Projects

International

Stream-0D

The H2020 STREAM-0D project aims to create an innovative, integrated control system for production lines, able to reduce product variability, increase flexibility and ultimately achieve zero-defect manufacturing.
In this framework, ICI develops real-time simulation tools based on detailed physics-based models, including all the key components, materials and physical phenomena needed to accurately forecast the product quality indicators.

AdMoRe

The goal of the AdMoRe project (2016-2019) is to develop the use of advanced model reduction for real-time, inverse and optimization in industrial problems. It is an Innovative Training Network (ITN) and European Training Network (ETN) funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme within the framework of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
Four industrial problems are tackled, each led by an industrial partner (Airbus, Volkswagen, Siemens and ESI).

National

NanoSlim

The NanoSlim project (2018-2021) aims to design nanoparticles during the drawing of optical fibers. Centrale Nantes is involved in this project alongside six French laboratories.

The goal of the NanoSlim project it to develop fiber lasers and amplifiers with augmented and new properties. Such optical fibers rely on the doping of the fiber’s glass by luminescent ions, whose properties can be engineered through their encapsulation in particles of designed composition. However, the presence of nanoparticles induces light scattering that is detrimental for the guiding properties of optical fibers and imposes a need for size control of particles. In this context, the NanoSlim project aims to develop a new strategy to tailor nanoparticles, taking advantage of hydrodynamic effects during the drawing of the optical fibers.

OSUM

The OSUM project (2017-2020) aims to develop and market a design and scale change tool allowing more efficiency in the formulation and industrialization of filled elastomers. This project targets the CFD simulation and elastomer manufacturing process markets.

EOS

ICI is working on the EOS project with the LHEEA (Research Laboratory in Hydrodynamics, Energetics and Atmospheric Environment) and is supported by the West Atlantic Marine Energy Community (WEAMEC), which intends to create a welcoming environment for the development of marine renewable energies in the Pays de la Loire Region. This project focuses on the development accurate numerical tools for the simulation of floating offshore wind turbines. Small-scale methods are extended to the floating wind context using high performance computing expertise.

SMICE

The SMICE project (Simulation Materials Industry Calculation Exaflops) hosted by Teratec campus is a consortium of five industrial companies (Michelin, CEA, Safran, Faurecia and L’Oréal ), academic institutions and software companies specialized in HPC (Centrale Nantes, CNRS, Kitware and ParaTools). The aim of this project is to provide to the different partners involved numerical tools adapted to their needs and to the current and future supercalculator.
In this framework, ICI lab works on a problematic proposed by Faurecia, in order to provide predictive simulation tools for polymers reinforced with short fibers. A scale transition in numerical rheometry is envisaged to better understand the evolution of fiber orientation during the forming process.

Impact Tumors

The Impact Tumors project (2015-2017) aims to study the interactions between brain tumors and their environment. Centrale Nantes is involved in this project alongside INSERM (National Institute of Health and Medical Research) among other partners.
The goal of the ICI team is to create numerical tools capable of rebuilding the pressure map at each point of the brain using a simple patient-specific image. This pressure is influenced by the tumor growth and it is essential for the doctor to know about it in order to plan surgery or adapt the medical treatment.

3D-Surg

The 3D-Surg project (2016-2019) aims to develop a comprehensive set of products to enable the breakthrough of a new kind of image-guided surgery exploiting 3D modeling of patients from their medical imaging and three-dimensional visualization combining both real and virtual environment.
ICI's contribution to the project consists in creating and stocking a patient-specific 3D model of the liver. This model must be deformable in real-time for augmented-reality applications while respecting the real deformations of its physical counterpart.

Optiscan

Atlanstic2020 OptiScan is an ambitious project that aims to develop intelligent technology for fast scan of 3D objects. The goal is to enhance productivity by reducing both acquisition time and the data processing burden.
OptiScan combines new machine learning techniques with ICI’s solid background on statistical shape modelling to reconstruct 3D objects from partial scans of their surface. Thanks to close collaboration with our partner company, STELIA Aerospace, software prototypes will be validated in an industrial environment using real data. The first tests on large fuselage panels have already been carried out, showing very promising results: scanning time could be reduced by more than 80%.

Industrial

Calcium treatment

ICI is working with ArcelorMittal on the subject of calcium treatment of steel. In steel making process, the calcium treatment has the benefit of modifying the composition, shape and size of inclusions. However, it gives very irregular results in terms of calcium recovery. Even with many efforts done to understand the behavior of calcium in the liquid steel, it is not yet accurately predicted. Therefore, the mechanism by which the calcium droplets/bubbles dissolves into the melt and transforms the solid inclusions must be understood in order to optimize the process conditions. In order to identify the dissolution mechanism of calcium in liquid steel, mass transfer between the calcium droplets/bubbles and liquid steel needs to be predicted. Hence, the calcium/liquid steel interface must be accurately tracked. ICI-tech and its mesh adaptation features are used in this context.

Published on May 18, 2018 Updated on November 27, 2018