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Energy and Emissions in the Built Environment: A Grand Challenge Abstract: The construction and operation of buildings contribute massively to global energy use and greenhouse gas emissions; therefore, buildings will play a central role in the path toward a sustainable, net zero, clean energy future. This presentation will give a high-level framing of buildings’ role in the 21st century energy challenge, as well as associated […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Open Access Benchmark Datasets and Metamodels for Problems in Mechanics Abstract: Metamodels, or models of models, map defined model inputs to defined model outputs. When metamodels are constructed to be computationally cheap, they are an invaluable tool for applications ranging from topology optimization, to uncertainty quantification, to real-time prediction, to multi-scale simulation. In particular, for heterogeneous materials, metamodels are useful for exploring the influence of […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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In-vitro microfluidic characterization of sickle cells challenged by repeated hypoxia cycles and mechanical fatigue Abstract: Sickle cells are known for their significantly shortened lifespan (10-20 days), which is much shorter than the lifespan (~120 days) of the normal red blood cells (RBCs). Similar to normal RBCs, sickle cells are also challenged by repeated hypoxia cycles as well as mechanical fatigue. To examine the impact of these repeated challenges toward […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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An Isogeometric Approach To Immersed Finite Element Analysis with Applications to Level-Set Topology Optimization Abstract: Topology optimization has emerged as a promising and powerful approach to design engineered materials and components. Initially restricted to two-phase, solid-void design problems in linear elasticity, topology optimization approaches for multi-physics and multi-material problems have emerged. These problems are often dominated by interface phenomena, such as contact and delamination at material interfaces and boundary […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Embedding Physical Intelligence in Soft Active Materials through Stimuli-Responsive Phase Transformation: from Photomechanical Actuation to Thermo-switchable Adhesion Abstract: The emerging economic and societal needs such as advanced manufacturing, environmental treatment, and space exploration call for machines that can operate in harsh and complex environments. An attractive approach is to utilize a new paradigm of physical intelligence in material development: a rational material design will enable its on-board actuation, sensing, and analysis, without […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Atomistic simulations to develop novel materials and understand their behavior Abstract: The properties of materials are highly dependent on their structures, which include morphologies, grain boundaries, phases, atomic structures, Etc. In particular, the atomic structures determine the limit of their properties, which are the unique characteristics of each material. However, predicting physical properties and understanding their origins demand accurate electronic structure and atomic structure calculations, […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Exploring the Multiphysics of the Brain during Development, Aging, and in Neurological Diseases Abstract: The human brain undergoes a myriad of changes during its lifetime. From a mechanics perspective alone, it is mesmerizing how the brain develops during early life, transforms into this highly functional, albeit still very enigmatic, organ that makes us unique, and is subjected to injury, disease, and ultimately age-related degeneration like every other part […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Multi-scale modeling and neural operators Abstract: The behavior of materials involve physics at multiple length and time scales: electronic, atomistic, domains, defects, etc. The engineering properties that we observe and exploit in application are a sum total of all these interactions. Multiscale modeling seeks to understand this complexity with a divide and conquer approach. It introduces an ordered hierarchy of […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Compressible Convection in Planetary Mantles: a Comparison of Different Models Abstract In numerical modeling of planetary and stellar convection, taking into account compressibility effects is crucial. However, using the exact equations may not be feasible due to the generation of fast acoustic waves, which distract from the slower convective motions caused by buoyancy. The Oberbeck-Boussinesq model simplifies the calculations by suppressing the acoustic waves making it […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Characterizing high-Reynolds number turbulence dynamics using low-Reynolds number flows Abstract: Turbulence is ubiquitous in natural and engineering systems. It can suppress energy loss in fusion reactors, affects stellar formation, has first order effects on processes critically important to society such as mixing of chemicals and pollutants in the atmosphere and oceans, climate dynamics and high-speed flight. It is therefore critically important to develop fundamental […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Enhancing the Appeal of Thermally Driven Energy Systems: From Synthesis to Demonstration Abstract: The current energy infrastructure is dominated by the combustion of the finite resources of fossil fuels leading to the release of more than 35 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year and, in turn, environmental concerns that are intensifying every year. Therefore, there is an urgent need to manage the available primary energy […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Cloud system large-eddy simulations at NASA GISS Abstract: The most recent round of climate model physics development at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) relied heavily on a library of large-eddy simulation case studies that served as observationally informed benchmarks for the ModelE3 climate model in single-column model mode. Parameter uncertainties were then inputs to an atmosphere-only multi-parameter tuning against […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Topological metamaterials and the quest for floppy edges that can trap waves Abstract: Elastic metamaterials are structural materials that owe their unique wave manipulation capabilities to their complex internal architecture. Topological metamaterials are a special subclass of metamaterials whose behavior is directly controlled by the topology of their phonon bands. In this talk, I discuss the mechanics of a class of metamaterials known as topological Maxwell lattices. […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Strategies for tackling the computational cost of modeling reacting fluids and related problems Abstract: Accurate simulations of combustion and reacting fluid flows require complex, multi-step chemical kinetic models for describing the coupled chemical reactions. These models are often large and mathematically stiff, and contribute to the overall high computational expense of simulating practical phenomena relevant to energy, transportation, and aerospace applications. In this talk, I will introduce these […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Notes from a dissertation study on using Kansei Engineering methodology in Product Design Process Abstract: Kansei Engineering (KE) is a method designed by Mitsuo Nagamachi in the 1980s to translate consumers’ feelings and perceptions of a product (Kansei) into design elements. Its applications are used for new product development cases commonly in the automotive, construction machinery, electric home appliances, office machinery, house construction, costume and cosmetic industries (Nagamachi, 2002). […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Electro-Chemo-Mechanics in Solid-State Batteries Abstract: The future of e-mobility, including electric vehicles, aircraft, ships, depends on the innovation of battery technology today. Since the energy density of conventional lithium (Li)-ion battery cells with graphite and metal oxides electrodes is limited to about 300 Wh/kg at the cell level, “next-generation batteries” such as the Li-metal all-solid-state batteries (Li-ASSBs) are demanded. […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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A Focused Entrepreneurial Journey Abstract: A story about how focus led Brian into mechanical engineering, the field of design, and the various journeys that these foundations led to. This includes the design of such wide ranging products as automated cow milking systems, combustion engines and table saw safety systems. It also includes starting a company with the added challenge […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Gas-Phase Ion separation using Ion Mobility Spectrometry. Interlacing the past, present, and future. Abstract: Due to recent advances in resolution and sensitivity, Ion/Electrical Mobility (IM) has become a ubiquitous tool in Aerosol Science and Analytical Chemistry. Its ability to aid in the separation of gas phase analytes now rivals some of the most employed techniques such as liquid chromatography and gas chromatography and recent Mass Spectrometers regularly have […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Panel Discussion with ME Faculty Three ME faculty will join us for a panel discussion about successfully navigating graduate school and applying this knowledge to your career or start-up. Come and learn about their graduate experiences and ask questions. Prof. SeungYeon Kang joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2021 as an Assistant Professor. She earned her B.S. in Chemical […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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Mechanics of Redox Active Materials Abstract: This talk focuses on the interplay of mechanics with chemical reactions across multiple scales in redox active materials. I will use battery materials to introduce how electrochemistry induces deformation, stresses, and mechanical damage, and how mechanical stresses regulate charge transfer, mass diffusion, capacity, and voltage. I will introduce the customized operando nanoindentation and its […] Categories: Past Seminars |
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