Bridging Across Scales and Disciplines: Simulation-based Design and Optimization of Tightly Coupled Thermal/Fluid Systems

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Modelling and simulation of coupled, multi-scale, multi-physics phenomena are crucial for the design and optimization of novel, complex engineered systems. For instance, cutting-edge developments in battery technologies, enabling the electric vehicle (EV) revolution, require consideration of thermal, electrical, and chemical phenomena and their impact at the component and system levels. Similarly, transformative tissue engineering and organ regeneration technologies seek to maximize yield by effecting precise control of cells' chemical, biological and mechanical environments at the micro- and macro-scale. In all these applications, thermal and fluid flow phenomena are key to system performance, yet simultaneous consideration of other physical domains (electrical, chemical, biological) is needed for accurate predictions of system performance. We will develop a methodology for multi-scale, multi-physics modeling, simulation and optimization for these and other applications, where performance is both enabled and constrained by tight, non-linear coupling between multiple physical phenomena across multiple length/time scales. In particular, we will focus on applications in (a) high-performance materials and structures for electronics (transistors) and energy storage (batteries), (b) thermo-electro-chemical management of intelligent batteries for EVs, and (c) tissue engineering technologies for organ regeneration. Powered by the proposed methodology, we will (i) increase our understanding of the physical processes underlying these applications at the nano-, meso- and macro-scales, through both simulations and experiments, (ii) optimize the performance of battery cells and tissue bioreactors and experimental protocols, and (iii) train the next generation of engineers that will support Canada's global technological leadership, leveraging our lab's unique position as a collaborative research hub for multiple engineering and biomedical disciplines. The outcomes of this project will allow designers to tailor system geometry, materials, structures and operating conditions across multiple length scales to revolutionize system performance. Leveraging this knowledge, engineers across the globe can unleash their potential and creativity to envision innovative designs and rapidly test them with state-of-the-art computer simulations instead of costly, time-consuming experiments.