Smart Interfaces

Various factors like the morphological structure or chemical attributes can influence the interaction of surfaces. The investigation and design of Smart Interfaces for a systematic manipulation of the interaction of fluid-solid boundaries is the major goal of the Center of Smart Interfaces. Scientists working in the Cluster are investigating how the microscopic structure of material surfaces influences heat and mass transfer. They investigate how this transport can be improved or made more efficient. For example, they analyse the effects of airflows or the impact of atomised coolants. The results aim to advance energy and transport engineering as well as process and production engineering. This could improve air-conditioning systems and could also cool smaller and high-performance laptops. The chemical scientists, physicists, mathematicians, material scientists and mechanical engineers are conducting research in five areas that promise particularly high innovation potential: static and dynamic wettability, improving thermal transport, near-wall reactive flows, near-wall multiphase flows, and drag and circulation control.