasers can generate pulses with ultra-high peak powers in the Tera-Watt or even Peta-Watt ranges. These high-power pulses lead to a radically different laser-matter interaction than the one obtained with conventional lasers. Non-linear multi-photons processes are observed; they open new and exciting opportunities to tailor the matter in its intimate structure with sub-wavelength spatial resolutions and in the three dimensions. This project is aiming at exploring the use of these ultrafast lasers to locally tailor the physical properties of glass materials. More specifically, our objective is to create polymorphs embedded in bulk structures and to demonstrate their use as means to introduce new functionalities in the material. The long-term objective is to develop the scientific understanding and technological know-how to create three-dimensional objects with nanoscale features where optics, fluidics and micromechanical elements as well as active functions are integrated in a single monolithic piece of glass and to do so using a single process. This is a multidisciplinary research that pushes the frontier of our current knowledge of femtosecond laser interaction with glass to demonstrate a novel design platform for future micro-/nano- systems.

1 757 396 €

Start date: 2012-12-01, End date: 2017-11-30

Miniaturized cantilever–like sensors have evolved rapidly. However, when it comes to major breakthroughs in both fundamental studies as well as commercial applications these sensors face severe challenges: i) reliability – often only one or two measurements are performed for the same conditions due to very slow data generation and the results are rarely confirmed by orthogonal sensing technologies, ii) sensitivity – in many applications the need is now for ultra-low sensitivities, iii) reproducibility – very few results have been reported on reproducibility of these sensors iv)throughput –extremely slow and tedious read-out technologies. In order to take a great leap forward in cantilever-like sensing I suggest a new generation of simplified and optimized cantilever-like sensing structures implemented in a DVD based platform which will specifically address these issues. My overall hypothesis is that the true potential of these exciting sensors can only be released when using a simple and reliable read-out system that allows us to focus on the mechanical performance of the sensors. Thus we will keep the sensors as simple as possible. The DVD readout makes it possible to generate large amount of data and to focus on mechanics and the interplay between mechanics, optics and electrochemistry. It will be a technological challenge to realize a robust and reliable DVD platform, that facilitates optical read-out as well as actuation. The DVD platform will enable a fast and iterative development of hybrid cantilever-like systems which draw upon our more than 10 years experience in the field. These sensors will be realised using Si and polymer based cleanroom fabrication. Focus is on design, fabrication, characterization and applications of cantilever-like sensors and on DVD inspired system integration. By the end of HERMES we will have a unique platform which will be the onset of many new types of specific high –throughput applications and sensor development projects.

2 499 466 €

Start date: 2013-02-01, End date: 2018-01-31

A major impediment to the economic viability of carbon-free renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power is an inability to effectively utilize the power they generate if it is not immediately needed. One option to address this is to use excess generator capacity during off-peak demand periods to produce hydrogen (H2), a high energy-content, carbon-free fuel that can be mixed with natural gas and distributed to end-users via existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure, where its energy content is recovered via combustion in conventional gas-turbine (GT) power plants. H2-enrichment, however, dramatically alters the combustion dynamics of natural-gas and its effect on turbulent flame dynamics, combustion stability and pollutant formation in GT combustors is not well enough understood today for this scenario to be safely implemented with existing power plants. The objective of this study is to facilitate Europe’s transition to a reliable and cost-effective energy system based on carbon-free renewable power generation. It will accomplish this by developing advanced laser measurement techniques for use in high-pressure combustion test facilities and using them to acquire the data necessary to develop robust predictive analysis tools for hydrogen-enriched natural gas combustor technology. This data will analyzed in close collaboration with the simulation and modelling teams and used to rigorously test and validate combustion models and predictive analysis tools currently under development.

1 996 135 €

Start date: 2016-06-01, End date: 2021-05-31

Current bulk materials processing methods are nearing their limit in terms of ability to produce innovative materials with compositional and structural consistency. The aim of this ambitious project is to remove barriers to materials development, by researching novel methods for the processing of engineering materials, using advanced non-equilibrium plasma systems, to achieve a paradigm shift in the field of materials synthesis. These new processes have the potential to overcome the constraints of existing methods and also be environmentally friendly and produce novel materials with enhanced properties (mechanical, chemical and physical). The research will utilise plasmas in ways not used before (in bulk materials synthesis rather than thin film formation) and it will investigate different types of plasmas (vacuum, atmospheric and electrolytic), to ensure optimisation of the processing routes across the whole range of material types (including metals, ceramics and composites). The materials synthesised will have benefits for products across key applications sectors, including energy, healthcare and aerospace. The processes will avoid harmful chemicals and will make optimum use of scarce material resources. This interdisciplinary project (involving engineers, physicists, chemists and modellers) has fundamental “blue skies” and transformative aspects. It is also high-risk due to the aim to produce “bulk” materials at adequate rates and with consistent uniform structures, compositions and phases (and therefore properties) throughout the material. There are many challenges to overcome, relating to the study of the plasma systems and materials produced; these aspects will be pursued using empirical and modelling approaches. The research will pursue new lines of enquiry using an unconventional synthesis approach whilst operating at the interface with more established discipline areas of plasma physics, materials chemistry, process diagnostics, modelling and control.

2 499 283 €

Start date: 2013-02-01, End date: 2018-09-30

"INTECOCIS is a project on energy production by combustion built by IMFT (experiments, theory and instabilities) and CERFACS (numerical simulation). Combustion produces 90 percent of the earth energy and will remain our first energy source for a long time. Optimizing combustors is a key issue to burn fossil and renewable fuels more efficiently but also to replace wind or solar energy production on days without sun or wind. This optimization cannot take place without numerical simulation (‘virtual combustors’) that allows to test designs without building them. These virtual combustors cannot account for combustion instabilities (CI) which are a major risk in combustors where they induce vibration, loss of control and destruction. CIs cannot be predicted reliably today. INTECOCIS aims at introducing recent progress in High Performance Computing (HPC) into studies of CIs, to build simulation tools running on massively parallel computers that can predict CIs in future combustors and assess methods to control them. To achieve this goal, the simulations used today for CIs will be revolutionized to integrate recent HPC capacities and have the capabilities and brute power required to compute and control CI phenomena. A second objective of INTECOCIS is to distribute these HPC-based tools in Europe. These tools will integrate UQ (uncertainty quantification) methodologies to quantify the uncertainties associated with the simulations because CIs are sensitive to small changes in geometry, fuel composition or boundary conditions. Moreover, simulation tools also contain uncertain parameters (numerical methods, space and time discretization, impedances, physical sub models) that will have to be investigated as well. Most of the work will be theoretical and numerical but INTECOCIS will also include validation on laboratory burners (at IMFT and other laboratories in Europe) as well as applications on real combustors for European companies collaborating with IMFT and CERFACS."

2 488 656 €

Start date: 2013-02-01, End date: 2018-01-31

The latest forecast by the International Energy Agency predicts that the CO2 emissions from the built environment will reach 15.2Gt in 2050, double their 2007 levels. Buildings consume 40% of the primary energy in developed countries with heating and cooling alone accounting for 63% of the energy spent indoors. These trends are on an ascending trajectory - e.g. the average energy demand for air-conditioning has been growing by ~17% per year in the EU. Counterbalancing actions are urgently required to reverse them. The objective of this proposal is to develop intelligent window insulation technologies from sustainable materials. The developed technologies will adjust the amount of radiation escaping or entering a window depending upon the ambient environmental conditions and will be capable of delivering unprecedented reductions to the energy needed for regulating the temperature in commercial and residential buildings. Recognising the distinct requirements between newly built and existing infrastructure, two parallel concepts will be developed: i) A new class of intelligent glazing for new window installations, and, ii) a flexible, intelligent, polymer film to retrofit existing window installations. Both solutions will be enhanced with unique self-cleaning properties, bringing about additional economic benefits through a substantial reduction in maintenance costs. Overall, we aim to develop intelligent glazing technologies that combine: i) power savings of >250 W/m2 of glazing capable of delivering >25% of energy savings and efficiency improvements >50% compared with existing static solutions; ii) visible transparency of >60% to comply with the EU standards for windows ,and, iii) self-cleaning properties that introduce a cost balance. A number of technological breakthroughs are required to satisfy such ambitious targets which are delivered in this project by the seamless integration of nanotechnology engineering, novel photonics and advanced material synthesis.

1 762 823 €

Start date: 2016-03-01, End date: 2021-02-28

"Wearing sub-optimally fitted lower limb prosthesis cause disorders of the stump that strongly lessens the well-being and the performance of an amputee. As experimental measurements are currently not capable of providing enough insights in the dynamic behaviour of the stump, simulations need to be employed to achieve the necessary knowledge gain to significantly improve the socket design and, hence, to increase the amputee’s well-being and performance. The overall goal of this proposal is to provide the enabling technology in form of novel computational and experimental methodologies to assist the design process of next-generation prosthetic devices. The focus hereby is to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of the musculoskeletal system of a lower extremity amputee, here, the stump of an above-knee amputee. To achieve this, LEAD pursues two aims. The first and main aim focuses on substantially changing existing modelling philosophies and methodologies of forward dynamics approaches such that they are capable of representing muscles, bone, and skin as 3D continuum-mechanical objects. To counteract the increase of computational cost by switching from 1D lumped-parameter models to 3D models, novel, elegant, and efficient algorithms, e.g. nested iteration techniques tuned for efficiency through model-based coupling strategies and optimised solvers, need to be developed. The second aim is to experimentally measure physical quantities that provide the necessary input to drive the forward dynamics model, e.g. EMG, and to provide means of validation, e.g. with respect to pressure measurements, ultrasound recordings, and motion capture. Given the non-existing field of forward dynamics appealing to continuum-mechanical skeletal muscle models, LEAD creates a new field of research."

1 676 760 €

Start date: 2012-11-01, End date: 2017-10-31

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from the existing vasculature, is a process that is fundamental to normal tissue growth, wound repair and disease. The control of angiogenesis is of utmost importance for tissue regenerative therapies as well as cancer treatment, however this remains a challenge. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a one of the key controlling factors of angiogenesis. The mechanisms through which the ECM exerts its influence are poorly understood. MAtrix will create unprecedented opportunities for unraveling the role of the ECM in angiogenesis. It will do so by creating a highly innovative, multiscale in silico model that provides quantitative, subcellular resolution on cell-matrix interaction, which is key to the understanding of cell migration. In this way, MAtrix goes substantially beyond the state of the art in terms of computational models of angiogenesis. It will integrate mechanisms of ECM-mediated cell migration and relate them to intracellular regulatory mechanisms of angiogenesis. Apart from its innovation in terms of computational modelling, MAtrix’ impact is related to its interdisciplinarity, involving computer simulations and in vitro experiments. This will enable to investigate research hypotheses on the role of the ECM in angiogenesis that are generated by the in silico model. State of the art technologies (fluorescence microscopy, cell and ECM mechanics, biomaterials design) will be applied –in conjunction with the in silico model- to quantity cell-ECM mechanical interaction at a subcellular level and the dynamics of cell migration. In vitro experiments will be performed for a broad range of biomaterials and their characteristics. In this way, MAtrix will deliver a proof-of-concept that an in silico model can help in identifying and prioritising biomaterials characteristics, relevant for angiogenesis. MAtrix’ findings can have a major impact on the development of therapies that want to control the angiogenic response.

1 497 400 €

Start date: 2013-04-01, End date: 2018-03-31

To study and understand the aggregation, nucleation, and/or self-assembly processes of crystalline matter is of crucial importance for research and applications in many disciplines. For example, understanding the formation of crystalline amyloid fibres could lead to advances in the treatment and prevention of both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, whereas controlling the process of crystal formation can play a significant role in obtaining chemicals and materials that are important for industry as well as society as a whole (e.g., drugs, superconductors, polarizers and/or frequency modulators). Despite the impressive progress made in molecular engineering during the last few decades, the quest for a general tool-box technology to study, control and monitor crystallisation processes as well as to isolate metastable states (dynamic capture) is still incomplete. That is because crystalline assemblies are frequently investigated in their equilibrium form, driving the system to its minimum energy state. This methodology limits the emergence of new chemicals and crystals with advanced functionalities, and thus hampers advances in the field of materials engineering. µ-CrysFact will develop tool-box technologies where diffusion-limited and kinetically controlled environments will be achieved during crystallisation and where the isolation of non-equilibrium species will be facilitated by pushing crystallisation processes out of equilibrium. In addition, µ-CrysFact’s technologies will be used to localise, integrate and chemically treat crystals with the aim of honing their functionality. This unprecedented approach has the potential to lead to the discovery of new materials with advanced functions and unique properties, thus opening new horizons in materials engineering research.

1 814 128 €

Start date: 2016-09-01, End date: 2021-08-31

Reactive transport modelling is a key tool in understanding the extremely complex interplay of flow, transport and reactions occurring over various temporal and spatial scales in the subsurface. The most difficult challenge in reactive transport is the capture of scale dependence, and upscaling reactive transport will ultimately only be successful if there is a detailed understanding of fundamental mechanisms at the pore level and the supporting data are available. State-of-the-art tools (e.g. X-ray microtomography and on-chip porous media) are not sufficient to understand reactive flow, as they do not provide real-time mapping of propagation of fronts (e.g. temperature, pressure, concentration) that are critical to refine and validate simulations. The ambition is to progress beyond the state of the art via additive manufacturing tools to print 3D replicas of porous cores that enable monitoring the properties within the pores. Our unique approach is to develop for the first time three-dimensional instrumented replicas of porous structures, so we can gain much needed dynamic data at the pore scale that can be incorporated into validated simulations coupling flow and reactive transport processes. We combine expertise and integrating ground-breaking work in: (i) additive manufacturing to produce three dimensional replicas of porous structures; (ii) tools to embed sensors to determine in-vivo propagation of fronts (pressure, temperature, pH) within complex structures; and (iii) novel high-fidelity in-silico pore models coupling relative permeability functions and critical saturations with compositional changes and validated using virtual reality tools. The ERC MILEPOST project will transform our ability to analyse and predict the behaviour of a wide range of pore-scale processes governing the macroscopic behaviour of complex subsurface systems and open up new horizons for science in other areas, e.g porosity controlled in polymers and bioprinting.

2 810 198 €

Start date: 2016-09-01, End date: 2021-08-31

The objective of the proposed research is to engineer novel multifunctional morphing materials drawing inspiration from biological systems that are known to possess distributed sensing capabilities which in turn guide their local and global morphing. This will be achieved through the development of novel multi-scale technologies (nano- to macro) and materials that, once integrated, will allow distributed local/global sensing and morphing capabilities that can be exploited for structural as well as for eminently flexible applications. The distributed local/global morphing and sensing will be delivered by fabricating at the microscale a non-invasive, light-weight, flexible and highly expandable active network with enhanced actuation capabilities and a neurological sensor network. The networks are then expanded to the macro-scale prior being integrated in a flexible material or in an innovative multi-stable shape memory carbon-fiber composite. The sensor network has to monitor environmental and loading conditions. These data are then used to control the deformation of the active network which can deliver local (roughness changes as in dolphins skin for instance for drag reduction) or global morphing (e.g. for deformable textiles as in insect wings) in flexible materials. The multi-stable carbon-fiber composite can be used in conjunction with these two functions so as to achieve advanced morphing in structural applications (e.g., birds wings vs. aircrafts wings). The composite, with a shape memory resin as hosting matrix, due to its rigidity and sensitivity to temperature variations, can snap from one configuration to the other. The speed of the purposefully-introduced snapping-through process will be tuned with the help of the integrated active network. This research has the potential to pave the way toward the development of new multidisciplinary research fields and could revolutionarize the design and production of future structures in a variety of fields.

1 664 600 €

Start date: 2013-01-01, End date: 2018-12-31

Nowadays, the treatment of cancer is based on the so-called diagnostic paradigm. We feel that the shift from the traditional diagnostic paradigm to a predictive patient-specific one may lead to more effective therapies. Thus, the objective of this project is to introduce predictive models for cancer growth. These predictive models will take the form of mathematical models developed from first principles and the fundamental features of cancer biology. For these models to be useful in clinical practice, we will need to introduce new numerical algorithms that permit to obtain fast and accurate simulations based on patient-specific data. We propose to develop mathematical models using the framework provided by the mixtures theory and the phase-field method. Our model will account for the growth of the tumor and the vasculature that develops around it, which is essential for the tumor to grow beyond a harmless limited size. We propose to develop new algorithms based on Isogeometric Analysis, which is a recent generalization of Finite Elements with several advantages. The use of Isogeometric Analysis will simplify the interface between medical images and the computational mesh, permitting to generate smooth basis functions necessary to approximate higher-order partial differential equations like those that govern cancer growth. Our modeling and simulation tools will be examined and validated by experimental and clinical observations. To accomplish this, we propose to use anonymized patient-specific data through several patient imaging modalities. Arguably, the successful undertaking of this project, would have the potential to transform classical population/statistics-based treatments of cancer into patient-specific therapies. This would elevate mathematical modeling and simulation of cancer growth to a stage in which it can be used as a quantitatively accurate predictive tool with implications for clinical practice, clinical trial design, and outcome prediction.

1 405 420 €

Start date: 2012-10-01, End date: 2017-09-30

The aim of this project is to translate the concept of production line to the nanoworld to develop what could become tomorrow’s nanofactory. So far, nanostructures are either chemically synthesized or produced using top-down approaches such as nanolithography, but no processes exist to take a few nanostructures and perform the basic operations required to assemble them into a more complex system. This proposal aims at addressing this need by realizing at the nanoscale the different functions that are required for a production line: receiving and moving raw nanomaterial in position, where it can be immobilized and worked on or transformed; combining different elements into more complex systems that support new functionalities. The project uses optical forces generated by plasmonic traps as enabling mechanism to act on raw material and the entire production line will be integrated into microfluidics, which will perform as an advanced conveyor belt. Local electrophoresis and photo-curable polymerization are used to locally modify and assemble raw nanoparticles. In addition to implementing challenging nanotechnologies, such as nanoscale electric contacts and perforated membranes, this project will also explore a fair amount of completely new physics, including the van der Waals interaction – which will be studied numerically and experimentally – the competition between optical and chemical forces or electrostatic attraction, and the detailed determination of the trapping potential produced by plasmonic nanostructures. The foreseen research is very comprehensive, including modelling, nanofabrication and explorations at the nanoscale. This ground-braking proposal will demonstrate how additive manufacturing can be implemented at the nanoscale.

2 488 190 €

Start date: 2016-09-01, End date: 2021-08-31

The advent of molecular reprogramming and the associated opportunities for personalised and therapeutic medicine requires the development of novel systems for on-demand delivery of reprogramming factors into cells in order to modulate their activity/identity. Such triggerable systems should allow precise control of the timing, duration, magnitude and spatial release of the reprogramming factors. Furthermore, the system should allow this control even in vivo, using non-invasive means. The present project aims at developing triggerable systems able to release efficiently reprogramming factors on demand. The potential of this technology will be tested in two settings: (i) in the reprogramming of somatic cells in vitro, and (ii) in the improvement of hematopoietic stem cell engraftment in vivo, at the bone marrow. The proposed research involves a team formed by engineers, chemists, biologists and is highly multidisciplinary in nature encompassing elements of engineering, chemistry, system biology, stem cell technology and nanomedicine.

1 699 320 €

Start date: 2012-11-01, End date: 2017-10-31

A paradigm shift is emerging in spacecraft engineering from single, large, and multifunctional satellites towards cooperating groups of small satellites. This will enable innovative applications in areas like Earth observation or telecommunication. Related interdisciplinary research in the field of formation control and networked satellites are key challenges of this proposal. Modern miniaturization techniques allow realization of satellites of continuously smaller masses, thus enabling cost-efficient implementation of distributed multi-satellite systems. In preparation my team has already realized two satellites at only 1 kg mass in the University Würzburg’s Ex¬perimental satellite (UWE) program, emphasizing crucial components for formation flying, like communication (UWE-1, launched 2005), attitude determination (UWE-2, launched 2009), and attitude control (UWE-3, launched 2013). My vision for the proposed project is to demonstrate formation control of four pico-satellites in-orbit for the first time worldwide. To realize this objective, innovative multi-satellite networked orbit control based on relative position and attitude of each satellite is to be implemented in order to enable Earth observations based on multipoint measurements. Related sensor systems used in my laboratory in research for advanced characterization of teams of mobile robots will be transferred to the space environment. Breakthroughs are expected by combining optimal control strategies for coordination of relative motion with a robust flow of information in the network of satellites and ground stations, implemented via innovative use of ad-hoc networks in space. Based on my team’s expertise in implementing very small satellites, first time a system composed of four satellites will be launched to demonstrate autonomous distributed formation control in orbit. This research evaluation in space is expected to open up significant application potential for future distributed satellite system services in Earth observation.

2 500 000 €

Start date: 2014-08-01, End date: 2019-07-31

"Even after more than one century of flight, both civil and military aircraft are still plagued by major vibration problems. A well-known example is the external-store induced flutter of the F-16 fighter aircraft. Such dynamical phenomena, commonly known as aeroelastic instabilities, result from the transfer of energy from the free stream to the structure and can lead to limit cycle oscillations, a phenomenon with no linear counterpart. Since nonlinear dynamical systems theory is not yet mature, the inherently nonlinear nature of these oscillations renders their mitigation a particularly difficult problem. The only practical solution to date is to limit aircraft flight envelope to regions where these instabilities are not expected to occur, as verified by intensive and expensive flight campaigns. This limitation results in a severe decrease in both aircraft efficiency and performance. At the heart of this project is a fundamental change in paradigm: although nonlinearity is usually seen as an enemy, I propose to control - and even suppress - aeroelastic instability through the intentional use of nonlinearity. This approach has the potential to bring about a major change in aircraft design and will be achieved thanks to the development of the nonlinear tuned vibration absorber, a new, rigorous nonlinear counterpart of the linear tuned vibration absorber. This work represents a number of significant challenges, because the novel functionalities brought by the intentional use of nonlinearity can be accompanied by adverse nonlinear dynamical effects. The successful mitigation of these unwanted nonlinear effects will be a major objective of our proposed research; it will require achieving both theoretical and technical advances to make it possible. A specific effort will be made to demonstrate experimentally the theoretical findings of this research with extensive wind tunnel testing and practical implementation of the nonlinear tuned vibration absorber. Finally, nonlinear instabilities such as limit cycle oscillations can be found in a number of non-aircraft applications including in bridges, automotive disc brakes and machine tools. The nonlinear tuned vibration absorber could also find uses in resolving problems in these applications, thus ensuring the generic character of the project."

1 316 440 €

Start date: 2012-09-01, End date: 2017-08-31

The progress in liquid chromatography (LC), basically following Moore’s law over the last decade, will soon come to a halt. LC is the current state-of-the-art chemical separation method to measure the composition of complex mixtures. Driven by the ever growing complexity of the samples in e.g., environmental and biomedical research, LC is constantly pushed to higher efficiencies. Using highly optimized and monodisperse spherical particles, randomly packed in high pressure columns, the progress in LC has up till now been realized by reducing the particle size and concomitantly increasing the pressure. With pressure already up at 1500 bar, groundbreaking progress is still badly needed, e.g., to fully unravel the complex reaction networks in human cells. For this purpose, it is proposed to leave the randomly packed bed paradigm and move to structures wherein the 1 to 5 micrometer particles currently used in LC are arranged in perfectly ordered and open-structured geometries. This is now possible, as the latest advances in nano-manufacturing and positioning allow proposing and developing an inventive high-throughput particle assembly and deposition strategy. The PI's ability to develop new parts of chromatography will be used to rationally optimize the many possible geometries accessible through this disruptive new technology, and identify those structures coping best with any remaining degree of disorder. Using the PI's experimental know-how on microfluidic chromatography systems, these structures will be used to pursue the disruptive gain margin (order of factor 100 in separation speed) that is expected based on general chromatography theory. Testing this groundbreaking new generation of LC columns together with world-leading bio-analytical scientists will illustrate their potential in making new discoveries in biology and life sciences. The new nano-assembly strategies might also be pushed to other applications, such as photonic crystals.

2 488 813 €

Start date: 2016-10-01, End date: 2021-09-30

"It is a matter of strategic independence for Europe to urgently find processes taking into account environmental and economic issues, when mining and recycling rare earths. Currently THERE ARE NO SUCH INDUSTRIAL PROCESS AVAILABLE and 0% WASTE RECYCLING of RARE EARTH ELEMENTS (REE). Plus, 97% of the mining operations are performed in China, hence representing a major Sword of Damoclès for the rest of the world’s economy. We propose to develop a new, cost effective and environmentally friendly REE recycling process. We will achieve this: (i) by enabling, for the first time ever, the fast measurement of free energy of mass transfer between complex fluids; hence it will now be possible to explore an extensive number of process formulations and phase diagrams (such a study usually takes years but will then be performed in a matter of days); (ii) develop predictive models of ion separation including the effect of long-range interactions between metal cations and micelles; (iii) by using the experimental results and prediction tools developed, to design an advanced & environmentally friendly process formulations and pilot plant; (iv) by enhancing the extraction kinetics and selectivity, by implementing a new, innovative and selective triggering cation exchange process step (ca. the exchange kinetics of a cation will be greatly enhance when compared to another one). This will represent a major breakthrough in the field of transfer methods between complex fluids. An expected direct consequence of REE-CYCLE will be that acids’ volumes and other harmful process wastes, will be reduced by one to two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, this new understanding of mechanisms involved in selective ion transfer should open new recycling possibilities and pave the way to economical recovery of metals from a very rapidly growing “mine”, i.e. the diverse metal containing “wastes” generated by used Li-ion batteries, super-capacitors, supported catalysts and fuel cells."

2 255 515 €

Start date: 2013-07-01, End date: 2018-06-30

Despite the fact that the catalyst structure has been an important factor in catalysis science since the discovery of structure sensitive reactions in single crystal studies, its effect on reactivity is neglected in state-of-the-art microkinetic modelling. In reality, the catalyst is dynamic by changing its structure, shape and size in response to the different conditions in the reactor. Thus, the inclusion of such effects within the framework of microkinetic modelling, albeit extremely complex, is of outmost importance in the quest of engineering the chemical transformation at the molecular level. This proposal aims to approach this grand challenge by developing a hierarchical multiscale methodology for the structure-dependent microkinetic modelling of catalytic processes in applied catalysis. In particular this challenging objective will be achieved by acting on two main fronts: i. development of a hierarchical multiscale methodology for the prediction of the structural changes of the catalyst material as a function of the operating conditions in the reactor and the analysis of the structure-activity relations through the development of structure-dependent microkinetic models; ii. show the applicability of the methodology by the assessment of the structure-activity relation in the context of relevant processes in energy applications such as the short-contact-time CH4 reforming with H2O and CO2 on supported-metal catalysts. The inherent complexity of the problem will be tackled by hierarchically combining novel methods at different levels of accuracy in a dual feed-back loop between theory and experiments. This will require interdisciplinary efforts in bridging among surface science, physical-chemistry and chemical engineering. The fundamental nature and impact of the methodology will be unprecedented and will pave the way toward the detailed analysis and design of the structure-activity relation by tuning shape and size to tailoring activity and selectivity.

1 496 250 €

Start date: 2016-05-01, End date: 2021-04-30

Colloid and polymer science allows the engineering of acoustic and optical material functionalities of hierarchical structures on various length scales commensurate with and well below the characteristic length scales of phonons and photons. Periodic structures act as both hypersonic phononic and visible light photonic crystals (phoxonics). We recently extended the decade-old field to hypersonic phononics. Many important questions in this young field are just being raised and require new conceptual and technical approaches to address them. Powerful synthesis and assembly methods are able to create novel structures to host unconventional properties of flexibility and multi-functionality, locally resonant hypersonic soft metamaterials and topological phononic insulators. To complement our best world-wide Brillouin spectroscopy for retrieving the dispersion relations in transparent structures, two new experimental techniques based on laser-induced high frequency phonons and tapered fiber optomechanics will be implemented to engineer strong wave-matter interactions. Band structure calculations will be used as tools to model and predict the acoustic wave propagation in composite structures of varying symmetry, architecture and topology of the building components. Our novel approach, together with intricate methods of processing such materials at a large scale, shows the outline of the emerging field of polymer-and colloid-based phononics. Promising applications range from tunable responsive filters and one way phonon waveguides to compact acousto-optic devices and sensors and from hypersonic imaging to materials and devices, which allow for directed heat flow and recovery. To access such fundamental concepts a detailed understanding of phonon propagation in nanostructured media is a precondition. This proposal ensures that we will hear much more about currently unknown and unexpected properties and functions of soft phononics and will open up many new lines of research.

2 181 250 €

Start date: 2016-09-01, End date: 2021-08-31

Mankind needs to innovate to deliver more efficient, environmentally-friendly and increasingly intensified processes. The development of highly selective, high temperature, inorganic membranes is critical for the introduction of the novel membrane processes that will promote the transition to a low carbon economy and result in cleaner, more efficient and safer chemical conversions. However, high temperature membranes are difficult to study because of problems associated with sealing and determining the relatively low fluxes that are present in most laboratory systems (fluxes are conventionally determined by gas analysis of the permeate stream). Characterisation is difficult because of complex membrane microstructures. I will avoid these problems by adopting an entirely new approach to membrane materials selection and kinetic testing through a pioneering study of permeation in single pores of model membranes. Firstly, model single pore systems will be designed and fabricated; appropriate micro-analytical techniques to follow permeation will be developed. Secondly, these model systems will be used to screen novel combinations of materials for hybrid membranes and to determine kinetics with a degree of control not previously available in this field. Thirdly, I will use our improved understanding of membrane kinetics to guide real membrane design and fabrication. Real membrane performance will be compared to model predictions and I will investigate how the new membranes can impact on process design. If successful, an entirely new approach to membrane science will be developed and demonstrated. New membranes will be developed facilitating the adoption of new processes addressing timely challenges such as the production of high purity hydrogen from low-grade reducing gases, carbon dioxide capture and the removal of oxides of nitrogen from oxygen-containing exhaust streams.

2 080 000 €

Start date: 2013-02-01, End date: 2019-01-31

"The research is aimed at the efficient production of solar fuels from H2O and CO2. Solar thermochemical approaches using concentrating solar energy inherently operate at high temperatures and utilize the entire solar spectrum, and as such provide thermodynamic favorable paths to efficient solar fuel production. The targeted solar fuel is syngas: a mixture of mainly H2 and CO that can be further processed to liquid hydrocarbon fuels (e.g. diesel, kerosene), which offer high energy densities and are most convenient for the transportation sector without changes in the current global infrastructure. The strategy for the efficient production of solar syngas from H2O and CO2 involves research on a 2-step thermochemical redox cycle, encompassing: 1st step) the solar-driven endothermic reduction of a metal oxide; and 2nd step) the non-solar exothermic oxidation of the reduced metal oxide with H2O/CO2, yielding syngas together with the initial metal oxide. Two redox pairs have been identified as most promising: the volatile ZnO/Zn and non-volatile CeO2/CeO2-δ. Novel materials, structures, and solar reactor concepts will be developed for enhanced heat and mass transport, fast reaction rates, and high specific yields of fuel generation. Thermodynamic and kinetic analyses of the pertinent redox reactions will enable screening dopants. Solar reactor modeling will incorporate fundamental transport phenomena coupled to reaction kinetics by applying advanced numerical methods (e.g. Monte Carlo coupled to CFD at the pore scale). Solar reactor prototypes for 5 kW solar radiative power input will experimentally demonstrate the efficient production of solar syngas and their suitability for large-scale industrial implementation. The proposed research contributes to the development of technically viable and cost effective technologies for sustainable transportation fuels, and thus addresses one of the most pressing challenges that modern society is facing at the global level."

2 187 650 €

Start date: 2013-03-01, End date: 2018-02-28

This proposal aims via a comprehensive and interdisciplinary programme of research to determine the full response of monolayer (atomic thickness) graphene to extreme axial tensional deformation up to failure and to measure directly its tensile strength, stiffness, strain-to-failure and, most importantly, the effect of orthogonal buckling to its overall tensile properties. Already our recent results have shown that graphene buckling of any form can be suppressed by embedding the flakes into polymer matrices. We have indeed quantified this effect for any flake geometry and have produced master curves relating geometrical aspects to compression strain-to-failure. In the proposed work, we will make good use of this finding by altering the geometry of the flakes and thus design graphene strips (micro-ribbons) of specific dimensions which when embedded to polymer matrices can be stretched to large deformation and even failure without simultaneous buckling in the other direction. This is indeed the only route possible for the exploitation of the potential of graphene as an efficient reinforcement in composites. Since orthogonal buckling during stretching is expected to alter- among other things- the Dirac spectrum and consequently the electronic properties of graphene, we intend to use the technique of Raman spectroscopy to produce stress/ strain maps in two dimensions in order to quantify fully this effect from the mechanical standpoint. Finally, another option for ironing out the wrinkles is to apply a simultaneous thermal field during tensile loading. This will give rise to a biaxial stretching of graphene which presents another interesting field of study particularly for already envisaged applications of graphene in flexible displays and coatings.

2 025 600 €

Start date: 2013-06-01, End date: 2018-05-31

Traffic congestion on motorways is a serious threat for the economic and social life of modern societies and for the environment, which calls for drastic and radical solutions. Conventional traffic management faces limitations. During the last decade, there has been an enormous effort to develop a variety of Vehicle Automation and Communication Systems (VACS) that are expected to revolutionise the features and capabilities of individual vehicles. VACS are typically developed to benefit the individual vehicle, without a clear view for the implications, advantages and disadvantages they may have for the accordingly modified traffic characteristics. Thus, the introduction of VACS brings along the necessity and growing opportunities for adapted or utterly new traffic management. It is the main objective of TRAMAN21 to develop the foundations and first steps that will pave the way towards a new era of motorway traffic management research and practice, which is indispensable for exploiting the evolving VACS deployment. TRAMAN21 assesses the relevance of VACS for improved traffic flow and develops specific options for a sensible upgrade of the traffic conditions, particularly at the network’s weak points, i.e. at bottlenecks and incident locations. The proposed work comprises the development of new traffic flow modelling and control approaches on the basis of appropriate methods from many-particle Physics, Automatic Control and Optimisation. A field trial is included, aiming at a preliminary testing and demonstration of the developed concepts. TRAMAN21 risk stems from the uncertainty in the VACS evolution, which is a challenge for the required modelling and control developments. But, if successful, TRAMAN21 will contribute to a substantial reduction of the estimated annual European traffic congestion cost of 120 billion € and related environmental pollution and will trigger further innovative developments and a new era of traffic flow modelling and control research.

1 496 880 €

Start date: 2013-03-01, End date: 2018-02-28

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are one of the most efficient and fuel flexible power generators. However, a great limitation on their applicability arises from temperature restrictions. Operation approaching room temperature (RT) is forbidden by the limited performance of known electrolytes and cathodes while typical high temperatures (HT) avoid their implementation in portable applications where quick start ups with low energy consumption are required. The ULTRASOFC project aims breaking these historical limits by taking advantage of the tremendous opportunities arising from novel fields in the domain of the nanoscale (nanoionics or nano photochemistry) and recent advances in the marriage between micro and nanotechnologies. From the required interdisciplinary approach, the ULTRASOFC project addresses materials challenges to (i) reduce the operation to RT and (ii) technological gaps to develop ultra-low-thermal mass structures able to reach high T with extremely low consumption and immediate start up. A unique μSOFC technology fully integrated in ultrathin silicon will be developed to allow operation with hydrogen at room temperature and based on hydrocarbons at high temperature. Stacking these μSOFCs will bring a new family of ultrathin power sources able to provide 100 mW at RT and 5W at high T in a size of a one-cent coin. A stand-alone device fuelled with methane at HT will be fabricated in the size of a dice. Apart from breaking the state-of-the-art of power portable generation, the ULTRASOFC project will cover the gap of knowledge existing for the migration of high T electrochemical devices to room temperature and MEMS to high T. Therefore, one should expect that ULTRASOFC will open up new horizons and opportunities for research in adjacent fields like electrochemical transducers or chemical sensors. Furthermore, new technological perspectives of integration of unconventional materials will allow exploring unknown devices and practical applications.

1 841 387 €

Start date: 2016-04-01, End date: 2021-03-31

Globally 1 in 100 children are born with significant congenital heart defects (CHD), representing either new genetic mutations or epigenetic insults that alter cardiac morphogenesis in utero. Embryonic CV systems dynamically regulate structure and function over very short time periods throughout morphogenesis and that biomechanical loading conditions within the heart and great-vessels alter morphogenesis and gene expression. This proposal has structured around a common goal of developing a comprehensive and predictive understanding of the biomechanics and regulation of great-vessel development and its plasticity in response to clinically relevant epigenetic changes in loading conditions. Biomechanical regulation of vascular morphogenesis, including potential aortic arch (AA) reversibility or plasticity after epigenetic events relevant to human CHD are investigated using multimodal experiments in the chick embryo that investigate normal AA growth and remodeling, microsurgical instrumentation that alter ventricular and vascular blood flow loading during critical periods in AA morphogenesis. WP 1 establishes our novel optimization framework, incorporates basic input/output in vivo data sets, and validates. In WP 2 and 3 the numerical models for perturbed biomechanical environment and incorporate new objective functions that have in vivo structural data inputs and predict changes in structure and function. WP 4 incorporates candidate genes and pathways during normal and experimentally altered AA morphogenesis. This proposal develops and validates the first in vivo morphomechanics-integrated three-dimensional mathematical models of AA growth and remodeling that can predict normal growth patterns and abnormal vascular adaptations common in CHD. Multidisciplinary application of bioengineering principles to CHD is likely to provide novel insights and paradigms towards our long-term goal of optimizing CHD interventions, outcomes, and the potential for preventive strategies.

1 995 140 €

Start date: 2013-01-01, End date: 2019-07-31

The excessive energy consumption that Europe is faced with, calls for sustainable resource management and policy-making. Amongst renewable sources of the global energy pool, wind energy holds the lead. Nonetheless, wind turbine (WT) facilities are conjoined with a number of shortcomings relating to their short life-span and the lack of efficient management schemes. With a number of WTs currently reaching their design span, stakeholders and policy makers are convinced of the necessity for reliable life-cycle assessment methodologies. However, existing tools have not yet caught up with the maturity of the WT technology, leaving visual inspection and offline non-destructive evaluation methods as the norm. This proposal aims to establish a smart framework for the monitoring, inspection and life-cycle assessment of WTs, able to guide WT operators in the management of these assets from cradle-to-grave. Our project is founded on a minimal intervention principle, coupling easily deployed and affordable sensor technology with state-of-the-art numerical modeling and data processing tools. An integrated approach is proposed comprising: (i) a new monitoring paradigm for WTs relying on fusion of structural response information, (ii) simulation of influential, yet little explored, factors affecting structural response, such as structure-foundation-soil interaction and fatigue (ii) a stochastic framework for detecting anomalies in both a short- (damage) and long-term (deterioration) scale. Our end goal is to deliver a “protection-suit” for WTs comprising a hardware (sensor) solution and a modular readily implementable software package, titled ETH-WINDMIL. The suggested kit aims to completely redefine the status quo in current Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition systems. This pursuit is well founded on background work of the PI within the area of structural monitoring, with a focus in translating the value of information into quantifiable terms and engineering practice.

1 486 224 €

Start date: 2016-05-01, End date: 2021-04-30