Project description
Facilitating predictive maintenance of CFRP composite structures in reusable launch vehicles
Structural inspection and maintenance of reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) is a complex and time-consuming process, resulting in prolonged downtime and potential safety issues. While many RLV structures are made of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites, current structural health monitoring (SHM) systems cannot accurately detect and quantify CFRP fatigue damage to predict structures’ remaining useful life (RUL). With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the UltraLife project will explore the correlation between ultrasonic guided wave responses and CFRP fatigue behaviour to develop SHM systems that will facilitate predictive maintenance of CFRP structures. By creating a robust data-oriented RUL prediction framework for real-time monitoring of CFRP structural health, UltraLife will foster Europe’s leadership in the aerospace sector.
Objective
The EU is a world leader in the aerospace industry, and the global reusable launch vehicle (RLV) market is projected to surge from USD 1.94 billion in 2023 to USD 5.41 billion by 2030, facilitated by its eco-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and time-saving rebuild process enabled by rocket stage recovery. Due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are prevalent in RLV structures, such as fuel tanks, thermal protection, and engine structures. Still, their inspection is complicated and time-consuming, impacting downtime and safety. Therefore, real-time remaining useful life (RUL) prediction is crucial for predictive maintenance in the era of Industry 4.0.
Onboard structural health monitoring (SHM) systems can mitigate downtime but face challenges in RUL prediction due to fatigue damage complexities. Ultrasonic guided waves (UGW) technology shows promise in detecting and quantifying fatigue damage in CFRP, yet complex fatigue mechanisms and defects hinder accurate analysis. Investigating the correlation between UGW responses and CFRP fatigue damage for further RUL prediction could revolutionize design and maintenance, guiding against overdesign and facilitating informed maintenance decision-makings. Therefore, analyzing the nonlinear mapping relationship between UGW signals and the RUL of CFRP composites is a fundamental problem that remains unresolved.
UltraLife will bring together a Fellow with expertise in predictive maintenance with the host institution carrying leading academic know-how in UGW interactive modeling in order to develop the next generation of robust SHM systems for RUL prediction of composite structures in the ever-growing aerospace composites sector.
UltraLife will facilitate predictive maintenance by establishing a physics-informed data-driven RUL prediction framework enabling online monitoring of CFRP structural health state and boost Europe to the forefront of the maintenance market.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology materials engineering composites
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3000 Leuven
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.