Synergistic Modeling: Manufacture and Design of 'Nano' Microstructures

该基金的目的是开发描述多功能聚合物纳米复合材料设计和制造的数学模型。这些模型将量化使用电场和磁场来操纵和精确定位纳米级颗粒背后的物理学;创建设计的“纳米”微观结构。还将开发模型来预测设计的微结构所产生的机械、电和磁的体积有效特性，这些特性可用于根据应用定制复合材料设计。这些模型将基于一个实验团队的投入和洞察力（单独支持）执行具有类似目标的并行工作;这种方法将利用建模与（数学）和多尺度实验（可视化）。这项工作解决了实现纳米材料前景的基本挑战之一;特别是如何实现纳米材料的精确空间定位，并以此为机制，使纳米科学在宏观尺度上得以实现。如果基础物理学可以有效地与一系列制造阶段联系起来，纳米级元件的精密工程可以实现一系列范式转移技术，例如电子，光学或环境智能薄膜纳米复合材料。这项工作还强调了围绕实验洞察力建立模型的有效性;使用实验来建议模型并在建模者中建立视觉物理直觉，以及使用模型来建议和指导实验。该补助金还将开发基于可视化的工程案例研究，用于工程前或介绍性工程设计课程。应用同样的协同方法，数学和可视化，在介绍工程的场地将允许开始学生探索更复杂的设计问题，把他们带到“真实的”工程更早，并帮助增加保留率提供物理直觉，建立他们的数学直觉。

The objective of this grant is to develop mathematical models describing the design and manufacture of multi-functional polymer nanocomposites. The models will quantify the physics behind the use of electric and magnetic force fields to manipulate and precisely position nanoscale particles; creating designed "nano" microstructures. Models will also be developed to predict bulk effective properties, mechanical, electrical and magnetic, resulting from the designed microstructures, which can be used to tailor composite design to application. The models will be based on input and insight from an experimental team (supported separately) performing parallel work with similar goals; this approach will harness the synergistic power of the combination of modeling (mathematics) and multi-scale experiment (visualization).This work addresses one of the fundamental challenges to achieving the promise of nanomaterials; specifically, how to achieve precise spatial positioning of nanoscale materials and use this as a mechanism to bring the science of the nanoscale to realization at the macroscale. If the underlying physics can be effectively linked to a sequence of manufacturing stages, precision engineering of nanoscale elements could enable a cascade of paradigm shifting technologies, e.g. electronically, optically or environmentally-smart thin film nanocomposites. This work also emphasizes the effectiveness of building models around experimental insight; the use of experiments to suggest models and build a visual physical intuition in modelers, and the use of models to suggest and guide experiments. This grant will also develop visualization based engineering case studies for pre-engineering or introductory engineering design courses. Applying the same synergistic approach, linking mathematics and visualization, in the venue of introductory engineering will allow beginning students to explore more sophisticated design problems, bring them into "real" engineering earlier, and help increase retention rates by providing hem with a physical intuition on which to build their mathematical intuition.