Abstract

This talk will cover recent advances in modelling aspects of a variety of problems where the behaviour of solid-solid and solid-fluid interfaces controls the performance of the engineering systems under investigation. It will start with an overview of the modelling tools developed to study interfacial phenomena across the scales and will then move onto demonstrating how in-silico experiments can be used to shed light on various physical, chemical and mechanical phenomena that affect frictional interactions and engineering performance in several applications.

The main themes discussed are the study of the influence of molecular processes on frictional, rheological and material response, the potential breakdown of continuum theories at the nano- and microscales, as well as multiscale and multiphysics aspects for computational models relevant to applications covering a variety of sectors, from automotive to biotribology and nanotechnology. Many systems involve two or more interlinked phenomena that are governed by mechanisms originating at different scales, for which complex multiscale and multiphysics models are needed. These are still challenging to develop and use as they require multidisciplinary expertise and collaborative effort. A few successful examples portraying how predictive models can be used to better design of surfaces and materials are provided in this talk, which show how to conduct successful virtual experiments and their necessary links to laboratory tests.

The presentation will conclude with an outlook at future trends and examples of how to tackle problems ranging from machine components and biomedical devices to triboelectricity as well as other advanced technological applications.