ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

Space exploration is one of boldest and most exciting endeavors that humanity has undertaken, and it holds enormous promise for the future. Our next challenges for the spatial conquest include bringing back samples to Earth by means of robotic missions and continuing the manned exploration program, which aims at sending human beings to Mars and bring them home safely. Inaccurate prediction of the heat-flux to the surface of the spacecraft heat shield can be fatal for the crew or the success of a robotic mission. This quantity is estimated during the design phase. An accurate prediction is a particularly complex task, regarding modelling of the following phenomena that are potential “mission killers:” 1) Radiation of the plasma in the shock layer, 2) Complex surface chemistry on the thermal protection material, 3) Flow transition from laminar to turbulent. Our poor understanding of the coupled mechanisms of radiation, ablation, and transition leads to the difficulties in flux prediction. To avoid failure and ensure safety of the astronauts and payload, engineers resort to “safety factors” to determine the thickness of the heat shield, at the expense of the mass of embarked payload. Thinking out of the box and basic research are thus necessary for advancements of the models that will better define the environment and requirements for the design and safe operation of tomorrow’s space vehicles and planetary probes for the manned space exploration. The three basic ingredients for predictive science are: 1) Physico-chemical models, 2) Computational methods, 3) Experimental data. We propose to follow a complementary approach for prediction. The proposed research aims at: “Integrating new advanced physico-chemical models and computational methods, based on a multidisciplinary approach developed together with physicists, chemists, and applied mathematicians, to create a top-notch multiphysics and multiscale numerical platform for simulations of planetary atmosphere entries, crucial to the new challenges of the manned space exploration program. Experimental data will also be used for validation, following state-of-the-art uncertainty quantification methods.”

1 494 892 €

Start date: 2010-09-01, End date: 2015-08-31

ALUFIX proposes an original strategy for the development of aluminium-based materials involving damage mitigation and extrinsic self-healing concepts exploiting the new opportunities of the solid-state friction stir process. Friction stir processing locally extrudes and drags material from the front to the back and around the tool pin. It involves short duration at moderate temperatures (typically 80% of the melting temperature), fast cooling rates and large plastic deformations leading to far out-of-equilibrium microstructures. The idea is that commercial aluminium alloys can be locally improved and healed in regions of stress concentration where damage is likely to occur. Self-healing in metal-based materials is still in its infancy and existing strategies can hardly be extended to applications. Friction stir processing can enhance the damage and fatigue resistance of aluminium alloys by microstructure homogenisation and refinement. In parallel, friction stir processing can be used to integrate secondary phases in an aluminium matrix. In the ALUFIX project, healing phases will thus be integrated in aluminium in addition to refining and homogenising the microstructure. The “local stress management strategy” favours crack closure and crack deviation at the sub-millimetre scale thanks to a controlled residual stress field. The “transient liquid healing agent” strategy involves the in-situ generation of an out-of-equilibrium compositionally graded microstructure at the aluminium/healing agent interface capable of liquid-phase healing after a thermal treatment. Along the road, a variety of new scientific questions concerning the damage mechanisms will have to be addressed.

1 497 447 €

Start date: 2017-01-01, End date: 2021-12-31

A sudden decrease in pressure triggers the formation of vapour and gas bubbles inside a liquid medium (also called cavitation). This leads to many (key) engineering problems: material loss, noise and vibration of hydraulic machinery. On the other hand, cavitation is a potentially a useful phenomenon: the extreme conditions are increasingly used for a wide variety of applications such as surface cleaning, enhanced chemistry, and waste water treatment (bacteria eradication and virus inactivation). Despite this significant progress a large gap persists between the understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to the effects of cavitation and its application. Although engineers are already commercializing devices that employ cavitation, we are still not able to answer the fundamental question: What precisely are the mechanisms how bubbles can clean, disinfect, kill bacteria and enhance chemical activity? The overall objective of the project is to understand and determine the fundamental physics of the interaction of cavitation bubbles with different contaminants. To address this issue, the CABUM project will investigate the physical background of cavitation from physical, biological and engineering perspective on three complexity scales: i) on single bubble level, ii) on organised and iii) on random bubble clusters, producing a progressive multidisciplinary synergetic effect. The proposed synergetic approach builds on the PI's preliminary research and employs novel experimental and numerical methodologies, some of which have been developed by the PI and his research group, to explore the physics of cavitation behaviour in interaction with bacteria and viruses. Understanding the fundamental physical background of cavitation in interaction with contaminants will have a ground-breaking implications in various scientific fields (engineering, chemistry and biology) and will, in the future, enable the exploitation of cavitation in water and soil treatment processes.

1 904 565 €

Start date: 2018-07-01, End date: 2023-06-30

The continued increase in the atmospheric concentration of CO2 due to anthropogenic emissions is leading to significant changes in climate, with the industry accounting for one-third of all the energy used globally and for almost 40% of worldwide CO2 emissions. Fast actions are required to decrease the concentration of this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, value that has currently reaching 400 ppm. Among the technological possibilities that are on the table to reduce CO2 emissions, carbon capture and storage into geological deposits is one of the main strategies that is being applied. However, the final objective of this strategy is to remove CO2 without considering the enormous potential of this molecule as a source of carbon for the production of valuable compounds. Nature has developed an effective and equilibrated mechanism to concentrate CO2 and fixate the inorganic carbon into organic material (e.g., glucose) by means of enzymatic action. Mimicking Nature and take advantage of millions of years of evolution should be considered as a basic starting point in the development of smart and highly effective processes. In addition, the use of amino-acid salts for CO2 capture is envisaged as a potential approach to recover CO2 in the form of (bi)carbonates. The project CO2LIFE presents the overall objective of developing a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into valuable molecules using membrane technology. The strategy followed in this project is two-fold: i) CO2 membrane-based absorption-crystallization process on basis of using amino-acid salts, and ii) CO2 conversion into glucose or salts by using enzymes as catalysts supported on or retained by membranes. The final product, i.e. (bi)carbonates or glucose, has a large interest in the (bio)chemical industry, thus, new CO2 emissions are avoided and the carbon cycle is closed. This project will provide a technological solution at industrial scale for the removal and reutilization of CO2.

1 302 710 €

Start date: 2018-01-01, End date: 2022-12-31

This project is directed towards development of new laser diagnostic techniques and a deepened physical understanding of more established techniques, aiming at new insights in phenomena related to combustion processes. These non-intrusive techniques with high resolution in space and time, will be used for measurements of key parameters, species concentrations and temperatures. The techniques to be used are; Non-linear optical techniques, mainly Polarization spectroscopy, PS. PS will mainly be developed for sensitive detection with high spatial resolution of "new" species in the IR region, e.g. individual hydrocarbons, toxic species as well as alkali metal compounds. Multiplex measurements of these species and temperature will be developed as well as 2D visualization. Quantitative measurements with high precision and accuracy; Laser induced fluorescence and Rayleigh/Raman scattering will be developed for quantitative measurements of species concentration and 2D temperatures. Also a new technique will be developed for single ended experiments based on picosecond LIDAR. Advanced imaging techniques; New high speed (10-100 kHz) visualization techniques as well as 3D and even 4D visualization will be developed. In order to properly visualize dense sprays we will develop Ballistic Imaging as well as a new technique based on structured illumination of the area of interest for suppression of multiple scattering which normally cause blurring effects. All techniques developed above will be used for key studies of phenomena related to various combustion phenomena; turbulent combustion, multiphase conversion processes, e.g. spray combustion and gasification/pyrolysis of solid bio fuels. The techniques will also be applied for development and physical understanding of how combustion could be influenced by plasma/electrical assistance. Finally, the techniques will be prepared for applications in industrial combustion apparatus, e.g. furnaces, gasturbines and IC engines

2 466 000 €

Start date: 2010-02-01, End date: 2015-01-31

A systematic and novel, multi-scale model based catalyst design methodology will be developed. The fundamental nature of the models used is unprecedented and will represent a breakthrough compared to the more commonly applied statistical, correlative relationships. The methodology will focus on the intrinsic kinetics of (potentially) large-scale processes for the conversion of renewable feeds into fuels and chemicals. Non-ideal behaviour, caused by mass and heat transfer limitations or particular reactor hydrodynamics, will be explicitly accounted for when simulating or optimizing industrial-scale applications. The selected model reactions are situated in the area of biomass upgrading to fuels and chemicals: fast pyrolysis oil stabilization, glycerol hydrogenolysis and selective oxidation of (bio)ethanol to acetaldehyde. For the first time, a systematic microkinetic modelling methodology will be developed for oxygenates conversion. In particular, stereochemistry in catalysis will be assessed. Two types of descriptors will be quantified: kinetic descriptors that are catalyst independent and catalyst descriptors that specifically account for the effect of the catalyst properties on the reaction kinetics. The latter will be optimized in terms of reactant conversion, product yield or selectivity. Fundamental relationships will be established between the catalyst descriptors as determined by microkinetic modelling and independently measured catalyst properties or synthesis parameters. These innovative relationships allow providing the desired, rational feedback in from optimal descriptor values towards synthesis parameters for a new catalyst generation. Their fundamental character will guarantee adequate extrapolative properties that can be exploited for the identification of a groundbreaking next catalyst generation.

1 999 877 €

Start date: 2014-06-01, End date: 2019-05-31

Tissue Engineering (TE) refers to the branch of medicine that aims to replace or regenerate functional tissue or organs using man-made living implants. As the field is moving towards more complex TE constructs with sophisticated functionalities, there is a lack of dedicated in vitro devices that allow testing the response of the complex construct as a whole, prior to implantation. Additionally, the knowledge accumulated from mechanistic and empirical in vitro and in vivo studies is often underused in the development of novel constructs due to a lack of integration of all the data in a single, in silico, platform. The INSITE project aims to address both challenges by developing a new mesofluidics set-up for in vitro testing of TE constructs and by developing dedicated multiscale and multiphysics models that aggregate the available data and use these to design complex constructs and proper mesofluidics settings for in vitro testing. The combination of these in silico and in vitro approaches will lead to an integrated knowledge-rich mesofluidics system that provides an in vivo-like time-varying in vitro environment. The system will emulate the in vivo environment present at the (early) stages of bone regeneration including the vascularization process and the innate immune response. A proof of concept will be delivered for complex TE constructs for large bone defects and infected fractures. To realize this project, the applicant can draw on her well-published track record and extensive network in the fields of in silico medicine and skeletal TE. If successful, INSITE will generate a shift from in vivo to in vitro work and hence a transformation of the classical R&D pipeline. Using this system will allow for a maximum of relevant in vitro research prior to the in vivo phase, which is highly needed in academia and industry with the increasing ethical (3R), financial and regulatory constraints.

2 161 750 €

Start date: 2018-09-01, End date: 2023-08-31

Multi-materials, combining various materials with different functionalities, are increasingly desired in engineering applications. Reliable material assembly is a great challenge in the development of innovative technologies. The interdiffusion microstructures formed at material interfaces are critical for the performance of the product. However, as more and more elements are involved, their complexity increases and their variety becomes immense. Furthermore, interdiffusion microstructures evolve during processing and in use of the device. Experimental testing of the long-term evolution in assembled devices is extremely time-consuming. The current level of materials models and simulation techniques does not allow in silico (or computer aided) design of multi-component material assemblies, since the parameter space is much too large. With this project, I aim a break-through in computational materials science, using tensor decomposition techniques emerging in data-analysis to guide efficiently high-throughput interdiffusion microstructure simulation studies. The measurable outcomes aimed at, are 1) a high-performance computing software that allows to compute the effect of a huge number of material and process parameters, sufficiently large for reliable in-silico design of multi-materials, on the interdiffusion microstructure evolution, based on a tractable number of simulations, and 2) decomposed tensor descriptions for important multi-material systems enabling reliable computation of interdiffusion microstructure characteristics using a single computer. If successful, the outcomes of this project will allow to significantly accelerate the design of innovative multi-materials. My expertise in microstructure simulations and multi-component materials, and access to collaborations with the top experts in tensor decomposition techniques and materials characterization are crucial to reach this ambitious aim.

1 496 875 €

Start date: 2017-03-01, End date: 2022-02-28

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

In proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) there are various transport processes strongly affected by catalytic chemical/electrochemical reactions in nano- or/and micro-structured and multi-functional porous electrodes. Due to the complexity of fuel cells, fundamental understanding of physical phenomena continues to be required for the coupled chemical and transport processes with two-phase flow/water management in PEMFCs, and internal reforming reactions/thermal management in SOFCs. The project deals with the coupling of micro scale reactions (such as the electrochemical reactions and catalytic reactions) with various transport phenomena to provide a comprehensive understanding of fuel cell dynamics. The methodology for the project is a combination of model development and integration, simulation/analysis and validation. For microscopically complex porous layers and active sites, submodels will be developed by considering the detailed elementary kinetic rates based on the intermediate chemical species and their reactions occurring on the surface of the involved materials. As the inputs, the obtained data from the microscopic submodels will be implemented by the macroscopic CFD codes, previously developed for various applications, to examine local parameters in the porous electrodes and components. Both macro- and microscopic models will be validated by the experimental and/or literature data during the course of the project. The project will make progress beyond the state-of-the-art in modelling and analysis of advanced fuel cells, such as ultra low Pt loading (<0.1mgPt/cm2) and high temperature (120-200oC) PEMFCs, and intermediate temperature (600-800oC) planar SOFCs.

1 320 000 €

Start date: 2009-06-01, End date: 2014-05-31

"Nanoscale engineering is a fascinating research field spawning extraordinary materials which revolutionize microelectronics, medicine,energy production, etc. Still, there is a need for new materials and synthesis methods to offer unprecedented properties for use in future applications. In this research project, I will conduct fundamental science investigations focused towards the development of novel materials with tailor-made properties, achieved by precise control of the materials structure and compostition. The objectives are to: 1) Perform novel synthesis of graphene. 2) Explore nanoscale engineering of ""graphene-based"" materials, based on more than one atomic element. 3) Tailor uniquely combined metallic/ceramic/magnetic materials properties in so called MAX phases. 4) Provide proof of concept for thin film architectures in advanced applications that require specific mechanical, tribological, electronic, and magnetic properties. This initative involves advanced materials design by a new and unique synthesis method based on cathodic arc. Research breakthroughs are envisioned: Functionalized graphene-based and fullerene-like compounds are expected to have a major impact on tribology and electronic applications. The MAX phases are expected to be a new candidate for applications within low friction contacts, electronics, as well as spintronics. In particular, single crystal devices are predicted through tuning of tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) and anisotropic conductivity (from insulating to n-and p-type). I can lead this innovative and interdisciplinary project, with a unique background combining relevant research areas: arc process development, plasma processing, materials synthesis and engineering, characterization, along with theory and modelling."

1 484 700 €

Start date: 2010-09-01, End date: 2015-08-31

"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

A new generation of polymeric materials is needed promptly that does not behave like traditional commodity plastics in terms of environmental interaction, degradation pattern, fragmentation tendency, and biological persistency. I herein propose a new paradigm in the design of polymeric materials; the design of polymeric materials through a retro-structural approach where the macroscopic performance is translated to every scale level of structural order so that appropriate molecular recognitions are identified and subsequently synthetically generated in a bottom-up procedure. Inspiration on how to design such materials is best drawn from Nature which is unsurpassed in its ability to combine molecular building blocks into perfectly designed versatile super- and supramolecular structures with well-defined properties, disassembly patterns, and biological functions. A closer look into the structural build-up of biological materials gives important clues on how to design synthetic functional materials with desirable environmental interaction. In addition to advanced synthesis, surface modification and processing, the materials and their degradation behavior will be thoroughly characterized by using traditional characterization techniques in combination with latest spectroscopic and imaging techniques. I have chosen to focus on two areas that stand out as highly prioritized in maintaining or even raising our quality of life; sustainable materials for commodity applications and tissue engineering systems in biomaterials science. This is a bold high risk proposal which if successful will have a ground-breaking influence on how we design polymeric materials.

2 500 000 €

Start date: 2010-03-01, End date: 2016-02-29

"In this project, I will explore the unique combination of two fascinating research themes: electrospinning and plasma technology. Electrospun nanofibrous matrices (so-called mats) are an exciting class of materials with a wide range of possible applications. Nevertheless, the development and functionalization of these electrospun materials remain very challenging tasks. Atmospheric pressure plasma technology will be utilized by my research group to create advanced biodegradable electrospun mats with unprecedented functionality and performance. To realise such a major breakthrough, plasma technology will be implemented in different steps of the manufacturing process: pre-electrospinning and post-electrospinning. My group will focus on four cornerstone research lines, which have been carefully chosen so that all critical issues one could encounter in creating advanced biodegradable electrospun mats are tackled. Research cornerstone A aims to develop biodegradable electrospun mats with appropriate bulk properties, while in research cornerstone B pre-electrospinning polymer solutions will be exposed to non-thermal atmospheric plasmas. This will be realized by probing unexplored concepts such as discharges created inside polymer solutions. In a third cornerstone C, an in-depth study of the interactions between an atmospheric pressure plasma and an electrospun mat will be carried out. Finally, the last cornerstone D will focus on plasma-assisted surface modification of biodegradable electrospun mats for tissue engineering purposes. Realization of these four cornerstones would result in a major breakthrough in their specific field which makes this proposal inherently a relatively high risk/very high gain proposal. I therefore strongly believe that this research program will open a whole new window of opportunities for electrospun materials with a large impact on science and society."

1 391 100 €

Start date: 2014-02-01, End date: 2019-01-31

Engineers in nanotechnology research labs have been quite innovative the last decade in designing nanoscale materials for medicine. However, very few of these exciting discoveries are translated to commercial medical products today. The main reasons for this are two inherent limitations of most nanomanufacture processes: scalability and reproducibility. There is too little knowledge on how well the unique properties associated with nanoparticles are maintained during their large-scale production while often poor reproducibility hinders their successful use. A key goal here is to utilize a nanomanufacture process famous for its scalability and reproducibility, flame aerosol reactors that produce at tons/hr commodity powders, and advance the knowledge for synthesis of complex nanoparticles and their direct integration in medical devices. Our aim is to develop the next generation of antibacterial medical devices to fight antimicrobial resistance, a highly understudied field. Antimicrobial resistance constitutes the most serious public health threat today with estimations to become the leading cause of human deaths in 30 years. We focus on flame direct nanoparticle deposition on substrates combining nanoparticle production and functional layer deposition in a single-step with close attention to product nanoparticle properties and device assembly, extending beyond the simple commodity powders of the past. Specific targets here are two devices; a) hybrid drug microneedle patch with photothermal nanoparticles to fight life-threatening skin infections from drug-resistant bacteria and b) smart nanocoatings on implants providing both osteogenic and self-triggered antibacterial properties. The engineering approach for the development of antibacterial devices will provide insight into the basic physicochemical principles to assist in commercialization while the outcome of this research will help the fight against antibiotic resistance improving the public health worldwide.

1 812 500 €

Start date: 2018-03-01, End date: 2023-02-28

Concrete production processes do not take full advantage of the rheological potential of fresh cementitious materials, and are still largely labour-driven and sensitive to the human factor. SmartCast proposes a new concrete casting concept to transform the concrete industry into a highly automated technological industry. Currently, the rheological properties of the concrete are defined by mix design and mixing procedure without any further active adjustment during casting. The goal of this proposal is the active control of concrete rheology during casting, and the active triggering of early stiffening of the concrete as soon as it is put in place. The ground-breaking idea to achieve this goal, is to develop concrete with actively controllable rheology by adding admixtures responsive to externally activated electromagnetic frequencies. Inter-disciplinary insights are important to achieve these goals, including inputs from concrete technology, polymer science, electrochemistry, rheology and computational fluid dynamics. We will develop 4 new experimental test set-ups allowing to study active rheology control during different phases of the casting process: 1)concrete pumping (control of slip layer), 2)while flowing in the formwork (bulk control of rheology), 3)while flowing through formwork joints (control of formwork tightness), and 4)once the concrete is in its final position (trigger stiffening). Well-designed polymers with the desired response to the applied activation will be added to the concrete during mixing. The experiments will be analysed by advanced computational flow modelling based on fundamental rheological laws. Special attention will be paid to the compatibility of all responsive polymers selected for the different control phases. SmartCast will mean a paradigm shift for formwork-based concrete casting. The developed active rheology control will provide a fundamental basis for the development of future-proof 3D printing techniques in concrete industry

2 498 750 €

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

The multiple scattering of light is a complex phenomenon, commonly encountered but rarely desired. In imaging it induces strong blurring on the recorded photographs, limiting the range of applicability and accuracy of modern optical instruments. A typical example concerns the laser diagnostics of spray systems. The PI has revealed in 2008 a technique based on structured illumination with the important capability to remove the contributions from multiple light scattering, allowing the unique possibility of visualising through dense sprays. Based on this acquired knowledge, the aim of this proposal is to develop and apply three novel imaging techniques for the complete characterizations of spray systems: The first technique will focus on visualizing with both high contrast and high resolution various spray phenomena that have not been observed in the past; such as complex spray breakup mechanisms in the near-nozzle region. The second technique is related to the characterization of the formed droplets field. This concerns the accurate measurement of both droplets size and concentration using a three-dimensional imaging approach. Finally, a third important task is the mapping of the spray temperature over the whole spray system. This information would lead to the determination of heat transfer and evaporation rate, which are key factors in the performance of combustion devices. By extracting these important quantities - dynamics, droplets size/concentration and thermometry - fundamental insights which are still missing to fully understand the process of atomization will be provided. This will also serve at validating modern CFD models, leading to reliable predictions of spray behaviours. Even though this work can directly benefit to a large number of medical and industrial spray applications, it will mostly focus on fuel spray injections used in combustion devices.

1 500 000 €

Start date: 2015-03-01, End date: 2020-02-29

The vision spelled out in this proposal is to overcome the failure of Computational Fluid Dynamics to tackle one of the central unsolved fluid physics problems, namely predicting the sensitive flow physics associated with laminar-turbulent transition and flow separation. A recent, highly influential report by NASA (Slotnick et al., 2014) clearly states that the major shortcoming of CFD is its “… inability to accurately and reliably predict turbulent flows with significant regions of separation”, most often associated with laminar-turbulent transition. The research proposed here will address this shortcoming and develop and utilize computational methods that are able to predict, understand and control the sensitive interplay between laminar-turbulent transition and flow separation in boundary layers on wings and other aerodynamic bodies. We will be able to understand enigmas such as the recent results from the experiments of Saric et al. at the Texas A&M Univeristy where the laminar area of a wing grows after a smooth surface have been painted (increased roughness), or the drastic changes of laminar-turbulent transition and separation locations on unsteady wings, or the notoriously difficult interaction of multiple separation and transition regions on high-lift wing configurations. For such flows there have been little understanding of flow physics and few computational prediction capabilities. Here we will perform simulations that give completely new possibilities to visualize, understand and control the flow around such wings and aerodynamic bodies, including the possibility to compute and harness the flow sensitivities. We will tackle these outstanding flow and turbulence problem using the new possibilities enabled by multi-peta scale computing.

2 097 520 €

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

The field of combustion is of utmost societal/industrial importance while at the same time posing outstanding scientific challenges. In order to handle these, it is extremely important to develop and apply non-intrusive laser-diagnostic techniques with high spatial and temporal resolution for measurements of key parameters such as species concentrations and temperatures. Such techniques have been developed and applied by the PI for more than thirty-five years and the home institute has one of the most advanced instrumentations in academia world-wide. The proposal activities will be divided into two areas including five main Work packages: 1. Development of new diagnostic techniques. We will concentrate on concepts based on structured illumination which will add a new dimension to present diagnostics based on temporal, intensity and spectral properties. It will allow for multiscalar measurements and efficient suppression of background light. Furthermore, we will work with femto/picosecond lasers for investigating the diagnostic applicability of filamentation, new aspects of non-linear techniques, and diagnostic aspects of photodissociation phenomena. 2. Phenomenological combustion studies using advanced laser diagnostics. A very important aspect of the project is to use the developed and available diagnostic techniques to assure experimental data in extremely challenging environments and together with modeling experts enhance the understanding of combustion phenomena. Studies will be carried out on three different topics: - Flame structures in laminar flames at high pressure as well as turbulent flames at atmospheric/high pressure. - Biomass gasification, where complex fuels require new techniques to measure nitrogen, alkali, chlorine and sulfur compounds, as well as for measurements inside fuel particles. - Combustion improvement by electric activation which can be introduced to handle flame oscillations and instabilities.

2 442 000 €

Start date: 2016-01-01, End date: 2020-12-31

Combustion science will play a major role in the future quest for sustainable, secure and environmentally friendly energy sources. Two thirds of the world energy supply rely on combustion of fossil and alternative fuels, and all scenarios forecast an increasing absolute energy supply through combustion, with an increasing share of renewables. Thus, combustion will remain the major actor in transportation and power generation as well as in manufacturing processes, like steel and glass. Nevertheless, combustion science will need profound innovation to meet future energy challenges, such as energy efficiency and fuel flexibility, and ensure future generations with affordable and sustainable energy and healthy environment. In this context, MILD combustion represents a very attractive solution for its fuel flexibility and capability to deliver very high combustion efficiency with virtually zero pollutant emissions. Such a combustion regime is the result of a very strong interaction between turbulent mixing and chemical kinetics. The fundamental mechanism of this interaction is not fully understood, thus justifying the need for experimental and numerical investigations. The overall objective of the present research proposal is to drive the development of modern and efficient combustion technologies, by means of experimental, theoretical, and numerical simulation approaches. New-generation simulation tools for MILD combustion will be developed, to reduce the dependence on sub-grid models and increase the fidelity of numerical simulations. High-fidelity experimental data will be collected on quasi-industrial systems, to disclose the nature of the interactions between fluid dynamics, chemistry and pollutant formation processes in MILD combustion. Experiment and numerical simulations will be tied together by Validation and Uncertainty Quantification techniques, to allow the ground-breaking application of the developed approaches and promote innovation in the energy sector.

1 499 110 €

Start date: 2017-04-01, End date: 2022-03-31

Physics dictate that a flow device has to leave a wake or the signature of it producing sustentation forces, extracting energy, or simply moving through the medium; these flow structures can then impact negatively or favorably another device downstream. Wake turbulence between aircraft in air traffic and wake losses within wind farms are prime examples of this phenomenon, and incidentally constitute pivotal challenges to their respective fields of transportation and wind energy. These are highly complex and unsteady flows, and distributed control based on affordable wake models has failed to produce robust schemes that can alleviate turbulence effects and achieve efficiency at the scale of the system of devices. This project proposes an Artificial Intelligence and bio-inspired paradigm for the control of flow devices subjected to wake effects. To each flow device, we associate an intelligent agent that pursues given goals of efficiency or turbulence alleviation. Every one of these flow agents now relies on machine-learning tools to learn how to make the right decision when confronted with wake or turbulent flow structures. At a system level, we employ Multi-Agent System and Distributed Learning paradigms. Based on Game Theory, we build a system of interactions that incite the emergence of collaborative behaviors between the agents and achieve global optimized operation among the devices. We claim that the design of a system that learns how to control the flow, is simpler than the design of the control scheme and will yield a more robust scheme. The learning of formation flying among aircraft and of wake alleviation between wind turbines will constitute our study cases. The investigation will essentially be carried by means of large-scale numerical simulations; such simulations will produce the first ever realizations of self-organized systems in a turbulent flow. We will then apply our learning frameworks to a small-scale wind farm.

1 999 591 €

Start date: 2017-09-01, End date: 2022-08-31

"This proposal targets the development of flexible heterogeneous integration schemes for combining best-of-class materials, components and manufacturing methods into economically viable micro- and nanosystem (MEMS) solutions. Today, the IC industry drives the development of most micro- and nanofabrication technologies, which are characterized by standardized processes, very large production volumes of >10.000 wafers/month and enormous capital investments. In contrast, the vast majority of MEMS demand production volumes of <100 wafers/month and different manufacturing and integration processes for each type of device. The a-priori acceptance of IC manufacturing technologies for MEMS therefore leads to missed market opportunities for many moderate volume MEMS-based products and to sub-optimal material choices. Instead, we aim for a new MEMS-specific integration and manufacturing paradigm, in which the technologies and tools are adapted to the production volumes and design variations of MEMS devices. Specifically, we will develop novel and enabling micro/nano fabrication and integration techniques with a focus on flexibility and cost-efficiency in the following areas: "" Heterogeneous Material Integration, where we incorporate high-performance materials into MEMS using unconventional and innovative technologies and tools, including serial integration, wafer-level integration and free-form fabrication of MEMS; "" Heterogeneous System Integration, where we develop new wafer level schemes to combine, process and interconnect components fabricated with different technologies such as MEMS, NEMS, ICs or photonics; "" Lab-on-Chip Integration, in which transducers, mass transport solutions, surface biochemistry and liquids are combined at the wafer level into high-performance systems."

2 279 800 €

Start date: 2011-03-01, End date: 2016-02-29