Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FIDELITY (Full field Imaging for Damage Evaluation in Lightweight structures under Impact TYpe Loading)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2020-04-01 do 2022-03-31
The effort to develop stronger and lighter materials has led to the development of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials and their implementation in a wide range of structures. There are numerous engineering applications where FRP components experience high strain rate impact damage due to tool drop, bird strike or hail impact, explosive blast, collision or slamming loads. It is necessary to develop tools to understand the failure processes to design stronger FRP composite components and structures. The objective was to develop and verify a methodology using combined full-field measurement techniques of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and Infrared Thermography (IRT) for transient loading that will ensure detailed and reliable information on the damage evolution.
The technical work performed as part of the Marie Curie fellowship include high speed acquisition of thermal images using a Telops IR camera. This was used in the implementation of a combined DIC-IR thermography methodology for studying dynamic strain localization and adiabatic heating in Titanium alloys and in the high strain rate testing of composites. Another application of the Thermography technique was for assessment of crack propagation in composites. One of the objectives of the project was to study large composites with features such as tape layups and interleaves. This was accomplished by testing the high strain rate behaviour of large RVE composites manufactured using tape layup at the Large Hopkinson Bar facility (ELSA-Hoplab) as well as conducting flexure and impact testing of carbon fibre composites with carbon nanotube interleaves. The results from the project were disseminated to the scientific community including journal publications and presentations at various conferences and research seminars. Three journal articles were published during the fellowship related to impact testing of novel hybrid laminates and application in railway components. The results on high strain rate testing of composites were presented to the Annual conference of the Society of Experimental Mechanics (SEM 2021) and a poster on the flexural behaviour of CNT interleaved composites at the European Mechanics of Materials Conference (EMMC). Conference publications in the SEM conference 2022, and the European Conference on Composite Materials (ECCM) were also key outcomes. The results of my research are under preparation as four journal articles and will be submitted shortly. The fellow was also involved in public engagement activity as part of the European Researchers Night event of Futures2021, organized by the University of Bristol at SS Great Britain in September 2021. The event attended by more than 100 school kids from Bristol area showcased EU-funded projects and a live demonstration of thermal camera and the use of thermography in engineering mechanics was contribution of the fellow.
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.
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.