Student Bio: Heng Chi
Heng Chi

Heng Chi
MELOSH MEDALIST
Postdoctoral Fellow

4132 Jesse W. Mason Building
790 Atlantic Drive NW
Atlanta, GA, 30318
e-mail: hchi6@princeton.edu

Video: 30 Second Thesis     Google Scholar    

Education

Graduate    
  Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering May 2014 - Dec 2018
  School of Civil and Environmental Engineering  
  Georgia Institute of Technology  
     
  Master of Science in Civil Engineering
Computational Science and Engineering Diploma		 Aug 2011 - May 2014
  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering  
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)  
Undergraduate    
  Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering July 2011
  Department of Civil Engineering  
  Tianjin University (China)  

Research Interests

    Video: 30 Second Thesis

  • Deep learning enhanced topology optimization
  • Advanced discretizations and numerical methods for PDEs (such as Virtual Element Method or VEM and polygonal finite element method), with special interests in problems involving nonlinear material behavior and finite deformations
  • Single- and multiple- material topology optimization of nonlinear elastic materials
  • Material microstructure optimization of composite dielectric elastomers considering electrical-mechanical coupling
  • Additive manufacturing of material microstructure and soft materials
  • Engineering design
  • Applied mathematics

Publications

Book Chapter
  G. H. Paulino, H. Chi, C. Talischi, O. Lopez-Pamies. “Generalized Barycentric Coordinates in Computer Graphics and Computational Mechanics." Chapter 12: "Extremely Large Deformation with Polygonal and Polyhedral Elements” Editors: K. Hormann and N. Sukumar, CRC Press, pp. 197-227, 2018.
Download Chapter
Journal Publications
  H. Chi, A. Pereira, I. F. M. Menezes, G. H. Paulino. “Virtual Element Method (VEM)-Based Topology Optimization: An Integrated Framework.” Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization. Accepted.
  H. Chi, D. Ramos, A. S. Ramos Jr., G. H. Paulino. “On Structural Topology Optimization considering Material Nonlinearity: Plane Strain versus Plane Stress Solutions. Advances in Engineering Software. Accepted.
  H. Chi, L. Beirao da Veiga, and G. H. Paulino. “A simple and effective gradient recovery scheme and a posteriori error estimator for the Virtual Element Method (VEM). Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering. Vol 347, pp. 21-58. 2019.
Link to PDF
  H. Chi, L. Beirao da Veiga, and G. H. Paulino. "Some basic formulations of the Virtual Element Method (VEM) for finite deformations." Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering. Vol 318, pp. 148-192. 2017.
Link to PDF
  H. Chi and G. H. Paulino. "On variational formulations with rigid-body constraints for finite elasticity: Applications to 2D and 3D finite element simulations." Mechanics Research Communications. Special Issue on Multiscale, Multifunctional and Functionally Graded materials. Vol 78, pp. 15-26. 2016.
Link to PDF
  H. Chi, C. Talischi, O. Lopez-Pamies, and G. H. Paulino "A paradigm for higher-order polygonal elements in finite elasticity using a gradient correction scheme." Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering. Vol. 306, pp. 216-251. 2016.
Link to PDF
  H. Chi, O. Lopez-Pamies, and G. H. Paulino. "A variational formulation with rigid-body constraints for finite elasticity: theory, finite element implementation, and applications." Computational Mechanics. Vol. 57, pp. 325-338. 2016.
Link to PDF
  H. Chi, C. Talischi, O. Lopez-Pamies, and G. H. Paulino. "Polygonal finite elements for finite elasticity." International Journal of Numerical Methods in Engineering. Vol. 101, pp. 305-328. 2015.  Most Cited Papers, 2015-2016
Link to PDF
Invited Lectures
  “Mimetic-Informed Computational Mechanics: Theory, Method Development and Applications”, Graduate Seminar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 2018.
  “Virtual Element Method (VEM)-Based Topology Optimization: A General Framework”, Laboratory of Scientific Computing and Visualization (LCCV), Federal University of Alagoas, Maceio, AL, Brazil, 2018
  “Nonlinear element without explicit shape functions: a mimetic-inspired approach”, National Laboratory for Scientific Computing (LNCC), Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil, 2017.
  “Nonlinear element without explicit shape functions: a mimetic-inspired approach”, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, 2017.
Conference Presentations and Proceedings
  Invited Keynote Presentation: “Nonlinear element without explicit shape functions using a mimetic-inspired approach”, H. Chi, L. Beirao da Veiga, G. H. Paulino, Society of Engineering Science 54th Annual Technical Meeting, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 2017.
  “On the mixed virtual element method (VEM ) for finite deformations”, H. Chi, L. Beirao da Veiga, 14th U.S. National Compress on Computational Mechanics, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2017.
  “Some basic formulation of the virtual element method (VEM) for finite deformations”, H. Chi, L. Beirao da Veiga, G. H. Paulino, Workshop on Polytopal Elements Methods in Mathematics and Engineering (POEMS), University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy, 2017.
  “Nonlinear elements without explicit shape functions: A mimetic inspired approach”, H. Chi, Symposium of the 28th Annual Robert J. Melosh Medal competition for the best student paper on finite element analysis, Duke University, Durham, NC, 2017.
  “Polygonal finite elements for finite elasticity”, H. Chi, C. Talischi, O. Lopez-Pamies, G. H. Paulino. Society of Engineering Science 53rd Annual Technical Meeting, College Park, Maryland, 2016.
  “Polygonal finite elements for finite elasticity”, H. Chi, C. Talischi, O. Lopez-Pamies, G. H. Paulino. Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference 2016, Nashville, Tennessee, 2016.
  “A variational formulation with rigid-body constraints for finite elasticity”, H. Chi, C. Talischi, O. Lopez-Pamies, G. H. Paulino., 13th US National Congress on Computational Mechanics, San Diego, California, 2015.
  “Non-convex homogenization and stability of soft heterogeneous materials via polygonal element”, H. Chi, C. Talischi, O. Lopez-Pamies, G. H. Paulino., 15th Pan-American Congress of Applied Mechanics, Champaign, IL, 2015.
  “Polygonal finite elements for finite elasticity”, H. Chi, C. Talischi, O. Lopez-Pamies, G. H. Paulino. Society of Engineering Science 51st Annual Technical Meeting, West Lafayette, Indiana, 2014.
Poster Presentations
  “Simulating Soft Materials under Extremely Large deformation: A Mimetic-informed Approach”, ”, H. Chi, L. Beirao da Veiga, G. H. Paulino, Soft Matter Forefronts Symposium, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 2018.
Link to PDF
  “Nonlinear element without explicit shape function using a mimetic-inspired approach”, H. Chi, L. Beirao da Veiga, G. H. Paulino, Society of Engineering Science 54th Annual Technical Meeting, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 2017.
Link to PDF
  “On the mixed virtual element method (VEM ) for finite deformations”, H. Chi, L. Beirao da Veiga, 14th U.S. National Compress on Computational Mechanics, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2017.
Link to PDF
  “A paradigm for higher order mixed polygonal elements for finite elasticity”, H. Chi, C. Talischi, O. Lopez-Pamies, G. H. Paulino. Workshop on Polytopal Elements Methods in Mathematics and Engineering (POEMS), Atlanta, GA, 2015.
Link to PDF
  “Unraveling soft material behavior through finite deformations”, H. Chi, C. Talischi, O. Lopez-Pamies, G. H. Paulino. Computational Science and Engineering Annual Meeting, Champaign, IL, 2014.
Link to PDF
  “Stable topology optimization with arbitrary polygons”, H. Chi, G. H. Paulino. Advance school on Topology Optimization, Lyngby, Denmark, 2013.
Link to PDF
Proposal Writing Experience
  Helped Prof. Paulino write the following proposals:
 
  • NSF 2014 (Polygonal and Polyhedral Elements as a New Computational Paradigm to Study Soft Materials) – $ 389,180 – Successful.
  • NASA 2016 (STRI: Computational Design of Lightweight Multifunctional Materials) – Unsuccessful.
  • NSF 2016 (DFT-informed topology optimization upscaling: An accelerated fixed-point iteration approac) – $396,126 – Successful.
  • NSF 2017 (GOALI: Structural Topology Optimization with Multiple Materials and Multiple Constraints – Achieving Innovative and Natural Designs) – $488,911 – Unsuccessful.
  • SIEMENS Corporation grant 2018 (Deep Learning Enhanced Topology Optimization) – $ 140,000 – Successful.

    • Academic Appointments and Professional Experience

    Graduate Research Assistant Jan 2015 - present
      School of Civil and Environmental Engineering  
      Georgia Institute of Technology  
    Graduate Research Assistant Aug 2012 - Dec 2014
      Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering  
      University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  
    Graduate Teaching Assistant Jan 2013 – May 2014
      CEE570 - Finite Element Methods  
      Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering  
      University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  
    Graduate Teaching Assistant Jan 2013 – May 2013
      CEE470 - Structural Analysis  
      Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering  
      University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  
    Undergraduate Research Assistant Sep 2010 - June 2011
      Department of Civil Engineering  
      Tianjin University, China  
    Field Intern ‘Hanshi and Fengming’ Construction Project, Hangzhou, China Summer 2010
      Hanshi and Fengming Construction Project  
      Hangzhou, China  

    Awards and Honors

  • First Place in 2018 Siemens FutureMakers Challenge at Georgia Tech
    		•  2018
  • Winner of the 28th Annual Robert J. Melosh Medal Competition for the Best Student Paper in Finite Element Analysis, Link to Georgia Tech News
    		• 2017
  • Receipient of the USNCCM14 Travel Award
    		•  2017
  • Receipient of Yee Memorial Fund Fellowship
    		•  2014 - 2015
  • Merit Student Scholarship
    		•  2007 - 2010
  • Member of “Mao Yisheng’’ Class
    		•  2009 - 2010

    Peer-Refereed Journal Reviewer

    Reviewer, Computational Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 2018 - present
    Reviewer, Numerical Mathematics: Theory, Methods and Applications 2018 - present
    Reviewer, The Scientific Pages of Atomic and Nuclear Physics 2017 - present
    Reviewer, Computational Mechanics 2016 - present
    Reviewer, Mechanics Research Communications 2015 - present

    Leadership and Community Activities

    Team leader, 1st Place of the Siemens FutureMakers Challenge at Georgia Tech 2018