CoPerMix — Control Prediction and LeaRning in Mixing processes

Results in brief

Control Prediction and LeaRning in Mixing processes

The CoPerMix ITN program was intended to make fundamental progress in the field of mixing, the science describing the route to uniformity in stirred systems. This goal was achieved in several respects: On the heuristic side, we have developed and promoted a novel and unified lamellar description of mixing processes, in its `quantum’ representation (identifying the elementary bricks and their interaction in a mixture). This approach has generated new results in e.g. mixing in porous media (soils), mixing in stratified flows (ocean) of very viscous substances (pastes), for example. We has from the start payed on purpose attention at identifying all sub-area of science and technology where these new concepts can find relevance and/or usefulness, hence the broad range and diversity of topics of our 15 PhD students (Early Scientific Researchers, ESRs). Their work goes from cloud physics (mixing of droplets in a varying field of water vapor), chemotaxis (the locomotion of animals in stirred nutriment fields), safety (dispersion of pollutants), landscape formation (mixing in soils and porous media), thermo-aline convection (mixing of salinity in the ocean), or to the developments of news bioreactors, for example. In all these sectors, our impact has contributed to a better understanding, and therefore to improved practices and policies, the prerequisite for solid and informed decisions concerning societal changes. Our faith was that pushing further the boundaries of knowledge is the best way to contribute to applications, of whatever nature they may be. Given the success of our two thematic workshops, and notably of our Cargèse School devoted to all the facets of the discipline (which has gathered the nec-plus-ultra of the fluid mechanics community), and of our Solvay Workshop on the same theme, and given the enthusiasm of our ESRs, we are confident that it was worth pursuing our efforts following this virtuous track.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Mixing is the science describing the evolution of the concentration of a substance (tracers, chemicals, heat, bacteria...) in acontinuum substrate that is possibly deforming. It is also a necessary process or phenomenon taking place at each scales,from molecular to planetary, in all non-equilibrium human and natural activities. Most approaches to mixing used in scienceand engineering are based on mean field approaches or phenomenological mixing models , which focus on dynamicsthrough effective coefficients such as mixing micro-scales, diffusivities, or on purely descriptive characterization of mixingthrough entropy measures for example. A predictive approaches that account for the many facets of the dynamics of mixingin a broad variety of applications and fields is however emerging: It consists in visualizing a mixture as a set of elongatedstripes and sheets, understand how they are stretched and dispersed by the flow, a step we call Stirring. This first stepprovides the necessary tools to couple molecular diffusion, leading to the complete statistical description of the mixingprocess i.e. the full concentration distribution. In that sense and as opposed to traditional approaches, this disruptive visionhas prompted new numerical and experimental methods and offers a transformative vision for Mixing to envisage its Impactin a diversity of fields and Learn from the stirring medium itself. A new generation of scientists and engineers is required thatis aware of these fundamental issues and equipped with new visions and tool sets for mixing in order to address theincreasing need of understanding and predicting mixing processes in environmental and industrial applications. TheCoPerMix training network proposes to address this challenge by setting up an innovative and entrepreneurial trainingprogramme that renews drastically the methods and approaches to the subject and incorporates this strategic new vision ofMixing in prominent academic curricula.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS · ParisCoordinatorFrance
AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS · MadridSpain
AMPHOS 21 CONSULTING SL · BarcelonaSpain
EIDGENOESSISCHE ANSTALT FUER WASSERVERSORGUNG ABWASSERREINIGUNG UND GEWAESSERSCHUTZ · DubendorfSwitzerland
SAINT GOBAIN RECHERCHE · AubervilliersFrance
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET ILMENAU · IlmenauGermany
THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE · CAMBRIDGEUnited Kingdom
UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION · ParisFrance
UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID · MadridSpain
UNIVERSITE D'AIX MARSEILLE · MarseilleFrance
UNIVERSITE DE RENNES · RennesFrance
UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES · Bruxelles / BrusselBelgium

CoPerMix · Control Prediction and LeaRning in Mixing processes

Results in brief

Control Prediction and LeaRning in Mixing processes

Project objective

Participants

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