Understanding Jointed Interfaces Through Tribomechadynamics by Matt Brake, Sept 2022

Understanding Jointed Interfaces Through Tribomechadynamics

Matthew R.W. Brake

Professor, Rice University

September, 2022

Abstract:

Tribomechadynamics is a new field in mechanical engineering that includes tribology (the study of surfaces in relative motion), contact mechanics, and structural dynamics. These three disciplines all study mechanical interfaces, but they have remained separate due to length scale considerations, solution techniques, and response metrics. The new field of Tribomechadynamics was created to bridge the scales from the nano- and micro-structural characterizations of tribology to the macroscale modeling of structural dynamics. The goals of this new field are to predict the degradation of interfaces (solid/solid and solid/fluid) and to improve the design of components to extend life, increase performance and reduce costs. Tribomechadynamics offers the opportunity to improve the efficiency and reduce the costs of machines such as vehicles, engines, and turbines through a better physical understanding of the interfacial dissipation inherent in assembled systems. This talk presents an overview of the nonlinear qualities of jointed structures and the particular modeling approaches that are necessary for predictability. At the conclusion, open areas and challenges for future work are discussed.

Biography:

Prof. Brake started at Rice University in 2016 after working at Sandia National Laboratories for nine years. Prior to Sandia, Prof. Brake graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2007. Prof. Brake has been elected to several leadership positions, including as the chair of the ASME Research Committee on the Mechanics of Jointed Structures, the vice-chair of the Nonlinear Dynamics Technical Division of SEM, and as the secretary of the ASME Technical Committee on Vibration and Sound. He is a recipient of the 2012 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and he recently won the 2018 C.D. Mote Jr Early Career Award. Much of Prof. Brake’s career has focused on developing large scale collaborations and supporting graduate student education. To this end, he founded and directed both the Nonlinear Dynamics of Coupled Structures and Interfaces (ND-CSI) Summer Program at Rice University and the Nonlinear Mechanics and Dynamics (NOMAD) Institute at Sandia National Laboratories. His primary research interests are in interfacial mechanics, tribology, model reduction theory, uncertainty propagation, and nonlinear dynamics.