Upcoming Events

September 18^th 2024: Lecture on Computationally Guided Experiments and Predictions: A Path to Sustainable Materials by Dr. Christina Schenk

At 12:30 in MTM (Department of Material Sciences) Auditorium 00.13 talk by Dr. Christina Schenk, coming to MTM from IMDEA Materials Research Institute in Spain on 18th September (13:30).

Abstract: As hardware capabilities continue to advance, the integration of complex and computationally intensive models, alongside the challenges of experimental data collection in uncertain environments, can become costly. Achieving a sustainable materials future depends on innovations that accelerate the discovery and production of materials, particularly in making high-energy consumption manufacturing processes more efficient. In this context, computationally guided experiments and predictive modeling are essential for conserving both time and resources. This is especially pertinent in industries like plastics, which contribute significantly to non-recyclable waste in landfills, as of 2015 79% has accumulated in landfills or nature [1], and steel production, which accounts for approximately 20 to 25% of industrial CO2 emissions [2]. In this talk, we will explore a range of computational (machine learning-based) approaches to calibrate hybrid models under uncertainties and predict with uncertainty estimates as well as to execute optimal experiments with minimal data. Our focus will be on developing computational models, algorithms and software designed for design, calibration and optimization. Specifically, we will cover Bayesian calibration [3], design of experiments [4] and Bayesian optimization techniques [5]. We will present numerical results from various materials science applications to illustrate our findings. These case studies include predicting steel creep behavior, a step towards more sustainable steel production. Additionally, we will highlight the strategic planning and execution of experiments aimed at automating materials laboratories automation and accelerating the discovery of new materials.

You can find our past events here.

About us

SIAM stands for Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics. The organization encourages the formation of student chapters at universities all around the world. The motivation behind our student chapter at KU Leuven lies in providing a vibrant research communication environment between world-leading groups of enthusiastic young researchers within KU Leuven, as well as in collaboration with academic and industrial institutions throughout Belgium.

Some of the objectives of the KU Leuven SIAM student chapter include:

• to promote the role of mathematical techniques in research and industry,
• to create and foster relations between members of the local scientific community,
• to provide opportunities to get to know new frameworks or programming languages, or to expand abilities in existing ones,
• to collaborate with other SIAM student chapters across Europe for the organisation of large scale meetings and workshops,
• to promote an active environment in which both academic and industrial participants interact on a regular basis.

More concretely, we organise seminars, workshops, lectures, industry visits and weekend trips.

Team members

The SIAM KU Leuven Student Chapter is currently run by Ignace Bossuyt, Debadri Som, and Evert Provoost.

Please reach out if you are interested in joining our team.

Past team members

We would like to thank the following people for their support of the student chapter through the years: Peter Coppens, Pieter Appeltans, Hannes Vandecasteele, Niel Van Buggenhout, Simon Telen, Bruno Coussement, Andreas Van Barel, Luca Fenzi, Libo Su, Deesh Dileep, Roel Van Beeumen, Nico Vervliet, Roel Matthysen, Ward Melis, Joris Tavernier.

Partners

We graciously acknowledge the guidance of our faculty advisors prof. Ronald Cools (CS) and prof. Panos Patrinos (ESAT).