The objective of this research is to develop a stochastic multiscale computational design methodology to enable design of robust and reliable multiscale ?engineered? systems following the paradigm of simulation-based design using multiscale analysis. The research will provide a mathematically rigorous and methodologically viable approach for designing hierarchical materials and product systems across diverse application domains such as those associated with material, energy, and medicine. Unlike most existing work that only considers parametric uncertainty, this research will provide a unified probabilistic approach to quantify and propagate other critical sources of uncertainties across both the material and product design domains. This will be accomplished by effectively integrating information from both multiscale simulations and physical experiments at multiple scales. By exploiting the hierarchical scale decomposition structure in multiscale analysis, a set of high performance design algorithms that are uniquely suited for multiscale design will be developed, thereby extending the state-of-art research developments in uncertainty quantification, statistical sensitivity analysis, metamodeling, and multidisciplinary design optimization.
If successful, the proposed research will provide a generic methodology for designing hierarchical materials and product systems; the broader application is likely to benefit the military and a wide range of domestic industries in the medical, energy, consumer electronics, and automotive businesses. With the joint effort from a multidisciplinary research team, the project will reveal the complex integration issues between multiscale simulations, experiments, and design. The fruition of this research will forge new boundaries between mechanical science, materials science, and engineering design. A broad audience will be reached through comprehensive dissemination of computer codes and research findings, as well as through classroom teaching. The newly established graduate interdisciplinary cluster program in "Predictive Science and Engineering Design" at Northwestern University, the NSF Summer Institute on "Nanomechanics, Nanomaterials, and Micro/Nano-Manufacturing," and the active participation of underrepresented groups are all means to disseminate our research findings.
