Past Event: Babuška Forum

Challenges in the Predictive Simulation of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Torch

Robert Moser, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Deputy Director, Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, UT Austin

Abstract

An inductively coupled plasma (ICP) torch is a device used in a number of industrial and research applications, including surface heat treatment, materials testing, cutting and welding, nanopowder synthesis, synthesis of gas products, and deposition of functional coatings. It produces a plasma by inducing a large amplitude oscillating electro-magnetic field in a gas flow, which has the practical advantage of not requiring electrodes in the plasma flow. A large new multi-disciplinary research project to develop high fidelity predictive simulation models of ICP torches is starting at the Oden Institute. Simulation of an ICP torch requires integrated models for plasma dynamics, chemical kinetics, thermodynamic non-equilibrium, turbulence, electromagnetism, and radiative heat transfer. Further, a high-fidelity ICP simulation will require extraordinary computing resources. So the simulator development will drive research in advanced algorithms for use on next-generation high-performance computing architectures, as well as computer language and software tools to enable effective use of these architectures. Finally, predictive simulation requires rigorous validation and uncertainty quantification (UQ), and the development advanced UQ algorithms required for use with high-dimensional uncertainties and such expensive models. For validation, a closely coupled set of advanced experiments on an ICP torch will be conducted. In this talk, we will discuss the ICP torch and its simulation, with particular attention to the modeling, algorithmic, computer science, validation and uncertainty quantification challenges we will be addressing to enable such simulations. This seminar will cover joint work by Robert Moser and George Biros. NOTE This seminar is a part of Babuška Forum series. For those new to the CSEM Program, the Babuška Forum is a seminar series started by Professor Ivo Babuska several years ago to expose students to interesting and curious topics relevant to computational engineering and science with technical content at the graduate student level (i.e. the focus of the series is on main ideas with some technical content). BIO Robert D. Moser holds the W. A. "Tex" Moncrief Jr. Chair in Computational Engineering and Sciences and is Professor of Mechanical Engineering in thermal fluid systems. He serves as the Director of the Center for Predictive Engineering and Computational Sciences (PECOS) and Deputy Director of the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences. Moser received his PhD in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. Before coming to the University of Texas, he was a research scientist at the NASA-Ames Research Center and then a Professor of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics at the University of Illinois. Moser conducts research on the modeling and numerical simulation of turbulence and other complex fluid flow phenomena. He also uses direct numerical simulation to investigate and model turbulent flows, particularly the development and evaluation of large eddy simulation models. Moser has also been working to develop new approaches for the validation of and quantification of uncertainty in computational models and to assess their reliability. He has pursued applications to such diverse systems as reentry vehicles, solid propellant rockets, micro-air vehicles, turbulent combustion, tokamak fusion and energy harvesting. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and was awarded the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement. Note: Please join this Zoom seminar online with the "Audio Only" function (no video).