PhD Candidate - Shock-detonation dynamics of energetic materials for advanced aerospace propulsion
IMDEA Materials Institute
Madrid, Spain
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The goal of SPEED is to identify and predict the chemical, physical, and thermomechanical processes governing hypervelocity shock-induced detonation of Energetic Materials (EMs), with applications to advanced aerospace solid propellants. To this end, we have united four leading research institutions—two in Spain and two in Brazil—to drive a focused international collaboration at the forefront of research on EMs. IMDEA Materials (IMDEA) brings extensive expertise in Materials Processing, Thermodynamic Analysis, Materials Science, and Microstructural Analysis, playing a pivotal role in high-resolution chemical, physical and microstructural characterization of EMs under various conditions. A state-of-the-art X-ray Tomograph will be used to perform in-situ characterization experiments and provide comprehensive microstructural analysis of the samples before and after hypervelocity impact testing. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) provides specialized knowledge in Experimental Mechanics and Shock Physics, playing a pivotal role in mesoscale thermomechanical characterization and impact testing of EMs under various conditions. Notably, a state-of-the-art Hypervelocity Center will be used to perform hypervelocity planar plate impact experiments and hypervelocity perforation tests on different EM systems. Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) provides specialized expertise in the formulation and implementation of constitutive models, particularly in the context of mean-field homogenization approaches and heterogeneous material behavior. Their advanced knowledge in developing constitutive models, such as crystal plasticity and dynamic fracture models, will enable detailed simulations of the thermomechanical behavior of EMs. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS has strong expertise in developing in-house finite element codes and utilizing commercial finite element software to conduct multiscale and multiphysics analyses of complex material systems subjected to extreme loading conditions. These competences will enable the execution of numerical simulations for impact tests, covering a broad range of impact velocities including the hypervelocity spectrum.
