OPUS 27: Over 3 Million PLN for Research Projects at FMEST | Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology at the Gdańsk University of Technology

The total funding amount for all projects at Gdańsk University of Technology under the OPUS programme is nearly 11.6 million PLN.

Dr Wojciech Macek

"Application of Three-Dimensional Quantitative Fractography in Fatigue Durability Analysis of Materials under Complex Loading Conditions Considering Creep Pre-Deformation and Elevated Temperatures," project amount: 703,460 PLN, funding for Gdańsk University of Technology: 601,460 PLN.

The innovation of the research lies in two main aspects. The first concerns understanding the impact of initial creep deformation (structural changes) on the cyclic properties of the material under proportional and non-proportional loading at room and elevated temperatures. The second aspect involves "post-failure" studies of fracture surfaces and presenting a parameter dependent on the type of loading that caused the failure.

Dr Paweł Dąbrowski

"Natural and Mixed Convection in Mono- and Bidisperse Porous Structures," 1,315,100 PLN.

Due to the continuous development of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, computational engineering, and cloud computing, energy consumption by cooling systems in data centres accounts for up to 45% of their total energy usage. Air cooling is insufficient to maintain temperatures at desired levels, which is why liquid cooling technology, particularly immersion cooling, is gaining popularity.

One aspect complicating the analysis of electronics cooling in data centres is the fact that electronic equipment is not a homogeneous solid and must be treated as a porous medium. Furthermore, the arrangement of numerous electronic components in space means the entire system is considered a bidisperse porous structure. The project's aim is to provide experimental data that will help understand heat transfer and fluid flow in bidisperse porous structures during natural and mixed convection.

Dr Przemysław Krata

"Study of Chaotic Lateral Oscillations of a Ship for Over-Resonant Excitation Frequencies and Large Response Amplitudes," 1,299,540 PLN.

The project is focused on investigating the lateral oscillations of a ship under over-resonant excitations, where chaotic responses may occur, particularly at large oscillation amplitudes. A systematic scientific description of chaotic oscillations will expand the current understanding of phenomena associated with ship motion in a turbulent sea. The challenge is to examine both the chaotic lateral oscillations themselves and the conditions under which they occur, considering both the stability characteristics of the ship subjected to oscillations and the excitation characteristics that induce deterministic chaos in the response.

OPUS is a competition in which researchers at all stages of their scientific careers can apply for funding for fundamental research projects. The grant enables the formation of large research teams, the implementation of projects using large international research facilities, and the opportunity to collaborate with foreign partners.