The Hard Science of the What If
National Center Is Established at UTC
Scenario: An airborne toxin is released in a major metropolitan area. Medical professionals, law enforcement, scientists, and the military must establish how it might spread to protect as many people as possible.
Though it may sound like the plotline from a thriller, this is just the sort of problem computational engineers at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s SimCenter endeavor to solve every day using cutting edge computational solutions, next-generation technologies, and the sort of professional know-how one might expect from the guys the U.S. Defense Department calls up with hypothetical questions.
Armed with this expertise and almost $20 million in private commitments, the UTC SimCenter has recently reestablished itself as the National Center for Computational Engineering.
Computational engineering combines engineering, computational mathematics, and scientific computing to create computer simulations for problems involving hydrodynamics, aerodynamics, propulsion, heat transfer, and structural integrity. By providing simulated testing environments, the often-lengthy process of creating sophisticated prototypes is shortened. This allows the engineers more time to pursue a wider range of solutions and gives their clients greater opportunity to implement and refine the recommended strategies.
With a national focus and designation, the center will use its multidisciplinary research and educational programs to train a new brand of engineer, an individual who can tackle the great ifs, ands, and buts of critical, large-scale engineering problems in sustainable energy, environment, healthcare, and defense.
“We have been very pleased with the success of the SimCenter here at UTC,” says UTC Chancellor Roger Brown. “The center has exceeded all of its benchmarks, and taking this next step to become a National Center for Computational Engineering will allow the program to grow, serve more students, and be more competitive for research projects.”
Since opening in 2002, the UTC SimCenter has averaged about $4 million annually in outside research support from agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and private industrial partners. These projects have been a catalyst for economic development, research, and education in Tennessee. The center’s designation as a National Center for Computational Engineering will strengthen Chattanooga’s role as a regional focal point of technological advancement.
“The University of Tennessee is committed to the educational and economic vitality of this state,” says UT President John Petersen. “The national SimCenter will help fill a critical need for highly educated computational engineers and will move Tennessee forward in science and technology.”
The establishment of the SimCenter as a national resource is made possible by private commitments from the Benwood Foundation, the Lyndhurst Foundation, the University of Chattanooga Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the Maclellan Foundation, the Tucker Foundation, and several anonymous donors.
“In Chattanooga, all good things happen because people give,” says U.S. Congressman Zach Wamp. “As a catalyst, we cannot overestimate the power of these foundations. With these resources, the sky is the limit.”
What might a future enlivened by the opportunities of a national SimCenter look like? One can only speculate and leave the hard work to the computational engineers who probably have a scenario all mapped out.
