M – 4D Materials and Additive Technologies
The material focus at MEP drives research towards a new frontier of material science in 4D Materials. The unique aspect is that 4D Materials, i.e. materials with temporal property variation, driven by external or internal stimuli, encompass not only smart/functional/shape-morphing solid materials but also explicitly include fluid, particulate, multi-phase and phase-transforming materials. The main research thrust is towards microscopic materials design from comprehensive digital multi-scale and multi-fidelity virtual model of hypothetical materials and their transformations in applications, such as in energy conversion, biotechnology, and manufacturing processes. MEP comprehensively addresses design and optimization of 4D Materials by means of including the material transformation through process by passive or active response to internal or external process stimuli into the optimization cycle. Artificial-intelligence enhanced knowledge-based models and simulations are enabling elements for targeted material design from the molecular level throughout the entire scale range. 4D Materials directly connect with additive technologies and the design of material through process, where process driven property transformations of materials unlock new product design dimensions, including additive technologies for hybrid organic-inorganic compounds.
Research Focus
In the 4D Materials and Additive Technologies focus area, we specialize in designing and applying high-fidelity, high-order numerical simulation code frameworks. These range from mesh-based finite volume simulations to particle-based SPH simulations and highly scalable Lattice-Boltzmann simulations. Developed in-house at the Chair of Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, these code frameworks support a wide range of applications, from fundamental research to process simulations of additive technologies. A key feature is the direct usage of these frameworks in closed- and open-loop applications, along with automatic differentiation for end-to-end optimization. Our centralized Scientific Computation Hub (SciCoHub) integrates these frameworks, allowing researchers to leverage their combined strengths and fostering collaboration and cross-disciplinary innovation.
Networks
Under the roof of MEP, several research networks are coordinates. The goal of these networks is to enable close collaborations between academia and industry. Currently, we coordinate two research networks in the focus area 4D Materials and Additive Technologies:
At MEP, we coordinate an industrial-academic research cluster, the Advanced Manufacturing Institute (AMI), with our partner Oerlikon. This collaborative center brings together researchers from TUM and Oerlikon to tackle technical challenges and improve the industrialization of advanced manufacturing (AM) technologies. The institute aims to benefit to benefit the interests of both industry and academia by conducting research, training AM expertise, and innovating engineering methodologies. With a focus on metals and other materials, AMI concentrates its research efforts on developing novel AM materials, enhancing end-to-end AM processes, and pushing forward AM digitization initiatives.
With the center for QUantum Innovative Computing (QUIC) we are starting a new area of computational fluid dynamics with our industrial partner Altair. We are developing a flow solver specifically designed for quantum computation/hardware to surpass traditional computational limits. Partnering with Altair, our team is advancing both fully quantum and hybrid digital-quantum algorithms to simulate complex fluid phenomena with greater speed, accuracy, and scalability. Our work aims to optimize future hybrid methodologies by combining classical and quantum computing techniques within an extensive software package.