Energy

DOE Selects MIT for Center on High-Enthalpy Fluid–Solid Simulations

MM24 News Desk

September 15, 2025
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The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) has announced that it will fund a new research center at MIT to explore one of science and engineering’s toughest challenges: simulating extreme environments. These conditions, such as those experienced in hypersonic flight and atmospheric reentry, push materials and technologies to their absolute limits. The effort marks a significant step in advancing national security, aerospace innovation, and the future of high-performance computing.

The new hub, called the Center for the Exascale Simulation of Coupled High-Enthalpy Fluid–Solid Interactions (CHEFSI), will join four other research centers as part of the fourth phase of the DOE/NNSA’s Predictive Science Academic Alliance Program (PSAAP-IV). This initiative supports frontier academic research in predictive modeling, helping the U.S. maintain leadership in supercomputing and applied science with direct relevance to defense and space exploration. Each center, including MIT’s CHEFSI, is expected to receive up to $17.5 million in funding over five years.

Harnessing Exascale Power for New Frontiers

CHEFSI is a joint effort uniting the MIT Center for Computational Science and Engineering, the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, and the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN). Its primary mission is to leverage the extraordinary power of exascale supercomputers—machines capable of performing a quintillion calculations per second—along with next-generation algorithms to simulate how extremely hot, fast-moving gases interact with solid materials.

These environments, characterized by temperatures above 1,500°C and velocities reaching Mach 25, present unprecedented challenges. Understanding how materials behave under such conditions is crucial for designing thermal protection systems, spacecraft, and hypersonic vehicles. The ability to predict performance at this level of detail could reduce reliance on costly flight tests and ensure that future systems are both safer and more resilient.

“CHEFSI will capitalize on MIT’s deep strengths in predictive modeling, high-performance computing, and STEM education to help ensure the United States remains at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation,” said Ian A. Waitz, MIT’s vice president for research. “The center’s particular relevance to national security and advanced technologies exemplifies MIT’s commitment to advancing research with broad societal benefit.”

Moving Beyond the Limits of Testing

Traditional methods for studying hypersonic flight or reentry rely heavily on wind tunnel experiments and flight testing. But these approaches often fail to capture the complex interplay of thermal, chemical, and mechanical forces at work in extreme environments. For example, oxidation, nitridation, ablation, and fracture can all occur simultaneously, making it difficult to predict how materials will perform over time.

CHEFSI aims to overcome these limitations by developing advanced computational models validated by carefully designed laboratory experiments. By combining high-fidelity physics models, AI-based surrogate models, and state-of-the-art exascale computing tools, researchers will be able to simulate and predict phenomena that were previously out of reach.

“By integrating these methods, CHEFSI will help us understand and predict how thermal protection systems perform under the harshest conditions encountered in engineering systems,” explained Raúl Radovitzky, the Jerome C. Hunsaker Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, associate director of the ISN, and director of CHEFSI. “This knowledge will guide the design of resilient systems for applications ranging from reusable spacecraft to hypersonic vehicles.”

Leadership and Collaboration Across MIT

CHEFSI brings together leading experts from across MIT. Joining Radovitzky on the leadership team are:

Youssef Marzouk, the Breene M. Kerr Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, co-director of the MIT Center for Computational Science and Engineering, and associate dean of the Schwarzman College of Computing.
Nicolas Hadjiconstantinou, the Quentin Berg Professor of Mechanical Engineering and co-director of CCSE, who will serve as associate director.

The center will also draw expertise from MIT’s departments of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Materials Science and Engineering, Mathematics, and Mechanical Engineering. Franklin Hadley will manage day-to-day operations, with Joshua Freedman overseeing administration and finance. Both are members of the ISN headquarters team.

National Laboratory Partnerships

A key component of CHEFSI will be its collaboration with leading DOE/NNSA laboratories, including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories. These partnerships will ensure that the research aligns with national security priorities while also giving MIT graduate students and postdoctoral researchers valuable opportunities to engage directly with cutting-edge facilities.

Students and postdocs will be able to take part in immersive research experiences and internships at these labs, deepening their expertise while contributing to projects of national importance. This model of academic–government collaboration is central to PSAAP-IV’s goal of building the next generation of scientific leaders.

Broader Impacts and Future Outlook

The work carried out at CHEFSI has implications far beyond defense. By advancing the predictive science of extreme environments, the center’s research could also accelerate innovation in space exploration, energy systems, and advanced materials development. The insights generated may one day help engineers design spacecraft that can safely return from Mars, hypersonic aircraft that dramatically cut travel times, or protective systems capable of withstanding the most extreme industrial conditions.

Ultimately, CHEFSI represents more than just a research center; it is a national investment in predictive science, advanced computation, and the training of future innovators. With its combination of exascale computing, interdisciplinary expertise, and close collaboration with national laboratories, MIT is positioned to make breakthroughs that will shape the technologies of tomorrow.