Programmable fluids: Continuum models for designing multi-stable meta-fluids
Progammable fluids: Continuum models for designing multi-stable meta-fluids.
Adding deformable capsules to fluids allows for the realisation of “meta-fluids” with programmable mechanical, thermal and optical properties [1,2].
This newfound tunability unlocks materials with multi-physical properties not otherwise possible with single-phase fluids. This has far-reaching implications for applications to smart robotics, mechanical computation and energy harvesting [1,2]. This is a transformational technology, in the same way that metamaterials have transformed wave physics in the last two decades by exploiting multi-scale structure to yield novel, previously impossible functionality.
This project will use a combination of asymptotic approximation [3] and direct numerical simulation [4] to develop novel reduced-order models for meta-fluids.
Supervisors
Primary: Dr Bryn Davies, Maths
Dr Radu Cimpeanu, Maths
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Background
Unlocking new possibilities: The research challenge tackled in this project is to develop a reduced-order modelling framework that captures meta-fluids’ non-linear and multi-scale behaviour but is also concise enough to facilitate efficient solution of design problems through numerical optimisation and machine learning. There are significant open questions that are a roadblock to meta-fluids achieving their full socio-economic impact, such as difficulties with optimising geometries and the search for suitable non-hazardous, cost-effective materials with appropriate mechanical and thermodynamic properties.
Objectives
- To develop a reduced-order model for multi-stable meta-fluids, released as an open-source software package;
- to demonstrate the robustness of and quantify the uncertainties in the model (including validation against experiments);
- To use the model to investigate open meta-fluid design problems (concerning material choice and design optimisation).
Opportunities for growth
This is a broad and multi-faceted project that will allow the student to develop a diverse skillset. The first year of the HetSys CDT includes a broad array of training on mathematical modelling, scientific computation and machine learning, to prepare the student for these aspects of the project. The supervision team has a balance between theoretical (Davies) and computational (Cimpeanu) expertise. There are will also be opportunities to collaborate with experimentalists, to experience using our models to design experiments and see them in action during lab visits. Altogether, this will prepare the student for a variety of roles in academia and industry. It will also allow ample flexibility for them to pursue their own interests in later stages of the project.
References
[1] Djellouli, A., et al. "Shell buckling for programmable metafluids." Nature 628.8008 (2024): 545-550.
[2] Peretz, O., et al. "Multistable metafluid based energy harvesting and storage." Advanced Materials 35.35 (2023): 2301483.
[3] Ammari, H., Davies B., and Hiltunen E.O. "Functional analytic methods for discrete approximations of subwavelength resonator systems." Pure and Applied Analysis 6.3 (2024): 873-939.
[4] Cimpeanu, R., Gomes S.N., and Papageorgiou D.T. "Active control of liquid film flows: beyond reduced-order models." Nonlinear Dynamics 104.1 (2021): 267-287.
How to apply
This is a fully-funded 4-year PhD position based in the HetSys Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Warwick. All applications must be made through the University's postgraduate application form with a deadline of 20 January 2025. Please see our How to ApplyLink opens in a new window page for further details on the application process. For further information about student funding, the integrated HetSys training programme and what life is like in the HetSys CDT, please visit the Study with Us page.