AEM Seminar: Friday, February 23rd - Raul Radovitzky, MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies

[Hanna Pahr]

University of Minnesota
Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics
Spring 2024 Seminar Series

Friday, February 23rd, 2024
43 Rapson Hall
2:30pm-4:30pm

A unified framework for large-scale simulation of the thermo-chemo-mechanical response of Thermal Protection systems in hypersonic environments

Abstract:  I will present a thermo-chemo-mechanics computational framework for the analysis of material and structural degradation and failure resulting from extreme conditions encountered in hypersonic flight. The approach is based on a unified discontinuous-Galerkin finite-element formulation of the coupled equations describing the solid mechanics, heat transfer, mass transport, and chemical reaction problem. The resulting computational framework supports general models of thermo-chemical reactive transport (convection, diffusion, oxidation, pyrolysis), thermo-chemically-induced mechanical stresses and material fracture, and thermal and chemical diffusion resistance across crack surfaces, as well as surface ablation. We demonstrate the versatility of the computational framework with simulations of: 1) pyrolysis and ablation of Phenolic- Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) material, resulting in thermo-chemically induced mechanical stresses and surface recession, 2) thermally-induced oxidation, growth, and swelling stresses leading to fracture of silicon carbide.

Bio:

Raul Radovitzky is a Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also serves as the Associate Director of the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies. He received a Civil Engineer degree from the University of Buenos Aires in 1991, A S. M. in Applied Mathematics from Brown University in 1995 and a Ph D in Aeronautical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 1998. His research interests are in the development of computational methods for multi-scale modeling of complex material response as well as in the formulation and implementation of algorithms for large-scale simulation of the dynamic response of materials subject to hypersonic flight environments. His main emphasis is on the analysis of material and structural failure. His group has pioneered the development of massively-scalable algorithms for the simulation
of dynamic fracture. The methods his group has developed have also led to significant advances in our understanding of the physical effects of blast waves on structures and on the human brain. This has helped to develop strategies to protect against Traumatic Brain Injury. As part of his devotion for education and student life, he and his wife Flavia have been the Heads of House at McCormick Hall, the only all-women dormitory at MIT, since 2015, where they have contributed to building a thriving community of young scholars. As a recognition of his dedication to students, he has received the following awards: The 2021 Arthur C. Smith Award, the 2014 Student Champion (Freshman Advising) Award, the 2016 AIAA Aeronautics and Astronautics Teaching Award, the 2018 Alan J. Lazarus (1953) Excellence in Advising Award, the 2021 AIAA Aeronautics and Astronautics Best Professor Award, and the 2021 Arthur C. Smith Award for meaningful contributions and devotion to undergraduate student life and learning at MIT. Dr. Radovitzky is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the National Football League Engineering Committee.

The AEM Post-Seminar Happy Hour will be in 225 Akerman Hall @ 3:30pm right after seminar.

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Hanna Pahr (She/Her/Hers)
Executive Operations & Undergraduate Student Services Specialist

University of Minnesota

Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics

107 Akerman Hall / 110 Union Street

Minneapolis, MN 55455