There are two open positions for postdoctoral researchers or PhD students. The research subjects include:
- Creating Complex Deformation Patterns and Increasing Effective Rigidity of Elastic Plates or Shells via Viscous Flows in Complex Internal Channel Networks:
Flow within solid structures applies both pressure and shear stresses at the solid-fluid interface and thus can stress and deform the solid structures. Current research on this subject focuses on the deformation of solid structures by uniform modification of the pressure of a fluid within an internal chamber in the solid structure. Our suggested research focuses on the interaction between viscous flows through complex channel networks, specifically, low-Reynolds-number flows characteristic to micro-devices, and the deformation of elastic plates and shells in which the channel network is positioned. Utilizing complex channel networks will enable the creation of complex deformation patterns, achieved via spatially varying pressure and shear stress within the channel network, while only controlling over liquid flow rate and pressure at the locations of the inlets or outlets of the network. The internal channel network can have multiple inlet and outlet sections, which will allow for significant changes to the flow-field, correlating to multiple different deformation patterns. Furthermore, the stress-field applied by the liquid on the surface of the solid structure can be utilized to reduce deformations due to external loads, and thus modify the effective rigidity of the liquid-solid system (similarly to pre-stressing of solids structures).
- Complex micro-channel networks:
Analysis and optimization of the gas distribution plates of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, design of a versatile and valveless micro-fluidic network for Lab-on-a-Chip applications and deformation of solid plates by the application of pressure within micro-fluidic networks.