Fluid Dynamics and Solid Mechanics

Basic and applied research and model development in the fields of continuum dynamics, hydrodynamics, materials, and earth systems, with the aid of theory, numerical algorithms and large-scale multi-physics simulations.

We conduct basic and applied research and model development in the fields of continuum dynamics, hydrodynamics, materials, and earth systems.

We are known as T-3, the birthplace of computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

Presently, the group actively develops world-class modeling and simulation capabilities for a broad range of solid mechanics and fluid dynamics application areas such as plasticity and damage, turbulence, multi-phase flow, ocean, sea-ice, land-ice and fully coupled earth system modeling for energy and national security.

Capabilities

• Multiscale-multiphysics continuum dynamics
• Multi-velocity formulations and advanced numerical methods to model interaction of materials, including continuous and disperse multiphase flow, fluid structure interaction, phase-change, and chemical reaction.
• Advanced, scalable phase-field simulation of solidification during additive manufacturing of metals.
• Moment-based, scale-bridging algorithm development for laboratory radiation hydrodynamics simulations.
• Machine Learning based surrogate models and subgrid scale models
• Materials Modeling
• Simulation of the extraordinarily complex response of material under extreme thermomechanical loading.
• Development of physically-based, mesoscale consistent continuum description for granular materials.
• Development of continuum constitutive models for energetic materials that are calibrated from experiments and informed by atomistic simulations.
• Application of finite element analysis to predict deformation and temperature fields in heterogeneous materials under high-rate deformation.
• Development of design optimization techniques for 3D cellular structure using AI/ML .
• Earth System Modeling
• Fully coupled atmosphere-land-ice earth system modeling, a vertical thermodynamics model, elastic-viscous-plastic model of ice dynamics.
• Development and application of DOE’s Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM)
• Earth system model development and simulation to investigate energy-relevant science.
• Water cycle, human-earth system feedbacks, and polar processes, sea-level rise, and coastal impacts.

Software

• CartaBlanca: A multi-velocity code for fluid-structure interactions using unstructured meshes and Lagrangian material points. 
• CICE:  A computationally efficient model for simulating the growth, melting, and movement of polar sea ice, used to inform long and short-term climate projections. Maintained by the CICE Consortium.
• E3SM: The DOE’s Energy Exascale Earth System model contains LANL-developed ocean (MPAS-O), sea ice (MPAS-SI) and land ice (MPAS-LI) components. that are built using the MPAS (Model for Prediction Across Scales) software framework.
• FEARCE: Fast, easy, accurate and robust continuum engineering model computes processes in internal combustion engines to aid enhanced fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.
• Icepack: A submodule of CICE that contains all of the sea ice column physics and can also be independently run. Maintained by the CICE consortium.
• Tusas: A general flexible code for solving coupled systems of nonlinear partial differential equations, originally developed for phase-field simulation of solidification.