We are pleased to share that the German and Austrian research agencies DFG and FWF have jointly approved the second funding period of the Collaborative Research Center and Transregio TRR361/F90 CREATOR (total funding about 20 Million Euro). The project brings together researchers from TU Darmstadt, TU Graz, JKU Linz and the Austrian Academy of Sciences. It continues to focus on the mathematical and computational foundations of next generation electric machine design. Mathematically, the project operates at the interface of numerical analysis, partial differential equations, geometry processing, materials modelling and optimisation.
During the first funding period the consortium established a common framework for simulation and design. This included advances in spline based discretisations and geometry handling, structure preserving formulations for electromagnetic fields, new mathematical models for hysteresis and the first generation of validated demonstrators, that link detailed numerical simulation with laboratory experiments.
The second funding period shifts the mathematical focus in several important ways. The most visible change is the broader treatment of thermal and multiphysical effects. In addition to electromagnetic fields and mechanics, the project will now integrate models for heat transport, multi phase cooling and the interaction between temperature, losses and material behaviour. This adds new classes of partial differential equations and multiscale phenomena to the mathematical core of the programme. A second major development is the move towards fully three dimensional geometry descriptions. The project will build on the spline technology developed in phase one to treat complex machine topologies directly in three dimensions and to improve the mathematical treatment of moving parts. Finally, data driven and learning based components will play a stronger role. The project will combine classical numerical analysis with structure preserving surrogate models as well as methods for parameter identification and uncertainty quantification.
With the support of DFG and FWF the CRC can continue its interdisciplinary research on modelling, simulation and optimisation of electric machines. For the mathematical community the project offers a rich set of challenges that connect modern computational mathematics with industrially relevant questions in electric drive technology.
Press release of FWF: https://www.fwf.ac.at/aktuelles/detail/fwf-foerdert-drei-neue-spezialforschungsbereiche