Scientific outcomes: The progress beyond the state of the art from the Marie Curie fellowship was in the development of the combined DIC- IR thermography methodology for high strain rate testing. The study on the adiabatic heating due to the strain localization in titanium alloys allows us to develop better thermomechanical constitutive relationship for the numerical modelling of aircraft engine components. The high strain rate tests shows the effect of different damage mechanisms on strain softening and failure of composites. The thermal imaging allows to capture the crack tip location and it can be used in conjunction with crack tip measured from DIC. The thermal images clearly show the effect of matrix damage and fibre failure, which will provide additional information about the damage mechanisms in the composite and the effect of the temperature increase on the material performance. The other key outcome of the research was the improvement in impact damage resistance in composites using carbon nanotube interleaves. The method of introducing CNT films as interleaves in the composite allows the industrial adoption of nano-reinforcements without the difficulties of uniform dispersion and manufacturing defects.
Development outcomes: The purpose of the MSCA Individual fellowship was to enable my knowledge to be signicantly expanded and provide a route for my development as an independent researcher. This has been achieved by the successful appointment as Lecturer in the Department of Aerospace engineering at the University of Bristol. Additionally, this lectureship is a joint-appointment with National Composites Centre (NCC) which will allow me to work on translational research. My career prospects are bolstered by the high level research, visibility, through the collaboration with well-known researchers in the field and publications in top ranked journals resulting from the work I conduct during the fellowship.
Funding outcomes: I received competitive internal funding for a feasibility study on recycled composites that I wrote for EPSRC IAA Net Zero pump priming. I received £5000 for consumables and Research Assistant time. I also bid for the use of National X-ray Computed Tomography centre (NXCT) for high resolution scanning of damage in composites. I received three days of beamtime which was the equivalent of £3500. I was also awarded internal funding through the Faculty of Engineering Summer Research Internship scheme valued at £2500. I will apply for EPSRC New Investigator Award (NIA) by December 2022 to further develop the research activities conducted during the fellowship.
Training: I am enrolled in the CREATE (Cultivating Research and Teaching Excellence) program at the UoB and I am on track to obtain the qualification of Associate Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy by the end of this year.
My development as a research supervisor was enabled by the supervision of two undergraduate research projects and one group industrial projects. The successful completion of these projects led to being invited by Prof. Janice Barton to co-supervise a PhD project on high strain rate testing. The new PhD student will start in July 2022.
Societal impacts: The use of lightweight composites in aerospace, automotive and wind energy sectors has huge impact on the global warming potential and carbon footprint of these industries over their entire lifecycle. My research conducted during the fellowship increases the understanding of the complex damage modes and failure of these materials and contributes to improved confidence in replacing traditional metallic materials with more lightweight alternatives. This methodology will also enable the development of new sustainable materials which will be the focus of my future research. An example is the pump priming project that I received funding from the EPSRC Net Zero (Impact Acceleration Account). I will develop the next generation of composites from recycled carbon fibres and repairable resin systems.
