Optimised flush repairs for dissimilar composite material systems. The outcome of this research project will overcome a major technological challenge when designing repairs for dissimilar composite material systems, which are being utilised at an increasing pace in a multitude of industries. This new technological capability will help to improve the competitiveness of the Australian aerospace industry.
Novel quantitative sizing of inaccessible and hard-to-inspect defects to address the challenges posed by innovations in airframe design. Modern unitised aircraft structures cannot be reliably inspected using traditional techniques. This project will develop new techniques to quantify defects required for this innovation in aircraft component design. This research will improve the through-life support of future metallic and composite aircraft structures and improve air safety.
Understanding multi-scale reinforcement of carbon fibre composites. Addition of nano scale entities, such as nanotubes, on the surface of a carbon fibre forms a bottle-brush like architecture and strengthens fibre-matrix interface. This project will pioneer development of a systematic approach for analysis and design of such multi-scale reinforced composite materials for use in aerospace and civil industries.
Multi-functional graphene interleaves in multi-scale carbon fibre reinforced composites. This research project will lead to the development of a new class of multi-functional composites with improved mechanical/fracture performance and in-built health monitoring capability. The new composite systems will revolutionise the design of composite structures for the new generation aerospace vehicles.
Theory and methods for evaluation of microstructural fatigue damage. The microstructural damage accumulation stage often consumes a significant portion of the total fatigue life of structures. However, its progressive evaluation is beyond the reach of safety inspection techniques which are currently employed to maintain structural integrity and prevent fatigue failures. This project aims to fill this gap by developing innovative methods for the measurement of material properties related to fatig ....Theory and methods for evaluation of microstructural fatigue damage. The microstructural damage accumulation stage often consumes a significant portion of the total fatigue life of structures. However, its progressive evaluation is beyond the reach of safety inspection techniques which are currently employed to maintain structural integrity and prevent fatigue failures. This project aims to fill this gap by developing innovative methods for the measurement of material properties related to fatigue damage and establishing a new theory which links these properties to the remaining life of the structure. The project outcomes will facilitate the global trend towards predictive maintenance strategies, thereby generating substantial cost benefits, specifically, for high-value assets and ageing infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101676
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$435,690.00
Summary
Machine learning-based design of triply periodic minimal surface structures. This project aims to develop a new approach to design of new lightweight, crashworthy and manufacturable structures by taking advantage of the latest technologies in computational optimisation, artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing. The study intends to develop a new machine learning-based multiscale design framework to seek optimal triply periodic minimal surface structures, considering fabrication-induced ....Machine learning-based design of triply periodic minimal surface structures. This project aims to develop a new approach to design of new lightweight, crashworthy and manufacturable structures by taking advantage of the latest technologies in computational optimisation, artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing. The study intends to develop a new machine learning-based multiscale design framework to seek optimal triply periodic minimal surface structures, considering fabrication-induced defects and uncertainty. The expected outcome of this project is new methodologies for generating eco-friendly structures with robust mechanical properties in crashing applications. This should provide significant benefits to transport industries by enhancing structural safety and energy saving for next generation vehicles.Read moreRead less
Aligning and Chaining Carbon Nanofillers in Fibre Composites: Synergistically Improving Damage Tolerance and Diagnosis. Recent studies reveal that alternating electric or magnetic fields can rotate conductive nanofillers in polymers. This project aims to advance a new concept of aligning nano-scale reinforcements (for example, graphene nano-sheets and carbon nanofibres) along the thickness direction of composite materials. The alignment of nano-sized reinforcement will address the perennial prob ....Aligning and Chaining Carbon Nanofillers in Fibre Composites: Synergistically Improving Damage Tolerance and Diagnosis. Recent studies reveal that alternating electric or magnetic fields can rotate conductive nanofillers in polymers. This project aims to advance a new concept of aligning nano-scale reinforcements (for example, graphene nano-sheets and carbon nanofibres) along the thickness direction of composite materials. The alignment of nano-sized reinforcement will address the perennial problem of through-thickness weaknesses of fibre-reinforced composites and, at the same time, improve the electrical conductivity of composites. The synergistic improvements in the mechanical and electrical properties will improve damage tolerance and diagnosis of composites, thus expanding their applications in transport and civil construction to help reduce carbon dioxide emission.Read moreRead less
Design of nastic cellular structures with osmotic actuation. Shape changing structures play an imperative role in aerospace, automobile, energy and other industries. This project aims to develop novel concepts extracted from nastic motion in plants and relevant computational algorithms for the design of nastic cellular structures with osmotic actuation. The project is of significance as it offers a potential solution to the shape morphing challenge in aircraft and automobile from biomimetics vie ....Design of nastic cellular structures with osmotic actuation. Shape changing structures play an imperative role in aerospace, automobile, energy and other industries. This project aims to develop novel concepts extracted from nastic motion in plants and relevant computational algorithms for the design of nastic cellular structures with osmotic actuation. The project is of significance as it offers a potential solution to the shape morphing challenge in aircraft and automobile from biomimetics viewpoint - nastic actuation. The expected outcomes will be: a new numerical method for designing nastic cellular structures; and, validated algorithms with a novel topological geometry representation and multi objectives and constraints for applications in morphing structures with multiple target shapes.Read moreRead less
Application of exact coherent structures to transition and turbulence. This project aims to understand coherent structures and devise methods to prevent bypass transition to turbulence and reduce turbulent wall drag. Coherent structures in turbulence may be identified with nonlinear solutions of the exact equations of motion. Such "exact" coherent structures have their Reynolds number dependence described explicitly and apply for moderate to very large Reynolds numbers, well above the range of f ....Application of exact coherent structures to transition and turbulence. This project aims to understand coherent structures and devise methods to prevent bypass transition to turbulence and reduce turbulent wall drag. Coherent structures in turbulence may be identified with nonlinear solutions of the exact equations of motion. Such "exact" coherent structures have their Reynolds number dependence described explicitly and apply for moderate to very large Reynolds numbers, well above the range of full Navier–Stokes calculations. Understanding the fundamentals of turbulence is expected to lead to more efficient and cheaper air transportation, and better tools for climate prediction and short-term weather forecasting.Read moreRead less
A Novel Approach To Flow Control By Topography. The project will resolve important questions concerning the influence of boundary topography on transition to turbulence and on the exact coherent structures forming the backbone of turbulence.
The canonical topography known from previous work by one of the investigators is a wavy wall and, as well as resolving important issues in flow physics, the research is relevant to many flows of importance such roughness induced transition on aircraft wings, ....A Novel Approach To Flow Control By Topography. The project will resolve important questions concerning the influence of boundary topography on transition to turbulence and on the exact coherent structures forming the backbone of turbulence.
The canonical topography known from previous work by one of the investigators is a wavy wall and, as well as resolving important issues in flow physics, the research is relevant to many flows of importance such roughness induced transition on aircraft wings, flows in heat transfer/mixing devices, blood flow and the influence of topography on the atmospheric boundary layer.
Expected outcomes are an understanding of the interplay between transitional and turbulent flows with wall topography together with strategies to enhance mixing and drag reduction.Read moreRead less