Rethinking Maxwell: A Constitutive Reformulation for Aging Magnetic Components
Rethinking Maxwell: A Constitutive Reformulation for Aging Magnetic Components
Name of applicant
Zhaoxin Wang
Title
Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution
University of Oxford
Amount
DKK 1,738,213
Year
2026
Type of grant
Internationalisation Fellowships
What?
Magnetic components are governed by Maxwell's equations, whose constitutive relations describe how materials respond to electromagnetic fields. This project reveals how material degradation governs this response and reformulates the constitutive layer of Maxwell's equations, embedding aging physics to describe the evolving electromagnetic behavior of aging magnetic components.
Why?
The constitutive relations of Maxwell's equations rest on a silent assumption: the material does not change. The green energy transition is pushing it to its limit, as extreme stresses progressively, irreversibly degrade the material. Yet current constitutive frameworks fail to capture how the electromagnetic behavior of magnetic components evolves as the material degrades.
How?
Addressing this question requires bridging electromagnetics, materials science, and power electronics. We will resolve constitutive evolution through accelerated aging at Aalborg University and uncover underlying degradation mechanisms through advanced characterization at Oxford. Linking what changes to why it changes enables a reformulated constitutive framework in Maxwell's equations.