Common Link

Common Link: Computational modelling for long term inter-sectoral advanced knowledge on Non-Newtonian fluids (NNF)

(November 2022 / November 2025)

  • Programme: European Defence Agency (EDA) Category B (opt in) ad hoc projects
  • Coordinator: Signo Motus
  • Consortium: 5 partners (3 IT,1 CZ,2 PL,1 LU)

Abstract

The next decades will see the pervasive inclusion of classes of Smart Materials (SM) represented by high performance Electro-/Magneto-Rheological Fluids (ERFs/MRFs) in Industrial/Defence applications.

Such materials belong to a particular sub domain of the class of Non Newtonian Fluids whose behaviour can be controlled by an external electric or magnetic field.

The full applicability of such innovative materials will result, in turn, in a strong revolution characterised by the birth of adaptive devices and subsystems (e.g. adaptive shock absorbers, innovative exoskeletons, critical electronic subsystems, innovative coolant fluids, innovative ballistic protection sustained by artificial intelligent control algorithms).

It is worth to say that the development of efficient and robust materials/devices for military applications requires considerable research efforts to understand their intriguing ERFs/MRFs behaviour in specific operating conditions and to steer the production/characterization techniques. In short, the capability to develop Innovative Devices based on ERFs/MRFs, able to adapt their characteristics to the working conditions, goes hand in hand with the acquisition of enhanced knowledge on their behavioural principles.

A multi disciplinary approach comprehending chemistry, material science, computational modelling and mechanical/control engineering has been chosen as the COMMON-LINK way forward to proceed.

Validated predictive models, advanced nano structures production techniques and standardized characterization methods are required to support design engineers for the use of ERFs/MRFs for industrial purposes. The project has been therefore divided in 4 main research areas:

  • Key Area 1: to develop/optimize computational models for ERFs/MRFs either by simulating particle interactions in the fluid carrier and by prescribing complex rheological constitutive relations to predict their material functions in a variety of flows. The two approaches are complementary since the former can determine the overall behaviour and trends of dense suspensions depending on the features of the particles (shape, size, coating, surface roughness, external electro/magnetic fields, etc.) but it is limited to small fluid volumes while the latter can cope with larger volumes of fluid but it needs the identification of a continuum constitutive relations and related parameters.
  • Key Area 2: dedicated to synthesis/production of materials (nanoparticles) according to the guidelines obtained from Key Area 1;
  • Key Area 3: where ERFs/MRFs will be prototyped and characterized giving feedback to Key Area 1 and Key Area 2 for both computational models and production processes optimization;
  • Key Area 4: to define functional requirements and technical specification for the demonstrators to be developed. With the main military objective to design, develop and test one or more target demonstrators tailored to the military sector (expected results of the research) based on the manufactured materials.

With reference to the mentioned key project areas the key objectives and expected impact of this ambitious and intriguing project are to:

  • enhance the knowledge in ERFs/MRFs computational modelling, nano-material synthesis/characterization and design of devices suitable for the military sector;
  • obtain computational simulations of Electro-Rheological (ERFs) and Magneto-Rheological fluids (MRFs) in relation to their physical-chemical characteristics;
  • obtain ERF/MRF suitable for industrial applications in the military domain;
  • validate the proposed models by inter/intra laboratory characterization analysis;
  • enable the design and development of ERF/MRF based demonstrators to enable the full applicability of such devices in the military sector.