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Hybrid composite structures for crash worthy bodyshells, containers and safe transportation structures

Objective



There is a demand from the railway industry and other
transportation sectors for lightweight yet impact
absorbent materials to replace metals. This project is
needed to provide the enabling technologies to produce
safe hybrid composite sandwich panels, modular sections,
bodyshells, containers, vessels, and transportation
structures with crash worthiness and a predictable
failure mechanism. The project will also produce a
standard procedure for full size property prediction
using scale models. The hybrid composite materials
structural system to be developed will have the following
advantages over current composite systems:
- failure of the composite structure will occur at a
predetermined force level
- the failure force level can be tailored to the
application
- the composite system will have a ductile type failure
mode absorbing high energy levels in a predictable
rnanner
- the system will utilise little or no materials of high
cost
- the reliability and predictability of the system will
facilitate the computer modelling of the system for other
applications
The project will have two distinctive final results a
prototype demonstrator of the crash worthy composite
system and a standard procedure for full size property
prediction using scale models.
Claimed innovative aspects of this proposal include:
- an energy absorbing structural system applicable to a
wide range of composite materials
- a standard procedure for determining the properties of
a structure without the need for expensive full size
testing
- a predictive tool for designing energy absorbing
structures which utilise the new rnaterials system.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
EU contribution
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Address
The University of Sheffield 217 Portobello
S1 4DP SHEFFIELD
United Kingdom

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Participants (9)