Simulation and Modelling of Mixing in Wet and Cohesive Powders
Explore particle-based simulations to understand wet and cohesive powders central to multiple industries. Develop efficient reduced-order models and optimization approaches to improve predictions and mixing quality in real-world manufacturing.
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Project Description
Project Overview
This PhD project centers on simulating and modelling the behavior of wet and cohesive powders, materials crucial to pharmaceuticals, food processing, and additive manufacturing. These materials exhibit complex behavior influenced by capillary forces, adhesion, and particle cohesion, which are challenging to predict and control.
What You Will Do
The research will start by conducting detailed particle-based simulations to capture micro-mechanical interactions within cohesive and wet powder systems, utilizing open-source tools like MercuryDPM. These simulations will generate insights into phenomena such as agglomeration, flow behavior, and mixing efficiency.
Building on simulation results, you will develop reduced-order models (ROMs) using tools like pyMOR to provide computationally efficient yet accurate descriptions of the powder systems, enabling faster large-scale predictions. The ROM will be solved using oomph-lib, and advanced optimization techniques will be applied to enhance mixing quality.
Expected Outcomes
The project aims to produce robust, computationally efficient models that accurately describe the behavior of wet and cohesive powders. This will offer improved understanding and control over industrial processes involving these materials.
Why This Matters
Wet and cohesive powders are ubiquitous in various manufacturing sectors, where their unpredictable behavior presents challenges for product consistency and quality. This work combines fundamental physics, numerical modeling, and data-driven approaches to address industrial challenges, potentially improving manufacturing efficiency and product quality in key sectors.
Entry Requirements
How to Apply
Eligibility
Supervisor Profile
Dr Anthony Thornton specializes in applied mathematics with a focus on numerical modeling and simulation of complex materials such as wet and cohesive powders. His expertise encompasses particle-based methods and reduced-order modeling to address practical challenges in engineering and industrial mathematics. Dr Thornton is recognized for integrating computational and data-driven techniques in his research at The University of Manchester.