Imaging for Multi-scale Multi-modal and Multi-disciplinary Analysis for EnGineering and Environmental Sustainability (IM3AGES)

如果我们要开发可持续和负责任的方式来使用我们的关键资源，减轻气候变化的影响，并实现我们的NetZero 2050目标，我们将面临许多工程和物理科学挑战。无论是在原材料、食品、水、能源还是基础设施方面，可持续解决方案都需要更好地理解、控制和利用材料、工艺和结构如何与其环境相互作用;以及这些相互作用如何改变材料的性质和性能。对于EPSRC社区来说，了解材料在自然环境中的性质和行为需要观察和量化机械，热、化学和生物过程。这是更困难的，因为样品的历史问题，实验必须模拟许多长度尺度（μm-m;从单个微生物的相互作用或晶体生长到CO2或H2的地下流动）和时间尺度（s到kyr;从单个裂缝的生长到放射性废物的储存）的演变。当我们在4D（3D +时间）中工作时，最好的理解是将材料的微观结构和成分数据与它们相互作用的流体，气体和生物物质的数据整合在一起：并在实验过程中重复这些测量。X射线计算机断层扫描（XCT）是这类实验的有力工具，但由于全国范围内的技术能力差距，材料-工程-环境界面的工作人员仍然没有充分利用它。“为环境和环境可持续性进行多尺度、多模式和多学科分析的成像”设施的主要目标是填补这一空白，其目的是在协商过程中应对时间尺度、空间尺度和在同一地点获取多模式数据的三重挑战。IM 3AGES将提供第一个<1分钟/扫描的层析成像系统，其中样品在成像过程中保持静止（对于成像流体流动，植物，复杂的实验设备至关重要）和高分辨率（<0.5微米）层析成像系统，也可以执行衍射对比成像），并具有高成分灵敏度（对于测量复杂和细颗粒材料的细微变化至关重要）。IM 3AGES然后利用这种独特的组合，提供一个完全集成的环境细胞套件的短期和长期的量化过程;与细胞控制样品温度，负载，压力，湿度或饱和度，流动的流体范围，或联合收割机这些条件。IM 3AGES还能够对多孔介质中的多相流和反应流进行跨长度尺度的4D分析，结合了X射线兼容的流动/流变池和厘米-米级3D粒子图像测速系统。作为区域中心和现有基础设施的补充，IM 3AGES将成为国家级的现场3D和4D成像卓越中心：虽然我们的核心重点是在迅速扩大的可持续发展空间，尖端的技术能力可以，并将在许多其他领域的EPSRC，UKRI和行业使用。我们的目标是从项目开始到最终产出为所有用户提供支持，最大限度地发挥IM 3AGES工作的影响力，在社区中开发新的技能组合。因此，我们的愿景是提供一个基础设施，支持用户产生创新和世界领先的研究和变革性的影响，以实现可持续的未来

We face many engineering and physical science challenges if we are to develop sustainable and responsible ways to use our critical resources, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and meet our NetZero 2050 targets. Whether it is in raw materials, food, water, energy or infrastructure, sustainable solutions require better understanding, control and exploitation of how materials, processes and structures interact with their environments; and of how those interactions change the material properties and performance.For the EPSRC community, understanding the properties and behaviour of materials in the natural environment requires observation and quantification of mechanical, thermal, chemical and biological processes. This is made harder because sample history matters, and experiments must simulate evolution over many length scales (µm-m; from individual microbe interactions or crystal growth to sub-surface flow of CO2 or H2) and time scales (s to kyr; from growth of a single fracture to storage of radioactive waste). The best understanding comes when we work in 4D (3D +time) and integrate microstructural and compositional data from the materials, with that from the fluids, gases and biological matter they are interacting with: and repeating those measurement over the course of the experiment. X-ray computed tomography (XCT) is a powerful tool for these kinds of experiments, but it remains under exploited by those working at the materials-engineering-environment interface because of a nationwide gap in technical capability. The main objective of the Imaging for Multi-scale Multi-modal and Multi-disciplinary Analysis for EnGineering and Environmental Sustainability" Facility (IM3AGES) is to fill that gap.Developed (with input from >120 academics) to address the triple challenge of time scale, spatial scale and co-located multi-modal data acquisition during the consultation process. IM3AGES will provide the first <1min/scan tomography system where samples remain stationary during imaging (critical for imaging fluid flow, plants, complex experimental equipment) and a high resolution (<0.5 micron) tomography system that can also perform diffraction contrast imaging) and has high compositional sensitivity (critical for measuring subtle changes in complex and fine grained materials). IM3AGES then exploits this unique combination, providing a fully integrated suite of environmental cells for short and long-term quantification of processes; with cells to control sample temperature, load, pressure, humidity or saturation, flow a range of fluids, or combine these conditions. IM3AGES also enables 4D analysis of multi-phase and reactive flow in porous media across length scales combining x-ray compatible flow/rheological cells and the cm-m scale 3D particle image velocimetry system.Acting as a regional hub and complimenting existing infrastructure IM3AGES will be a national centre of excellence for in situ 3D and 4D imaging: and while our core focus is in the rapidly expanding sustainability space, the cutting-edge technical capabilities can, and will be used across many other areas of EPSRC, UKRI, and industry. We aim to support all our users from project inception to final output, maximising the impact of work performed at IM3AGES, developing new skill-sets in the community.IM3AGES will deliver key enabling technologies at the very moment they become critical to the research community. Our vision is therefore to provide an infrastructure that supports users to generate innovative and world leading research and transformative impact towards a sustainable future