Executive Summary:
Long-term goal In the long term, it is projected to have: (1) A consolidated research group in modeling and simulation, (2) Supported by high-performance computing tools, (3) that serve as the basis for generating educational processes and dissemination of knowledge in the line of granular micro-mechanics with a view to generating the capacity to predict natural phenomena and risk maps of Ecuador.
Sustainability of the proposal These three main lines of work mark the strategic vision on which this proposal is based. This project proposes to develop research, technological innovation and education processes that progressively contribute to the development of base capacities in Ecuador for modeling, simulation and prediction of natural phenomena.
Components of the proposal
- Research: This component proposes to answer the following fundamental question: A. “It is possible to use computational geometry techniques (eg splines, nurbs, level sets) to capture the real shape of particles from representative samples of Ecuadorian granular soils obtained with computed tomography X-ray imaging in 3 dimensions to improve the predictive ability of the mechanical response of granular matter using the discrete element method (DEM)»
- Technological development The objective pursued is to generate technological packages (ie Software + Know How) that allow the development of high-performance computational tools to simulate the micro-mechanical response of granular assemblies. These new tools promise 3DXRCT image processing capacity to capture real particle shapes that can be included in discrete models calibrated with Artificial Intelligence technology, Genetic Algorithms + Principal Component Analysis + Gradient Methods (Backanalysis process), to predict the micro-response. mechanics of granular assemblies.
- Education The educational component of this proposal pursues the training of future engineers and scientists, within a learning context. This is based on (1) Image Processing, (2) Materials Science and (3) Soil Modelling.
General Objectives: Create a first database of the mechanical, mineralogical and morphological characteristics of the Ecuadorian soil with the aim of generating computational models with predictive capacities for the prevention of risks of natural disasters.
Specific objectives:
- Perform laboratory geomechanical tests to determine the physical characteristics of all soil samples.
- Obtain morphological characteristics of the soil grains by performing calculations on the avatars obtained by means of 3-dimensional X-ray computed tomography.
- Obtain the mineralogical components of the samples through Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy in a Scanning Electron Microscope.
- Incorporate real shapes of granular particles represented with mathematical functions in discrete element models to reproduce the mechanical response of soil samples from Ecuador.
Participating Institutions:
ESPOL, UCE, EPN.
Participants:
Project Director Dr. Alex Xavier Jerves Cobo
- Alex Xavier Jerves Cobo
- Marcos Ernesto Mendoza Velez
- Maurizio Mulas
- Daniel Salvador Velez Parra
- Carlos Fabian Avila Vega
Awarded budget: $63690
Project status: Signing of agreements.
