Optimal Design and manufacturing of composite materials

A numerically based topology optimization method is used to design material structures with extremal thermoelastic properties. Examples are two-phase materials with negative Poissons ratio, three-phase materials with negative thermal expansion and piezoelectric-composites with maximum sensitivity to underwater sound (hydrophones). The properties of the numerically designed composites are compared with theoretical bounds. Some of the piezo-electric materials are being manufactured and tested.
(Financed by STVF).