Project description
Training young scientists on modelling of highly flexible structures
Highly flexible slender structures like yarns, cables, hoses or ropes are essential parts of high‐performance engineering systems. The complex response of such structures in real operational conditions is far beyond the capabilities of current modelling tools that are at the core of modern product development cycles. Addressing this requires a new generation of brilliant scientists. Marie Skłodowska‐Curie funding of the THREAD project will bring together young mechanical engineers and mathematicians, who will develop mechanical models and numerical methods for designing highly flexible slender structures, and support the development of future virtual prototyping tools for products where such structures have a key role in functional system performance. The project will invest in transferable skills through secondments, and will also offer early‐stage researchers experience with industrial partners. Addressing fundamental modelling problems will ultimately enable the field to better meet the needs of different industries.
Objective
Virtual prototyping is a cornerstone in modern product development cycles: It accelerates the design process, reduces costs and improves product performance and quality. Highly flexible slender structures like yarns, cables, hoses or ropes are essential parts of high-performance engineering systems. The complex response of such structures in real operational conditions is far beyond the capabilities of current virtual prototyping tools.
There is a pressing need for a new generation of young scientists capable of solving fundamental problems related to slender structures and transferring results to applications. THREAD addresses the mechanical modelling, mathematical formulations and numerical methods for highly flexible slender structures. It brings mechanical engineers and mathematicians together around major challenges in industrial applications and open-source simulation software development. It establishes an innovative modelling chain starting from detailed 3D modelling and experimental work to build validated 1D nonlinear rod models, which are then brought to a system-level simulation thanks to the outstanding numerical properties of the developed algorithms. This holistic approach combines advanced concepts in experimental and theoretical structural mechanics, non-smooth dynamics, computational geometry, discretisation methods and geometric numerical integration and will enable the next generation of virtual prototyping.
The ESRs will receive comprehensive local and network-wide training covering state-of-the-art research topics as well as valuable transferable skills. They will benefit from close cooperation with twelve industrial partner organisations implementing a comprehensive programme of research secondments and contributing their experience. As a main objective of THREAD, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral training boosts the career development of young researchers and supports them to solve future challenges.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
Coordinator
6108 Halle
Germany