Bristol CompositesInstitute (ACCIS)

bristol.ac.uk/composites

Spotlighton Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS)

WelcomeContents

We are very proud to be launching Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS), and I would like to reflect on our history, the milestones along the way and the teamwork and collaboration which have brought us to where we are.

In 2007 ACCIS was established to bring together composites activities across the University. The Composites University Technology Centre, supported by Rolls-Royce was also launched in 2007. It is now led by Professor Stephen Hallett, and recently held its 10-year anniversary conference.

In 2008 we were awarded a grant by EPSRC to set up the ACCIS Centre for Doctoral Training (ACCIS CDT), led by Professor Paul Weaver. This has welcomed over 100 PhD students, and has facilitated collaboration across the Engineering and Science Faculties as well as with other Universities via co-supervised projects.

In 2009 the University was selected to host the National Composites Centre. We continue to work closely with the NCC, led by Professor Kevin Potter as the joint Chair in Composites Manufacture. NCC is a strong supporter for taking University research towards applications via its technology pull-through programme.

In 2010 we moved into our purpose-built Queen’s Building extension. The excellent facilities and co-location of academic staff, researchers and laboratories have been a

huge advantage in maintaining successful research collaborations and supporting our research staff and students.

2011 marked the start of two strong multi-university collaborations: the EPSRC Programme Grant on High Performance Ductile Composites Technology (HiPerDuCT) with Imperial College, and the Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites (CIMComp) led by the University of Nottingham, and also involving the University of Manchester and Cranfield University.

In 2012 we were awarded funds by EPSRC to set up the Industrial Doctorate Centre (IDC) in Composites Manufacture, led by Professor Ivana Partridge. This currently has 31 EngD research engineers working on industry based projects and has provided a strong link with the NCC, where many of them are based.

The applications focus of the IDC makes it highly complementary to the more fundamental PhD studies in the ACCIS CDT. The value and complementarity of the two CDTs was recognised in 2013 when they were both awarded further

funding, underpinning doctoral training in composites through to 2022.

In 2016 the £10M EPSRC Future Manufacturing Research Hub was announced, building on the strong partnership established with Nottingham and other Universities under CIMComp, with Professor Kevin Potter leading the Bristol activities.

In June 2017 a new Blade Research Hub was announced in partnership with the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, led by Professor Paul Weaver and Dr Alberto Pirrera. Other important developments this year are the appointments of Professor Stephen Eichhorn, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Dr James Kratz as Lecturer in Materials Processing and Dr Giuliano Allegri, as Reader in Composite Structures.

We look forward to the future developments of Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS) over the next ten years and to the opportunity to work with you.

Professor Michael Wisnom, Director Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS)

2017 marks 10 years since the establishment of ACCIS and we are pleased to announce that ACCIS has been recognised as a Specialist Research Institute at the University of Bristol, and will become Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS).

Our growth has been underpinned by the strong ethos of working together in research and innovation on structural and multi-functional composites, by the major collaborations outlined opposite, and the focus on both high quality fundamental research and applications.

The strategic support as a result of being one of the seven Specialist Research Institutes will facilitate further growth and collaborations across the different faculties at Bristol, with the NCC, and with other organisations in academia and industry both in the UK and abroad.

For further information: Visit: bristol.ac.uk/compositesEmail: composites-centre@bristol.ac.ukTel: +44 (0)117 331 5311

@BristolUniACCIS

03 From the Director04 The team06 Postgraduate successes08 ACCIS news 10 A decade of ACCIS12 Facilities13 Laboratory equipment14 Projects16 CDT, IDC and NCC18 Recent publications

Explore: bristol.ac.uk/composites

From the Director

3

Cover image: Colourful black aluminium. Image by Meisam Jalalvand and Wei-Ting Wang.

2

The team

4 5

SPOTLIGHT ON…

Professor Steve EichhornProfessor in Materials Science and Engineering. Interfacial properties of natural fibre composites. Mechanical and physical properties of nanofibres, nanocomposites and biomimetic materials.

Dr Ian HamertonReader in Polymers and Composites. Preparation and characterisation of monomers, engineering thermoplastics, multifunctional nanocomposites, high performance polymers.

Dr James Kratz Lecturer in Materials Engineering. Removing uncertainty in the manu- facturing outcome of composite materials through detailed experimental testing of material behaviour and in-process measurement.

Dr Valeska Ting Reader in Smart Nanomaterials. Development and testing of functional nanoporous materials, alternative energy generation and storage, lightweight and smart composites.

Dr Matthew O’DonnellLecturer in Composite Structures. Optimisation and design of composite structures.

Dr Alberto Pirrera Senior Lecturer in Composite Structures, EPSRC Fellow. Well-behaved nonlinear structures, multi- and pseudo-stability, buckling and post-buckling, wind turbine structures, mechanics of plates and shells.

Dr Mark Schenk Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering. Engineering origami, deployable structures, zero stiffness structures and nonlinear structures.

Dr Ben Woods Lecturer in Aerospace Structures. Novel structural solutions, morphing and adaptive aerostructures, development of low cost, ultra-efficient wound composite truss structures, novel energy storage and actuation methods.

Dr Dmitry IvanovLecturer in Composites Manufacturing. Multi-scale analysis, damage mechanics, structural mechanics of textile preforms, mechanics of prepregs, liquid moulding, additive manufacturing, innovative manufacturing.

Dr B.C. Eric Kim Lecturer in Composites Design, Processing & Manufacture. Composite design & manufacturing, automated composites, manufacturing, axiomatic design, computer aided design, adhesive joints, tribology.

Dr Carwyn WardLecturer in Composites Design, Processing & Manufacture. Composites manufacturing, automation for composites, factory processes/operations, process optimisation, costs, recycling, assembly and repair.

Professor Fabrizio ScarpaProfessor of Smart Materials and Structures. Auxetics, smart materials, honeycombs, vibration damping, vibroacoustics, foams and multifunctional applications.

Professor Ian BondProfessor of Aerospace Materials and Head of Queens School of Engineering. Self-healing, multifunctional composites, surface chemistry, particle dispersion, particle-polymer interfaces.

Michael Wisnom Director, Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS), Professor of Aerospace Structures. Failure mechanisms and prediction, residual stresses, finite element analysis, high performance ductile composites.

Professor Stephen HallettProfessor in Composite Structures. Composite failure mechanisms, numerical modelling, 3D reinforcement, textile composites, manufacturing and process simulation, impact and high rate effects, fatigue of composites.

Professor Paul Weaver ACCIS CDT Director, Professor in Lightweight Structures. Composite structures, bicycle frame design, morphing composites anisotropic materials, buckling, lightweight structures, aircraft wing design, rotor and wind blade design.

Dr Giuliano Allegri Reader in Composite Structures. Development of multi-functional through-thickness reinforcement, fracture and fatigue of lightweight materials and structures, uncertainty quantification for structural composites.

Dr Luiz KawashitaLecturer in Composite Mechanics. Bonded and structural joints, advanced numerical techniques, fatigue, defects and features.

Professor Kevin PotterProfessor in Composites Manufacture, NCC Chair in Composites Manufacturing. Automated processes, origins and impacts of defects, design for manufacture, novel fibres, reinforcement deformation and drape.

Professor Ivana PartridgeDirector of Industrial Doctorate Centre in Composite Manufacture, Professor of Composites Processing. Polymer composites, processing for high performance.

Dr Ian Farrow Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Structural Design. Acoustic emission monitoring, damage thresholds, fatigue damage accumulation process.

Dr Paul Harper Teaching Fellow. Design and analysis of composite structures, renewable energy systems.

Manufacturing and D

esignS

tructuresM

aterials

Aerospace Engineering PhD

Kasia BobaDevelopment of vascular networks for thermal management in FRP compositesSupervisors: Professor Ian Bond and Professor Richard Trask

Callum Heath Integrating form, functionality and fabrication into High Value-Added Complex Structures (HiVACs)Supervisors: Professor Ian Bond and Professor Kevin Potter

Yang LuoMicrowave phenomena of structural composites containing fe-based ferromagnetic microwiresSupervisors: Professor Fabrizio Scarpa, Professor Hua-Xin Peng and Dr Geoffrey Hilton

Mary OgunnupebiEffect of non-uniaxial loading on the tensile strength of composite laminates containing circular holes Supervisors: Professor Stephen Hallett and Professor Michael Wisnom

Olivia StodieckAeroelastic tailoring of tow-steered composite wingsSupervisors: Professor Jonathan Cooper, Professor Paul Weaver and Dr Dorian Jones

Joanne ZhangCarbon nanotubes modified nanocomposites with multiscaled architectures: static mechanical and damping performance Supervisors: Professor Fabrizio Scarpa and Professor Hua-Xin Peng

Postgraduate successes

6 7

SPOTLIGHT ON…

Left: Professor Paul Weaver, ACCIS CDT Director (second from right), with the new graduates. From left to right: Helene Jones, Mark Hazzard, Laura Edwards, Anna Baker, Michael Dicker, Joanne Zhang and Qing Ai.Right: From left to right: Callum Heath, Helene Jones, Kasia Boba, Mark Hazzard, Laura Edwards, Michael Dicker, Anna Baker and Qing Ai.

We are pleased to report a number of postgraduate awards this year in ACCIS.

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Advanced Composites for Innovation and Science: Advanced Composites PhD

Qing Ai Novel morphing structures for aerofoil flow and noise control purposesSupervisors: Dr Mahdi Azarpeyvand and Professor Paul Weaver

Anna Baker 4D materials: programming reversible shape change into hydrogelsSupervisors: Professor Duncan Wass and Professor Richard Trask

Michael Dicker Light and chemistry applied to the control of smart materials and structuresSupervisors: Professor Ian Bond, Professor Paul Weaver and Professor Jonathan Rossiter

Eric EcksteinThe nonlinear thermostructural behaviour of composite bimorphs at elevated temperaturesSupervisors: Professor Paul Weaver, Dr Alberto Pirrera and Dr Jacapo Ciambella

Laura Edwards Structural magnetic materials for use in electro-mechanical applicationsSupervisors: Professor Ian Bond, Professor Phil Mellor and Dr Jason Yon

Daniel Everitt Self-healing agents for application in fibre-reinforced polymersSupervisors: Professor Ian Bond, Dr Duncan Wass and Professor Richard Trask

Mark Hazzard Composite armour – from atoms to applicationSupervisors: Professor Stephen Hallett and Professor Richard Trask

Helene Jones On laminators in composites design and manufactureSupervisors: Professor Kevin Potter and Dr Carwyn Ward

Carl Scarth Robust and reliability-based aeroelastic design of composite wingsSupervisors: Professor Jonathan Cooper, Professor Paul Weaver and Dr Pia Sartor

David Stanier Multifunctional elastomers with tailored anisotropic responseSupervisors: Dr Sameer Rahatekar and Dr Jacopo Ciambella

From left to right: Carl Scarth, Daniel Everitt and Eric Eckstein.

Wind Blade Research Hub to support development of next generation turbine bladesA £2.3 million research partnership between the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and the University of Bristol could help unlock larger and more powerful wind turbines than ever before.

Forming the Wind Blade Research Hub (WBRH), the five-year partnership has its sights set on building more efficient blades that harness more energy from the wind, which will prove crucial as the industry prepares to nearly double the power of offshore wind turbines, from 8MW today to 13-15MW by 2025.

The Hub will be supported by a group of PhD and EngD students, a post-doctoral researcher and a lecturer from the University of Bristol, working alongside the Catapult’s blades research team. Professor Paul Weaver and Dr Alberto Pirrera from the University of Bristol – as Scientific Director and Senior Academic of the WBRH respectively – will oversee the Hub’s operation alongside ORE Catapult’s Head of Strategic Research, Paul McKeever.

ACCIS student wins SIMULIA project of the year 2017Gaetano Arena, an ACCIS second year PhD student, won SIMULIA Project of the Year 2017 and received an Apple watch.

Every year Dassault Systems organises a competition for the best project (using CATIA, SIMULIA or SOLID WORKS). Gaetano Arena’s project, Adaptive Nonlinear Structures of Flow Regulation was chosen by the jury at Dassault Systemes headquarters in Paris.

Gaetano’s project exploited structural instabilities for the design of a shape changing air duct. The device comprises a post-buckled composite component that can adapt its configuration in response to varying operating conditions. The inlet aperture is regulated without external mechanisms for actuation and only relies on the pressure field imposed on the structure by the surrounding fluid. ABAQUS was used to design the nonlinear behaviour of the post-buckled composite plate and to simulate its interaction with the airflow.

Triple success for ACCIS CDT student Evangelos Zympeloudis, a PhD student in the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Advanced Composites for Innovation and Science (ACCIS CDT), has won the 2017 Institute of Materials Students’ Seminar organised by SAMPE UK, and is representing SAMPE UK at the 2017 SAMPE Student Seminar in Stuttgart, Germany in November 2017.

This is not the only time Evangelos’s research was recognised in 2017. He also won the Western Aerospace Centre 2017 prize with a presentation on Continuous Tow Shearing (CTS) technology, and in March he presented a poster to members of parliament at the STEM for Britain event.

ACCIS at ICCM-21The 21st International Conference on Composite Materials (ICCM-21) – the largest conference series dedicated to composite materials – was held in Xi’an, China between 20 and 25 August 2017 with a large presence of Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS) research students and staff, giving both poster and oral presentations to academic and industrial researchers from around the world.

Xi’an, geographically located at the heart of China, is the starting point of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor in Chinese history. Approximately 15 PhD, EngD and CDT students and 10 post-

doctoral researchers presented a range of topics including materials, fabrication techniques, recycling and multifunctional materials. In total, there were 10 plenary lectures, 24 keynote lectures, 309 parallel oral sessions and 6 mini-oral sessions presented by over 1600 participants.

Professor Michael Wisnom, Director of Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS) was invited to present a plenary lecture on ‘Creating Composites that Fail More Gradually’, highlighting the research achievements in the £6 million EPSRC programme grant HiPerDuCT (High Performance Ductile Composite Technology), a collaboration with Imperial College, London.

ACCIS Professor’s vibration-proof material to protect pre-term babiesA new ‘metamaterial’ inspired by a nuclear reactor design and created by ACCIS professor, Fabrizio Scarpa (in collaborative work with Sheffield Hallam University), is tobe adapted to protect the lives of pre-term babies from the life-threatening vibrations created by vehicles during emergency transfers. These vibrations can be damped by Auxetic materials which, as a result of a negative Poisson’s ratio, become thicker when stretched along their length, offering resistance defined as ‘negative stiffness’.

In the UK alone, there are 16,000 transfers of premature babies to medical facilities each year. Transportation of the infants can take place in helicopters, ambulances or aircraft, yet the safety equipment required on board can create high levels of vibration and noise, causing damaging stress to the baby.

The metamaterial’s vibration dampening abilities developed in Professor Scarpa’s work is particularly suitable for energy absorption under dynamic loading. It reduces noise and vibration to more tolerable levels and would assist in saving vulnerable lives. There are plans to scale up the technology for use in a larger series of applications. Applying negative stiffness in much bigger structures can reduce severe vibrations and could protect buildings from earthquake damage.

ACCIS news

8

Follow us on Twitter @BristolUni ACCIS

9

SPOTLIGHT ON…

ACCIS delegates at ICCM-21 in China

Evangelos with Thangam Debbonaire MP

10 11

A decade of ACCIS

As ACCIS celebrates ten years we look back at the milestones and growth to where it is today.

Research grant funds 2017

Other 6%

EC 13%

IUK 11%

Industry 12%

EPSRC 58%

Milestones at a glance…

2007 ACCIS launched

2008 ACCIS Centre for Doctoral Training set up

2009 The University was selected to host the National Composites Centre (NCC)

2010 ACCIS moved into our purpose-built Queen’s Building extension

2011HiPerDuCT and CIMComp collaborations commenced

2012 Industrial Doctorate Centre set up

2013Centres for Doctoral Training extended for five further cohorts

2016 EPSRC Future Manufacturing Research Hub announced

2017Blade Research Hub announcedBristol Composites Institute launched

ACCIS staff and student numbersfrom 2007 to 2017

20172016201520142013201220112010200920082007

PhDs: 7 to 93 EngDs*: 0 to 23 MScs: 0 to 12 RAs: 5 to 30 Visitors: 1 to 10 Academics: 10 to 21 Support Staff: 2 to 9

*UoB registered

ACCIS annual citations from 2007 to 2017

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000

Over

40,000citations since

2007

2017 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• (projected)2016 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••2015 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••2014 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••2013 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••2012 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••2011 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••2010 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••2009 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••2008 •••••••••••••••••••••2007 •••••••••••••••

Facilities Laboratory equipment

NEW Nano-Engineering and Analysis Suite

ACCIS has world class experimental lab facilities within the Queen’s Building at the University of Bristol enabling cutting edge research in advanced composites development, manufacturing and testing. A selection of our cutting-edge equipment is presented here:

12 13

SPOTLIGHT ON… SPOTLIGHT ON…

The laboratory space previously used for optical and electron microscopy, sample polishing, acid etching, and for undergraduate project work, has been completely refurbished and extended to offer a modern, state of the art space for fundamental materials research.

This major investment by the School is in response to the appointments of Dr Ian Hamerton and Dr Valeska Ting, and more recently Professor Steve Eichhorn, whose research interests complement those of Professors Ian Bond and Fabrizio Scarpa. The new Nano-Engineering and Analysis Suite has been equipped with a wide range of analytical and processing equipment to further materials development within Bristol Composites Institute

(ACCIS). The suite comprises four laboratories for segregated nanomaterials preparation, wet chemistry (preparation, blending, and formulation), a dedicated materials analysis facility (housing microscopy, spectroscopy, micromechanical and thermal characterisation), and a furnace room for drying, ashing, and curing samples. We have also expanded our range of hydraulic test machines to allow greater simultaneous experimentation, and our capabilities in electrospinning fibres to expand the Institute’s capability to develop new fibres for biocomposite research and non-woven polymer veils for composite toughening.

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)SEM allows high resolution images to be obtained, revealing details on fibre and matrix fracture surfaces. This gives insight into failure mechanisms and ways of improving performance.

Fibre spinnerOur new single and multiple filament Fibre Spinner allows cellulose and other polymer materials to be taken from solution and pultruded into fibres which can be later carbonised for various engineering applications.

CentrifugeThe centrifuge is a vital piece of equipment in preparative separation of suspensions and emulsions of nanoparticles and the isolation of biomolecules from complex fluids. This is a fundamental step in creating advanced functional materials.

Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (STA)Our new STA system combines traditional thermal analysis techniques to allow more information to be ascertained from the same sample, improving data accuracy and sample throughput.

Dr Valeska Ting and students in the new Nano-Engineering and Analysis Suite

Projects EPSRC Future Composites Manufacturing Research HubThis an EPSRC-funded collaboration with the University of Nottingham, and others, which received an EPSRC grant of £10 million in December 2016.

The Future Composites Manufacturing Hub will increase the potential of manufacturing composite materials within the UK by revolutionising performance and expanding industry into new markets. Developing the underlying processing science and technology over a seven-year period, the Hub will facilitate the growth of the composites sector, aiming to double its production capability every two years. The collaboration will create a pipeline of next

generation technologies for future industrial needs; provide training for the next generation of engineers; and build national and international communities in design and manufacture of high performance composites. The initial academic partners are University of Nottingham, University of Bristol, The University of Manchester, Imperial College London, University of Southampton, Cranfield University. Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS) investigators in the Future Composites Manufacturing Hub are Professor Kevin Potter, Professor Ivana Partridge and Dr Carwyn Ward.

Composites University Technology Centre (UTC), supported by Rolls-RoyceThe Composites University Technology Centre (UTC) supported by Rolls-Royce plc was established in 2007. It provides a validated analysis capability for the response of composites that can be used in the design and manufacture of components. Rolls-Royce technical experts support the research, ensuring transfer of the technology back to the company whilst maintaining scientific excellence.

Key achievements over the past decade include development of new methods to analyse impact effects on composite fan blades and novel through-thickness reinforcement techniques.

Since its start, 16 PhD students have completed their studies, supported by Rolls-Royce in the UTC, with a further 16 in progress. Higher TRL research degrees are supported through our Engineering Doctorate (EngD) programme in Composites Manufacture, as part of the EPSRC Future Composites Manufacturing Hub.

In 2012 the UTC entered into a partnership with the Lightweight Structures UTC at TU Dresden to form the Rolls-Royce

Composites University Technology Partnership (UTP). The UTP builds on the strengths of the two institutions and enables collaboration in composites research and development as part of the wider UTP network.

The Composites UTC is led by Professor Stephen Hallett, who was appointed to the Directorship role in October 2017. Other academic members are Professor Michael Wisnom (UTC Technical Fellow) and Dr Luiz Kawashita (UTC Lecturer specialising in Composite Mechanics). Dr Giuliano Allegri joins the UTC team in February 2018 as Reader in Composite Structures.

SABRE (Shape Adaptive Blades for Rotorcraft Efficiency)A new and exciting EU Horizon 2020 funded project has kicked off this year. With the University of Bristol as the lead institution, the 6 million project spans six partners from four EU countries and will run for 3.5 years. Led by Dr Ben Woods, it aims to develop ground-breaking new helicopter blade morphing technologies which will reduce helicopter fuel burn, CO2 and NOx emissions by a projected 5-10%. In doing this, SABRE will help the European helicopter industry to improve the fuel efficiency and environmental sustainability of their products, while also sharpening their competitive edge in the rapidly growing helicopter market.

The team have a dual-stream research approach, with analysis and optimisation of morphing rotor emissions and morphing technology development being worked on in tandem. The technologies developed will be applicable to other industries as well, such as fixed wing aircraft and wind turbines.

HiPerDuCT (High Performance Ductile Composite Technology)A key limitation of current composites is their brittleness. Failures tend to be sudden and catastrophic, without the yielding or other warning of overloading seen in metals. The HiPerDuCT programme is a £6 million, six-year collaboration between the University of Bristol and Imperial College, London.

We are researching ways to overcome this limitation by creating high performance composites that fail more gradually. Pseudo-ductile metallic like “yielding” has successfully been achieved by hybridisation and fibre reorientation in tension, and other types of loading are under investigation. Novel architectures have been devised to produce more gradual failure, and progress made towards fully ductile high-performance fibres.

The team is led by Professor Michael Wisnom (Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS)) and Professor Alexander Bismarck (Imperial College London), together with colleagues Professor Kevin Potter, Dr Ian Hamerton, Professor Milo Shaffer, Professor Paul Robinson and Dr Soraia Pimenta, and supported by partners including BAE Systems, Hexcel and Rolls-Royce.

15

SPOTLIGHT ON…

This long exposure image shows the automated layup of a ply of woven material over a fan blade geometry. The layup is completed as a demonstration of the capability of the novel automation processes developed with ACCIS. The image specifically shows how multiple different end effectors are used interchangeably on the same layup task, allowing the robot to adapt to a wide range of geometric shapes.

Top: Beene M’Membe, Composites UTC former PhD student (now working at NCC) studied novel through-thickness reinforcement development.

14

CDTWith its ninth cohort having started in September 2017, the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Advanced Composites for Innovation and Science (ACCIS CDT) has led the training and development of over 100 researchers, significantly widening the pool of highly skilled engineers and scientists for the UK labour market, and advancing world-leading composites research.

Prolific in sharing their work, CDT students have amassed over 100 journal papers in 39 different journals and made over 220 contributions to conferences in 20 different countries. Students regularly participate in outreach activities in local schools and reach wider audiences using social media (see ‘Composite HUB’ on YouTube) and schemes such as ‘I’m an Engineer, Get me out of here!’.

Alumni remain highly sought after by both industry and academia and reinvest in the CDT by supervising projects and participating in discussion panels and seminars. Alumnus Alex Brinkmeyer (Oxford Space Systems) co-delivered a time management seminar with Gill Wheeler (Airbus), also a Bristol alumnus.

Companies engage with the CDT through collaborative research projects – six-month and full PhD projects – student placements, a quarterly industrial lecture series, sponsored prizes, first year coursework assignments, and a well-established annual conference. The seventh CDT conference takes place on 10 April 2018. For further information contact the CDT Manager, Sarah Hallworth.

IDCThe Industrial Doctorate Centre (IDC) in Composites Manufacture is now in its sixth year of operation, with 31 Research Engineers working on projects sponsored by Albany Engineered Composites, Aviation Enterprises, FiberLean, Hexcel, Jaguar Land Rover, Jo Bird & Co, M Wright & Sons, National Composites Centre, National Physical Laboratory, NOV Elmar, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Pentaxia, and Rolls-Royce.

All Research Engineers are based in their sponsor company, working on an industry-led research project at Technology Readiness Level 3-5. Each projectaddresses the sponsor’s commercialresearch priorities, with all new IP owned by the company.

The IDC’s specialist taught programme has been further developed and continues to attract much attention in the sector.

CDT, IDC and NCC The units are run on a yearly cycle in week-long blocks at the NCC and the University of Bristol (technical units), and at the University of Bath (business skills units). Our Research Engineers continue to contribute to major international conferences, most recently the 19th International Conference on Automotive Composites in Montreal, Canada, and the 21st International Conference on Composite Materials (ICCM21) in Xi’an, China. They have undertaken a number of placements with industry and university research centres, giving them a unique opportunity to collaborate on a technical or business problem relevant to their EngD project.

The IDC’s annual conference is on 10 July 2018 in Nottingham, followed by the International Conference on Manufacturing Advanced Composites (ICMAC) 2018. More information on the IDC can be found on our website at cimcomp.ac.uk/idc.

NCCThe National Composites Centre (NCC) (owned by the University) is the UK’s leading centre of excellence for advancing commercialisation of composites technologies. The NCC supports the UoB with the Technology pull-through of research projects, and provides for industrial optimisation of existing products and processes. The centre delivers engineering expertise in composite materials such as thermoset, thermoplastic and ceramics through our people, equipment and facilities. The team have multi-disciplinary, cross-sector and extensive experience across design, simulation and analysis; materials research, process development and optimisation, robotics, tooling and testing. Specialist competencies include hand-layup, robotic fibre placement, liquid composite moulding, material deposition, forming methodology, press manufacturing and out-of-autoclave technologies. These capabilities are all supported by an extensive Verification and Validation offering from Metrology, Non-destructive testing and a fully equipped Materials laboratory. The NCC Mission is to accelerate the growth of UK industrial output by enabling design and manufacturing enterprises to deliver winning solutions in the application of composites.

The NCC works closely together with Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS) to

provide a seamless, effective route for the exploitation of research outputs, and to enhance opportunities for staff, students and customers. In the past year Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS) has continued to act as a source of hiring of both graduates and post-graduates to the NCC.

The organisations have collaborated on the development and delivery of new training initiatives to NCC staff. In 2017 The NCC Technology Pull-Through Programme was launched and the NCC and Bristol Composites Institute teams jointly identified a significant number of research projects where the technologies are at TRL3 with high-potential for industrial application and plans are in place to develop those technologies at the NCC working in close collaboration with the Bristol Composites Institute PIs.

16 17

SPOTLIGHT ON…

Steve Gray (2016 entry cohort) answers students’ questions at a Primary Careers Event at St Werburgh’s Primary School in July 2017.

IDC Research Engineers at a skills training event at the NCC, November 2016.

Digital manufacturing in the Advanced Preforming Cell at the NCC.

Recent publications

18 19

Professor Michael Wisnom Wisnom, M. R. 2016. Mechanisms to create high performance pseudo-ductile composites. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 139, 012010.

Wisnom, M. R., Czél, G., Swolfs, Y., Jalalvand, M.,Gorbatikh, L. & Verpoest, I. 2016. Hybrid effects in thin ply carbon/glass unidirectional laminates: Accurate experimental determination and prediction. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 88, 131-139.

Professor Ian BondHeath, C. J. C., Bond, I. P. & Potter, K. D. 2016. Interlocking electro-bonded laminates. Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, 28, 1524-1529.

Luterbacher, R., Coope, T. S., Trask, R. S. & Bond, I. P. 2016. Vascular self-healing within carbon fibre reinforced polymer stringer run-out configurations. Composites Science and Technology, 136, 67-75.

Professor Steve EichhornWanasekara, N. D. & Eichhorn, S. J. 2017. Injectable Highly Loaded Cellulose Nanocrystal Fibers and Composites. ACS Macro Letters, 1066-1070.

Zhu, C., Richardson, R. M., Potter, K. D., Koutsomitopoulou, A. F., Van Duijneveldt, J. S., Vincent, S. R., Wanasekara, N. D., Eichhorn, S. J. & Rahatekar, S. S. 2016. High Modulus Regenerated Cellulose Fibers Spun from a Low Molecular Weight Microcrystalline Cellulose Solution. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 4, 4545-4553.

Professor Stephen HallettNixon-Pearson, O. J., Belnoue, J.-H., Ivanov, D. S., Potter, K. D. & Hallett, S. R. 2016. An experimental investigation of the consolidation behaviour of uncured prepregs under processing conditions. Journal of Composite Materials, 51, 1911-1924.

Sun, X. C. & Hallett, S. R. 2017. Barely visible impact damage in scaled composite laminates: Experiments and numerical simulations. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 109, 178-195.

Dr Ian HamertonIredale, R. J., Ward, C. & Hamerton, I. 2017. Modern advances in bismaleimide resin technology: A 21st century perspective on the chemistry of addition polyimides. Progress in Polymer Science, 69, 1-21.

Pozegic, T. R., Anguita, J. V., Hamerton, I., Jayawardena, K. D. G. I., Chen, J. S., Stolojan, V., Ballocchi, P., Walsh, R. & Silva, S. R. P. 2016. Multi-Functional Carbon Fibre Composites using Carbon Nanotubes as an Alternative to Polymer Sizing. Scientific Reports, 6, 37334.

Dr Dmitry IvanovAriu, G., Hamerton, I. & Ivanov, D. 2016. Positioning and aligning CNTs by external magnetic field to assist localised epoxy cure. Open Physics, 14, 508.

Turk, M., Hamerton, I. & Ivanov, D. S. 2017. Ductility potential of brittle epoxies: Thermomechanical behaviour of plastically-deformed fully-cured composite resins. Polymer, 120, 43-51.

Dr Luiz KawashitaAl-Azzawi, A. S. M., McCrory, J., Kawashita, L. F.,Featherston, C. A., Pullin, R. & Holford, K. M.2017. Buckling and postbuckling behaviourof Glare laminates containing splices anddoublers. Part 1: Instrumented tests. Composite Structures, 176, 1158-1169.

Al-Azzawi, A. S. M., Kawashita, L. F.& Featherston, C. A. 2017. Buckling andpostbuckling behaviour of Glare laminatescontaining splices and doublers. Part 2:Numerical modelling. Composite Structures,176, 1170-1187.

Dr Byung Chul KimStodieck, O., Francois, G., Heathcote, D., Kim, B. C., Rhead, A., Cleaver, D. & Cooper, J. 2017. Experimental Validation of Tow-Steered Composite Wings for Aeroelastic Design. International Forum on Aeroelasticity and Structural Dynamics, IFASD2017, Como, Italy.

Veldenz, L., Di Francesco, M., Atwood, S., Giddings, P., Kim, B. C. & Potter, K. 2017. Assessment of Steering Capability of Automated Dry Fibre Placement through a Quantitative Methodology. International Symposium on Automated Composites Manufacturing, Montreal, Canada.

Dr James KratzHubert, P., Centea, T., Grunefelder, L., Nutt, S., Kratz, J., Levy, A. 2018. 2.4 Out-of-Autoclave Prepreg Processing. In: Beaumont, P.W.R. and Zweben, C.H. (eds.), Comprehensive Composite Materials II. vol. 2, 63-94. Oxford: Academic Press.

Kratz, J., Low, Y. S. & Fox, B. 2017. Resource-friendly carbon fiber composites: combining production waste with virgin feedstock. Advanced Manufacturing: Polymer & Composites Science, 1-9.

Dr Matthew O’DonnellO’Donnell, M. P. & Weaver, P. M. 2017. RAPID analysis of variable stiffness beams and plates: Legendre polynomial triple-product formulation. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 112, 86-100.

O’Donnell, M. P., Weaver, P. M. & Pirrera, A. 2016. Can tailored non-linearity of hierarchical structures inform future material development? Extreme Mechanics Letters, 7, 1-9.

Professor Ivana PartridgeCui, H., Yasaee, M., Kalwak, G., Pellegrino, A., Partridge, I. K., Hallett, S. R., Allegri, G. & Petrinic, N. 2017. Bridging mechanisms of through-thickness reinforcement in dynamic mode I&II delamination. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 99, 198-207.

Partridge, I. K. 2017. Composites Toughen Up! In: Beaumont, P. W. R., Soutis, C. & Hodzic, A. (eds.) The Structural Integrity of Carbon Fiber Composites: Fifty Years of Progress and Achievement of the Science, Development, and Applications. Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Dr Alberto PirreraArena, G., Groh, R. M. J., Brinkmeyer, A., Theunissen, R., Weaver, P. M. & Pirrera, A. 2017. Adaptive compliant structures for flow regulation. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Science, 473, 2204.

Scott, S., Capuzzi, M., Langston, D., Bossanyi, E., McCann, G., Weaver, P. M. & Pirrera, A. 2017. Effects of aeroelastic tailoring on performance characteristics of wind turbine systems. Renewable Energy, 114, 887-903.

Professor Kevin PotterDi Francesco, M., Veldenz, L., Dell’Anno, G. & Potter, K. 2017. Heater power control for multi-material, variable speed Automated Fibre Placement. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 101, 408-421.

Longana, M. L., Ong, N., Yu, H. & Potter, K. D.2016. Multiple closed loop recycling of carbon fibre composites with the HiPerDiF (High Performance Discontinuous Fibre) method. Composite Structures, 153, 271-277.

Professor Fabrizio ScarpaChen, Y., Li, T., Scarpa, F. & Wang, L. 2017. Lattice Metamaterials with Mechanically Tunable Poisson’s Ratio for Vibration Control. Physical Review Applied, 7, 024012.

Wang, S., Huang, L. J., Geng, L., Scarpa, F., Jiao, Y. & Peng, H. X. 2017. Significantly enhanced creep resistance of low volume fraction in-situ TiBw/Ti6Al4V composites by architectured network reinforcements. Scientific Reports, 7, 40823.

Dr Mark SchenkFilipov, E. T., Liu, K., Tachi, T., Schenk, M. & Paulino, G. H. 2017. Bar and hinge models for scalable analysis of origami. International Journal of Solids and Structures, 124, 26-45.

Dr Valeska TingDoan, H. V., Fang, Y., Yao, B., Dong, Z., White, T. J.,Sartbaeva, A., Hintermair, U. & Ting, V. P. 2017. Controlled Formation of Hierarchical Metal–Organic Frameworks Using CO

2-Expanded Solvent Systems. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 5, 7887-7893.

Wales, D. J., Grand, J., Ting, V. P., Burke, R. D.,Edler, K. J., Bowen, C. R., Mintova, S. & Burrows, A. D. 2015. Gas sensing using porous materials for automotive applications. Chemical Society Reviews, 44, 4290-4321.

Dr Carwyn WardBlok, L. G., Kratz, J., Lukaszewicz, D., Hesse, S., Ward, C. & Kassapoglou, C. 2017. Improvement of the in-plane crushing response of CFRP sandwich panels by through-thickness reinforcements. Composite Structures, 161, 15-22.

Hartley, J. W., Kratz, J., Ward, C. & Partridge, I. K. 2017. Effect of tufting density and loop length on the crushing behaviour of tufted sandwich specimens. Composites Part B: Engineering, 112, 49-56.

Professor Paul WeaverKordolemis, A. & Weaver, P. M. 2017. Geometric–material analogy for multiscale modelling of twisted plates. International Journal of Solids and Structures, 110, 24-35.

Wu, Z., Raju, G. & Weaver, P. M. 2017. Optimization of Postbuckling Behaviour of Variable Thickness Composite Panels with Variable Angle Tows: Towards “Buckle-Free” Design Concept. International Journal of Solids and Structures.

SPOTLIGHT ON…

bristol.ac.uk/composites

Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS)University of BristolQueen’s BuildingUniversity WalkBristol BS8 1TR