From molecular reactions to REACTOR DESIGN.
We develop multiphysics and multiscale models that capture interactions between fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and material behaviour. Our focus is on advanced numerical simulation, complemented by analytical insight and experimental validation. This integrated approach enables accurate predictions and performance optimisation across applications from energy systems to biomedical engineering.
Current Research Topics
Understanding real‑world granular systems—powders colliding with structures, sediments settling through water, particles sintering under heat—demands models that span multiple physics and multiple scales. Our Moomph framework does exactly that. It stitches together the open‑source MercuryDPM discrete‑particle engine with the oomph‑lib finite‑element library in a single executable, allowing grains, fluids and deformable solids to interact seamlessly.
A coarse‑graining strategy lies at its core: microscopic contact forces are homogenised only where needed, reducing noise and numerical dissipation while preserving symmetry and energy balance. The result is a solver that can:
- Couple particles with soft solids (e.g. impact‑absorbing walls and flexible packaging)
- Blend discrete and continuum regions for kilometre‑long granular flows without kilometre‑long CPU times
- Add heat and moisture transport for laser‑sintered powders or thermochemical batteries
- Embed grains in moving fluids to capture erosion, sedimentation and slurry transport
Moomph has already reproduced wave propagation in elastic beams, the filling of powder sacks, and laser powder‑bed fusion at both particle and component scale. By releasing the framework open-source, we invite the community to extend—or simply use—these capabilities in their own research and industrial workflows.
