Periodic Reporting for period 2 - COMETE (Next-Generation Computational Methods for Enhanced Multiphase Flow Processes)
Reporting period: 2020-11-01 to 2023-04-30
COMETE aims at building a computational framework and a network of competence to extend the applicability of state-of-the-art software tools to industrially relevant multi-phase turbulent flows. The importance and the impact of these type of flows for society has become clear to the general public during the Covid-19 pandemic, since airborne contagion by respiratory droplets is an example of multi-phase flow. Availability of simulation tools that can perform beyond classic academic problems is crucial for any EU industrial sector to gain a competitive edge in nowadays global market. The applications targeted by COMETE are more industrially-oriented but are also characterized by the transport of particles/droplets. We examine this transport in two-phase flows with gas-liquid or liquid-liquid deformable interfaces, which are ubiquitous in process, chemical, and power engineering. These applications are at the crossroads between academic research and practical concerns and their modelling in an industrial context represents a major challenge. This is due to the complexity arising from the coexistence of different phases, but also to a lack of cross-fertilization between academia and industry. The new framework leverages on emerging complementary methods and aim at extending their applicability to industrial contexts. Another objective is to exploit the complementary expertise of the industrial and academic partners to ensure successful combination of technology-driven objectives and original research developments. This is achieved by putting forward synchronized training-through-research and training-on-the-job activities.
Upon delivering such innovative modellng and simulation framework, the project facilitates integration across disciplines (e.g. engineering, physics, mathematics and computer science), provides doctoral-level researchers with proper understanding of multi-phase flows, equipping them with all the professional skills required to master next-generation scientific methodologies for complex industrial applications of multiphase flow technology.
Upon delivering such innovative modellng and simulation framework, the project facilitates integration across disciplines (e.g. engineering, physics, mathematics and computer science), provides doctoral-level researchers with proper understanding of multi-phase flows, equipping them with all the professional skills required to master next-generation scientific methodologies for complex industrial applications of multiphase flow technology.
The first project activities were focused on the recruitment of highly-skilled ESRs, their training, and the development of formulations that can extend the applicability of the targeted computational tools to industrially-relevant configurations. Efforts were initially devoted to the successful completion of the ESR recruitment. A cohort of 3 ESRs was recruited and enrolled in the doctoral program of the recruiting beneficiary within a 5-month window. In accordance with the DoA, all ESRs were assigned a supervisor and a co-supervisor, and submitted yearly progress reports. Another activity has been network coordination. The Supervisory Board was set-up and includes 5 representatives from each beneficiary. The SB has met via teleconference mode during the ESR selection process, during the kick-off meeting, and during the mid-term meeting. On the occasion of the kick-off meeting, the Career Development Plan (CDP) for each recruited ESR was discussed and finalized. In the first year, the EPQ was also completed, the website was prepared, launched and regularly updated since then.
Subsequently, the research and training activities pertaining to WPs 1-4 have started. These activities were slowed down by the Covid-19 pandemic, which imposed severe restrictions to in-person activities and to ESR mobility for many months. This led to some activities lagging behind. In particular, the research activities requiring experimental measurements and mobility of one ESR to carry out the industrial secondment had to be delayed. Because of these delays, the end of the project was extended by 6 months.
Training activities have started upon ESR recruitment. Overall, four training schools, with an attached internal workshop, were offered: three organized by the academic beneficiaries, which contributed directly to the lectures together with carefully-selected external lecturers, and one organized by a non-academic partner (Esteco) on topics related to multidisciplinary software optimization.
The main project results can be summarized as follows:
1. recruitment of ESRs
2. advanced, highly-specialized training of the ESRs
3. development of new computational tool formulations
4. development of open data and software repositories
5. cross-fertilization between academia and industry
6. dissemination of project activities and achieved results
Among the exploitable results, an important achievement has been the definition of a CDP for each ESR: This plan guides their training-through-research and training-on-the-job, but also their career perspectives after the Phd. Another exploitable result is the definition of the Data Management plan, which served as basis for the development of the public repositories that have been made freely available to interested users. Such open repositories, which include not only post-processed datasets but also source codes and post-processing software, are uncommon and provide industrial practitioners with an unprecedented amount of data for validating commercial codes or reduced-order models. The website, complemented by scientific publications, is an additional means for effectively disseminating the project’s results, making them accessible beyond the project's period of action.
Subsequently, the research and training activities pertaining to WPs 1-4 have started. These activities were slowed down by the Covid-19 pandemic, which imposed severe restrictions to in-person activities and to ESR mobility for many months. This led to some activities lagging behind. In particular, the research activities requiring experimental measurements and mobility of one ESR to carry out the industrial secondment had to be delayed. Because of these delays, the end of the project was extended by 6 months.
Training activities have started upon ESR recruitment. Overall, four training schools, with an attached internal workshop, were offered: three organized by the academic beneficiaries, which contributed directly to the lectures together with carefully-selected external lecturers, and one organized by a non-academic partner (Esteco) on topics related to multidisciplinary software optimization.
The main project results can be summarized as follows:
1. recruitment of ESRs
2. advanced, highly-specialized training of the ESRs
3. development of new computational tool formulations
4. development of open data and software repositories
5. cross-fertilization between academia and industry
6. dissemination of project activities and achieved results
Among the exploitable results, an important achievement has been the definition of a CDP for each ESR: This plan guides their training-through-research and training-on-the-job, but also their career perspectives after the Phd. Another exploitable result is the definition of the Data Management plan, which served as basis for the development of the public repositories that have been made freely available to interested users. Such open repositories, which include not only post-processed datasets but also source codes and post-processing software, are uncommon and provide industrial practitioners with an unprecedented amount of data for validating commercial codes or reduced-order models. The website, complemented by scientific publications, is an additional means for effectively disseminating the project’s results, making them accessible beyond the project's period of action.
The processes targeted in this project characterize energy production and therefore their computation is crucial for the industrial sector. Yet, industry cannot rely on commercial or free software to accurately predict the evolution of these processes because their computation requires complex multi-physics descriptions. Our project goes beyond the current state of the art in two ways. First, it brings a new computational framework that embodies multiscale methods for accurate prediction of industrial multi-phase processes. This framework offers tools that overcome those available on the market nowadays by bridging isolated approaches and extending their applicability to industrial contexts. Second, a team of suitably-trained and skilled PhD students has been formed and equipped with the tools that are necessary to transfer the above-mentioned emerging scientific methodologies to industrial applications.
Research doctors are the main driver of technology improvement for economic competitiveness and social benefit. Educating skilled and determined graduates that possess the leading-edge scientific methodologies for computing multiphase flows provides a professional figure entering the market with the ability to influence the next generation of computational methods for industrial applications, particularly in areas like heat transfer and energy production.
The expected impact relies on the fact that the broad area of multi-phase flow applications involves many business critical technologies, which in turn can be found in a large and economically significant proportion of the EU’s industrial base. This base covers a broad range of business sectors including aircraft, train and car aerodynamics, food and chemical manufacturing and processing, oil and gas production and refining, respiratory flows (e.g. those responsible of airborne virus transmission, so crucial during the Covid-19 pandemic) and drug delivery devices, heating, power generation and pumping equipments. It is within these sectors that our ESRs will contribute to problem solving and research innovation well beyond the project's period of action.
Research doctors are the main driver of technology improvement for economic competitiveness and social benefit. Educating skilled and determined graduates that possess the leading-edge scientific methodologies for computing multiphase flows provides a professional figure entering the market with the ability to influence the next generation of computational methods for industrial applications, particularly in areas like heat transfer and energy production.
The expected impact relies on the fact that the broad area of multi-phase flow applications involves many business critical technologies, which in turn can be found in a large and economically significant proportion of the EU’s industrial base. This base covers a broad range of business sectors including aircraft, train and car aerodynamics, food and chemical manufacturing and processing, oil and gas production and refining, respiratory flows (e.g. those responsible of airborne virus transmission, so crucial during the Covid-19 pandemic) and drug delivery devices, heating, power generation and pumping equipments. It is within these sectors that our ESRs will contribute to problem solving and research innovation well beyond the project's period of action.