Collaborative Research: A Multiscale Thermo-Hygro-Mechanical Investigation of Fibrous Porous Materials

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This collaborative research will explore how an isolated microscale confinement of temperature and humidity impacts the mechanical performance of a fibrous porous material such as face masks. Dramatic growth in the application of fibrous porous materials in existing and emerging technologies in aerospace, bioengineering, energy, electronics, etc. under complex environments demands an in-depth understanding and quantifying the thermal and moisture effects on mechanical performance of such systems. The project is focused on developing a numerical framework that unveils the micro-mechanics of fibrous porous materials and the impacts on their macroscopic performance. The outcome of this project will be a first-of-a-kind thermo-hygro-mechanical constitutive model through machine learning (ML) - informed homogenization that captures the mechanical effects of fibrous porous materials in a realistic environment. This research project will also provide exceptional opportunities for STEM participation of women and underrepresented minorities to become the future leaders and innovators of data-enabled engineering technologies.This project is to develop computational models that can provide accurate prediction of a fibrous material’s performance in the confinement of a real-world environment with varying thermal and humidity. The fibrous porous material performance will be highly dependent on the inherent microstructural features such as time-dependent vapor and moisture transports, fiber-vapor interactions, fiber deformations, failure mechanisms, and microstructure evolution. The objectives for this project are: 1) uncovering new knowledge in microscale phenomena that have not previously been explored in detail involving complex transient multi-physics interactions through rigorous numerical investigations, 2) developing a novel approach that combines the physics-based ML algorithms to draw thermo-hygro-mechanical relationships, and 3) establishing a virtual material testing platform that enables the future design of fibrous porous materials with high mechanical efficiency and performance. These objectives will answer the following two scientific questions: 1) what are the principal mechanisms of localized deformation in a micro-confined domain with the co-existence of thermal and moisture conditions? 2) how does micromechanics of fiber exposed to environmental conditions manifest through macroscale? Answering these questions will advance the fundamental understanding of interactions between fiber and its surrounding environments at a micro-level and how the interplay between humidity, temperature, and fiber structures defines the performance of fibrous porous materials as a whole.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.