Information Technology Research (ITR) Small Proposals
Proposal Number: CTS-0312764 Principal Investigator: M. Pasquali and M. Behr University/Institution: William Marsh Rice University
The intellectual merit of the research lies in the development of new computational methods and software for modeling complex fluid flows at macroscopic as well as microscopic length scales in processes where free surfaces, elastic boundaries, and moving boundaries are present. The software will include theory modules for describing the flow of many micro- and nano-structured liquids and soft solids such as blood, blood cells, polymeric liquids, and dispersions of nanotubes. The computational method and software will be capable of modeling three-dimensional as well as two-dimensional flows with effects of surface elasticity, capillarity, and fluid viscoelasticity. It will be used for modeling important engineering applications, such as blood flow and blood damage in blood pumps, coating and polymer processing flows, ink-jet printing, flow in microfluidic devices, and for studying the effects of stress on white blood cells and on the operation of the immune system.
The broader impact of this research is exemplified by significantly improved fidelity of modeling in important areas of bioengineering and medicine. In particular, the research will directly benefit the design of centrifugal left-ventricular assist devices, which offer hope for thousands of heart disease victims waiting for donor hearts. If enough progress is made, these devices will offer increased biocompatibility in their current bridge-to-transplant role, and may even be accepted as a permanent clinical solution.
This research will incorporate graduate student training and undergraduate internships, both as a means of accomplishing its objectives, and as a way to prepare the next generation of computational fluid dynamicists, who are well versed in the modeling of microstructured liquids and in high-performance computing. Simulation results obtained, and programming techniques developed in the course of this research will be included in computational engineering courses. The project will also strengthen the ties between computational scientists and medical researchers, which will aid the development of new life-saving devices and clinical methods.
