Title:	Research Assistant in Soft Matter Mechanics Simulation at KTH
DNr:	NAISS 2026/4-581
Project Type:	NAISS Small
Principal Investigator:	Abdelrahman Ammar <ar.ammar97@gmail.com>
Affiliation:	Kungliga Tekniska högskolan
Duration:	2026-03-25 – 2026-08-01
Classification:	20306
Keywords:

Abstract

The proposed project focuses on advancing the computational modeling of plant-based meat analogs through high-fidelity simulations combining Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The primary objective is to investigate the relationship between processing conditions, material properties, and resulting microstructure and texture in plant-based food systems, which exhibit complex non-Newtonian and viscoelastic behavior. Two complementary research directions will be explored. The first involves CFD simulations of extrusion-based 3D printing processes for plant-based meat analogs, where multiphase, non-Newtonian flow behavior and shear-induced structuring play a crucial role. The second direction focuses on FEA-based modeling of texture formation and mechanical response, aiming to link microstructural features with macroscopic properties such as elasticity, anisotropy, and fracture behavior. The project is part of a collaborative research effort between KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Jingnan Zhang, PhD, jingnanz@kth.se), Chalmers University of Technology (Heng Zhu , heng.zhu@chalmers.se), and Professor David Julian McClements at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a leading expert in food biophysics and soft matter systems. The simulations will involve solving coupled nonlinear systems governing viscoelastic flow, heat transfer, and structural evolution under processing conditions relevant to extrusion and additive manufacturing. Due to the high computational cost associated with fine spatial and temporal resolution, high-performance computing (HPC) resources are required. The outcomes of this project are expected to provide insights into optimizing processing parameters and material formulations for next-generation plant-based foods, contributing to sustainability and innovation in food engineering.