BrainMap

Victor Matei Constantin Sofonea

Dr.

Senior Researcher - ACADEMIA ROMANA FILIALA TIMISOARA

Other affiliations

PhD supervisor - UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (Romania)

Researcher | PhD supervisor

Web of Science ResearcherID: C-9927-2009

Curriculum Vitae (14/07/2021)

Expertise & keywords

Study of dense gas flows using a kinetic Enskog model Call name: P 1 - SP 1.1 - Proiecte de cercetare Postdoctorală - PD-2021
PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2021-0216 2022 - 2024

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: http://quasar.physics.uvt.ro/~busuioc/DEGAKEN/

Abstract:

The novelty of the proposed project is the extension of the finite-difference Lattice Boltzmann (FDLB) models developed for dilute gases to deal with both the dense gas flow and the liquid-vapor flow in curvilinear geometries. We plan to explore the dense gas behaviour in rarefied and confined setups, like the circular Couette flows (between two coaxial cylinders), the heat transfer between coaxial cylinders and concentric spheres, as well as liquid-vapor flows, like the spherical droplet evaporation or the bubble growth in a metastable liquid.

We plan to implement the simplified Enskog collision operator in the FDLB framework and validate the model against the direct evaluation of the Enskog equation obtained by using a particle method. We wish to apply the resulting models to unbounded (normal shock wave structure) and bounded (Couette and Poiseuille flows) dense gas problems, exploring the full range of the Knudsen number, as well as various values of the confinement ratio. Next, we want to add the Vlasov term (used to model intermolecular attraction) to the Enskog equation, in the framework of FDLB in order to model liquid-vapour flows (e.g. evaporation and condensation phenomena). The behaviour of dense gases and liquid-vapour systems in curvilinear geometries will be explored using the vielbein LB models, enhanced with the simplified Enskog collision operator and the Vlasov term.

Lattice Boltzmann models for the simulation of flows of rarefied gases in the relativistic regime Call name: Projects for Young Research Teams - RUTE -2014 call
PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-2910 2015 - 2017

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA (RO)

Project website: http://www.physics.uvt.ro/~victor/RUTE2910/index.html

Abstract:

The construction of lattice Boltzmann models for the simulation of relativistic gas flows is a relatively new research field. We propose to contribute to this field by reformulating the formalism of the Boltzmann equation and the method for the discretisation of the momentum space using the tetrad formalism, through which the mass-shell condition is decoupled from the space-time geometry. Furthermore, we propose the development of lattice Boltzmann models of arbitrary order using modern quadrature methods, valid for particles of arbitrary masses. Finally, we propose the application of the methodology described above to the study of gas flows in general relativity (flows on a gravitational wave background, scattering of gas on black hole space-times, thermal states on rotating space-times, etc).

Kinetic models for micro-scale transport phenomena and structure formation in complex fluids: implementation on GPU-based parallel computing systems Call name: Exploratory Research Projects - PCE-2011 call
PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0516 2011 - 2016

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: Academia Romana - Filiala Timisoara

Project partners: Academia Romana - Filiala Timisoara (RO)

Affiliation: Academia Romana - Filiala Timisoara (RO)

Project website: http://www.physics.uvt.ro/~sofonea/PCE0516/ http://acad-tim.tm.edu.ro/sofonea/PCE0516

Abstract:

The project is dedicated to the development and application of three-dimensional (3D) Lattice Boltzmann (LB) models for the study of complex fluids and their micro-scale behaviour. LB models allow the easy incorporation of interparticle forces as well as of boundary conditions and are appropriate for implementation on massively-parallel computers. Intensive simulations will be done on the IBM Blue Gene P system recently inaugurated at

the West University of Timisoara, as well as on a "desktop supercomputer" incorporating two Graphics Processing Units (GPU), to be set up at the host Institution. Simulations will be conducted in order to understand the effect of various conditions (fluid viscosity, temperature gradients and/or anisotropy induced by gravity or shear flow) on the phase separation process and the scaling exponents that characterize the domain growth in single- or multicomponent fluid systems. The morphology of the 3D structures formed during the phase separation, as well as their dynamics, will be investigated using the Minkowski functionals. Specific problems in microfluidics will be also investigated through 3D Lattice Boltzmann simulations: rarefaction effects in long microchannels, temperature dip in force-driven flow and thermal creep. The formation of drops or bubbles introduced in the co-flowing phase via a capillary tube or a T-junction will be another process to be analyzed through LB simulations in three dimensions.

Surface and Interface Science: Physics, chemistry, biology, applications. Call name: Complex Exploratory Research Projects - PCCE-2008 call
PN-II-ID-PCCE-2008-0076 2010 - 2013

Role in this project: Partner team leader

Coordinating institution: INSATITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA MATERIALELOR

Project partners: INSATITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA MATERIALELOR (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU INGINERIE ELECTRICA (RO); UNIVERSITATEA DE MEDICINA SI FARMACIE CAROL DAVILA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); UNIVERSITATEA ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA DIN IASI (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA TEHNICA DIN IASI (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU TEHNOLOGII IZOTOPICE SI MOLECULARE DIN CLUJ-NAPOCA (RO); UNIVERSITATEA BABES-BOLYAI DIN CLUJ-NAPOCA (RO); ACADEMIA ROMANA FILIALA TIMISOARA (RO); UNIVERSITATEA DE MEDICINA SI FARMACIE VICTOR BABES TIMISOARA (RO)

Affiliation: ACADEMIA ROMANA FILIALA TIMISOARA (RO)

Project website: http://www.infim.ro/projects/siinta-suprafetelor-si-interfetelor-fizica-chimie-biologie-aplicatii

Abstract:

This project intends to provide a financial background for developing the community of Surface Science in Romania. Thematics from physics and chemistry of surfaces will be tackled together with applications of surface science in biology and in technology; also new standards will be proposed for consistent data interpretation. The Project clusterizes the most important Romanian teams with preoccupations in surface science, namely all X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy teams with most of the community of thin film deposition, cluster and nanoparticle physics, surface reactivity, surface chemistry and photochemistry, multilayer physics and applications, magnetic fluids, functionalization of surfaces, cell attachment, studies of cellular membrane. The research teams belong to highly prominent Universities and Research Institutes from practically all geographical areas of the country. The Consortium disposes of infrastructure exceeding 10 million euros, of more than one hundreed highly qualified scientists which have generated during the past years more than 3 % of the national scientific visibility. The research will concentrate into four main areas: (i) magnetic properties of surfaces and low-dimensional systems; (ii) electrical properties of surfaces and heterostructures; (iii) surface chemistry; (iv) application of surface science in functionalized systems and in biology, together with (v) an area concentrating on standardization in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy and related techniques. Each area is divided into several thematics; each thematic has at least one in-charge scientist. This Project will foster the surface science community in Romania and will contribute strongly to the development of high-technological industrial preoccupation in all geographical areas concerned. Several cutting-edge applications are also foreseen by pursuing the fundamental research proposed.

Lattice Boltzmann models for predicting the deposition of inertial particles transported by turbulent flows Call name: Joint Research Projects Romania-France - IDROFR-2011 call
PN-II-ID-JRP-RO-FR-2011-2-0060 2011 -

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: Academia Romana - Filiala Timisoara

Project partners: Academia Romana - Filiala Timisoara (RO); Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse (FR)

Affiliation: Academia Romana - Filiala Timisoara (RO)

Project website:

Abstract:

Originally, Lattice Boltzmann (LB) techniques were designed for the numerical simulation of gas flows under the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium. As such, they were perceived as alternatives to Navier-Stokes solvers, and even a few years ago it would have been a nonsense to think of LB approaches when dealing with so far out-of-equilibrium systems like the dispersed phase in particle-laden turbulent flows close to solid surfaces.

Recently, several statistical physics and microfluidic research groups (including two partners of the present proposal) reported successful attempts to simulate the dynamics of highly rarefied gases using some of the most standard LB algorithms, with only minor changes of quadrature parameters and quadrature orders. Rapidly, these unexpected results could be theoretically understood using quite standard Knudsen expansions. This opened a new research field in which statisticians and fluid mechanicists make fruitful efforts toward further detailed understanding of the applicability range of such approaches, and toward the design of further advanced algorithms (mainly by refining the underlying discrete velocity models and boundary conditions using the physical pictures available in the microfluidic literature).

The central objective of the present proposal is to initiate a similar research dynamics in the field of turbulence-particle interaction modeling, mainly thinking of today attempts to predict the deposition of particles along solid surfaces in the energy and chemical industries, notably the coal industry. Our consortium includes three research groups that have already performed two preliminary works, by pairs: one toward the non-isothermal features of far out-of-equilibrium (an essential point when addressing near-surface turbulence-driven particles) and the other toward the straightforward application of available LB algorithms to turbulence-particle interactions in academic configurations. These preliminary works established the feasibility of our approach and introduced it as a meaningful alternative to standard turbulence-transport simulation techniques (far from the solid surfaces). They also helped us defining both the theoretical and numerical orientations of the initial phase of the present proposal. Later in the project, the researches will be concentrated on the following question: how far can we manage to go toward the representation of higher temperature gradients than in the preliminary works, and, consequently, what is the full extend of the validity range of our particle-deposition modeling approach.

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator
List of research grants as partner team leader
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects