Project Portfolio
Overview of our research activities and international partnerships
European Research Council – ERC
ERC Starting Grant
R3DEFINE – Reconfigurable, Responsive and Robust 3D mEtastructures For frequency IsolatioN and filtEring
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The R3DEFINE project aims to develop reconfigurable, responsive, and robust 3D metastructures capable of mitigating vibrations while sustaining high loads. Funded by an ERC Starting Grant, this five-year project will develop novel simulation tools based on the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF) to computationally design and analyze complex 3D metastructures before physical prototyping. The project tackles the challenge of isolating ultra-low frequencies—which typically requires highly deformable structures—without compromising the load-bearing capacity. R3DEFINE also targets omnidirectional vibration isolation through advanced 3D architectures.
By combining numerical simulations, fabrication, and experimental testing, the project seeks to overcome current compromises in vibration isolation, paving the way for breakthrough applications in aerospace engineering (e.g., protecting satellites and adapters during launch) and seismic protection systems for structural safety.
- Duration: 5 Years
- Principal Investigator: Riccardo Augello
- Project type: ERC Starting Grant
- Funding body: European Research Council (ERC)
- Funding: € 1.475 M
FIS – Fondo Italiano per la Scienza
FIS 3
FEM2.0 – Second Generation Finite Element Method
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The Finite Element Method (FEM) is one of the most successful outcome of computational mechanics with high impact in various engineering fields, including automotive, civil, bio, aerospace and naval sectors. In the current version of FEM – referred to as FEM 1.0 – beam, plate, and shell elements are built using assumptions dating back to Leonardo da Vinci beam-like models, i.e., the deformation concerns reference lines or surfaces, and sections or normal remain unstretched. Over the last years, a vast body of publications has shown that these assumptions have various shortcomings and preclude the proper modeling of the physical behavior of a deformable body.
An example is locking mechanisms limiting the analysis of local phenomena, laminates, and multifield problems. FEM users – strongly relying upon highly effective, efficient, and user-friendly commercial software – are not fully aware of such shortcomings. This proposal aims to overcome the assumptions of the structural theories of FEM 1.0 and unleash a new framework: FEM 2.0. The first objective is to improve the accuracy of FEM 1.0; then, to provide solutions to problems that, currently, cannot be tackled. The methodology is based on the compact notation of the Carrera Unified Formulations, CUF, allowing arbitrary expansion functions to model the unknown fields. Academic and non-academic international institutions will work with PI and disseminate the new tools. Partnerships with commercial software-house will be explored, and plug-in interfaces created. Open-source codes will be made available to the computational mechanics’ community. FEM 2.0 aims to provide a computational tool for solving multiphysics and multiscale problems for large structures, create a direct link between CAD and CAM software with no need for post-processing, overcome the limitations of FEM 1.0 in solving thermal stress and layered structure problems, and create a platform for the nonlinear analysis of structures including multibody capabilities. FEM2.0 would represents a kind of ‘revenge’ of the decades of work done by eminent contributors to mechanics of structures vs an unprecednet application of their findings in a Second Generation Finite Element implementions.
- Duration: 01/02/2026 – 31/01/2029
- Principal Investigator: Erasmo Carrera
- Project type: National Research
- Funding body: MUR
- Project identification number: FIS-2024-07296
FIS 2
AMPERE – Advanced Multi-Physics and Efficient-REsilient solutions to thermal runaway
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The relentless advancement of hybrid-electric technologies in aviation, coupled with the dynamic evolution of space exploration driven by the new space economy, underscores the criticality of thermal design in aerospace systems. In the context of hybrid-electric aircraft, managing temperature fluctuations introduced by high-power components and energy storage systems is of paramount importance to guarantee safety and performance. Furthermore, in space exploration, maintaining thermal stability is crucial, as temperature fluctuations can significantly impact the precision of scientific instruments and the structural integrity of spacecraft. The need for precise temperature control, innovative cooling strategies, and resilient thermal barrier materials is evident. Founded on three pivotal pillars, this proposal is for an exploratory study into a radical new multidisciplinary approach to the problem of aerospace thermal design and management.
The first pillar of AMPERE focuses on developing advanced multi-scale models capable of capturing the complexities of heat storage and transmission across diverse scales. From macroscopic structures to molecular interactions, these models bridge the gap between classical thermal transfer approaches and modern physics. The second pillar revolves around the creation of cutting-edge multi-physics models, grounded in unified structural theories and higher-order finite elements. This approach aims to consider intricate interplays between structural stability, material properties, and various physical fields, including thermal, electrical, magnetic, and chemical. Based on the innovative simulation methods and digital twins of dedicated aerospace systems, the third pillar centers on engineering thermal design and management solutions, to finally meet societal needs beyond current technological limitations, providing unprecedent innovative control methods, smart devices, optimization strategies for energy storage systems, and thermal barriers optimization for future aircraft and spacecraft.
- Duration: 01/02/2026 – 31/01/2029
- Principal Investigator: Alfonso Pagani
- Project type: National Research
- Funding body: MUR
- Project identification number: FIS-00918