Designing and Building with Composites: Achievements and Challenges
Event details
| Date | 15.05.2013 |
| Hour | 13:15 › 14:15 |
| Speaker |
Prof. Constantinos Soutis Bio : Professor Constantinos Soutis is holding a Chair in Aerospace Engineering, and he is the Director of the Aerospace Research Institute and Research Director of the Northwest Composites Centre at the University of Manchester, UK. Prior to this, he has held positions at the University of Sheffield, Imperial College London, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Leicester and University of Cambridge. He is a leading authority on mechanics and failure of composites, with significant contributions on modelling damage mechanisms in open hole compression, impact and compression after impact, environmental effects on fibre microbuckling and structural health monitoring using low frequency Lamb waves techniques. His industrial research and engineering experience includes work with the Structural Materials Centre of the British Defence Evaluation & Research Agency (visiting research fellow, 1995-2001), QinetiQ (Trusted Expert, 2001-2003), Cambridge Consultants, Dowty Propellers, Cytec Materials Engineering and ABB Research in Switzerland. Professor Soutis is the author or co-author of over 350 archived articles, which include more than 170 ISI listed journal papers; some 20 PhD students have qualified under his supervision and guidance. Professor Soutis is an Associate Editor of the RAeS Aeronautical Journal and the International Journal of Structural Health Monitoring |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Abstract : Modern composites, made up of carbon fibres and toughened epoxy resins, are lighter/stiffer/stronger and increase fuel efficiency in aircraft, compared with the aluminium currently used. They have been used in the Airbus A380 super jumbo, the first fully double-decked passenger jet (with more than 550 seats, but certified for 853 passengers) that took its first commercial flight in 2007, the Boeing 787 ‘Dreamliner’ aircraft (with all its current ‘teething’ problems) and the A350 that is expected to come to service in 2014 (?). The primary structure, including the wing and fuselage, of the B787 200-seater passenger jet is built mostly from composite materials and is advertised to be 20% more fuel efficient than current commercial planes with almost 60% more cargo space than the Airbus A300-200. It is accepted that modern composite systems offer a variety of advantages, however, affordability (reduced acquisition and direct operating costs, while maintaining or enhancing safety) is the key to survival in aerospace manufacturing, whether civil or military. Therefore current research effort is devoted to analysis and computational simulation of the manufacturing and assembly process as well as the simulation of the performance of the structure, since these are intimately connected.
In this talk, applications of modern composite systems will be presented and achievements, but also challenges, in the modelling and characterisation of such materials will be discussed with some thoughts on future needs, developments and prospects for novel materials (3D woven architectures) and processes, structural health monitoring (SHM), maintenance and repair.
In this talk, applications of modern composite systems will be presented and achievements, but also challenges, in the modelling and characterisation of such materials will be discussed with some thoughts on future needs, developments and prospects for novel materials (3D woven architectures) and processes, structural health monitoring (SHM), maintenance and repair.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Organizer
- IGM
Contact
- Géraldine Palaj