In January 2010, Prof. Stefan Luding received a prestigious "Vici" grant for his proposal: Bridging the gap between particulate systems and continuum theory. This grant is one of the largest personal grants in the Netherlands and is a maximum of 1,500,000 Euros. From the 220 Vici-submissions in 2009, only 31 were granted.
http://www.utwente.nl/ctw/msm/news/VICI/
ABSTRACT
Discrete particulate systems can be found as granular materials, like sand/soil/powder, or as solids with microstructure, like ceramics/composites/ metal-alloys. They are everywhere in nature and constitute over 75% of all raw material feedstock to industry - providing many challenges for innovation and fundamental science. The discrete, particulate nature of these materials leads to usually unwanted and sometimes fatal phenomena. For example, landslides like the disastrous breakdown of a house in Cologne, early 2009, caused by the loss of stability of the fluid-saturated granular soil. Goal of the proposed project is to bridge the gap between discrete (micro) and continuum (macro) concepts for the modeling and better understanding of particulate systems, using micro-macro transition methods. Why? Modern discrete, particle-based models can describe the particles in very detail, but are of limited value for industrial processes and natural phenomena, since too many particles are involved. Continuum methods on the other hand are successfully applied in civil, mechanical and chemical engineering. However, they rely on empirical constitutive laws with phenomenological parameters that disregard the discrete nature of particles and microstructures. How? Micro-macro transition methods combine advantages of discrete and continuum models. The latter allow for large-scale applications, while the former account for the relevant micro (particle/contact) properties. Previous research of the applicant indicates that the gap between particle- and continuum-concepts can be bridged by an innovative, interdisciplinary combination of continuum theories with concepts inspired by particle simulations and statistical physics.
Industry: The high level of interest from industry in finding new solutions to their problems is evident from the enthusiastic support-letters of major industry players as DSM, DLR, Nestlé, Zeppelin and BASF. Their involvement during the project will allow answering many questions of practical relevance, together with other engineering and physics researchers at the UTwente and abroad.
KEYWORDS: Discrete and Continuum Systems - Particle Technology - Micro-Macro Transition - Numerical Modeling - Theory
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