Functionalized nanomaterials

Biomaterials and devices

Multifunctional material systems

Multiscale Modeling

Intelligent systems

Education and outreach

Participants and sponsors

Multifunctional Materials Systems

Design of multifunctional systems at nano, micro, meso and macro levels with appropriate methods developed to bridge the various length scales.

The goal of this research is to develop multifunctional hierarchical structural supercapacitors that will carry structural loads; store electrical energy; assist in thermal management; and provide electrical power, protection against low and high velocity impact, and chemical energy for terminal-stage high velocity propulsion.

We will also develop multifunctional porous shape memory alloys at the micro scale and integrate them into smart structures relevant to multifunctional lightweight space applications. We will fabricate and test a prototype of a highly compact array of micro-scale, solid-state, thermoelectric, shape-memory and alloy-based actuators suitable for distributed actuation in space applications.

Research goals:

• Design multifunctional materials and systems at different scales
• Develop analytical methods to bridge the various length scales. Exact modeling is difficult at the micro scale because of the highly heterogeneous materials, irregular geometry and random distribution of the materials. Homogenization theory overcomes these difficulties, but some important micro scale information is lost, such as deformation of pores and local gradients. Continuum theory with microstructures overcomes difficulties while retaining certain characteristics of the exact solutions at the micro scale.
• Utilize multifunctional super capacitors, shape memory alloys and protein structures

Team Leader: (click name for contact info)

James G. Boyd
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Texas A&M University

Team members: (click name for contact info)

Yi-chao Chen
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Houston

Daniel C. Davis
TiiMS Director of Operations
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Texas A&M University

Naomi J. Halas
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Rice University

Wiley P. Kirk
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Texas-Arlington

Dimitris C. Lagoudas
Director, TiiMS
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Texas A&M University

Zoubeida Ounaies
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Texas A&M University