Wind energy, biomimicry, 3D woven composites, topology optimisation, fracture and fatigue resistance

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The project aims to translate biological structures, such as those in the mother of pearl and abalone sea creatures, to 3D woven composite manufacturing technology. Evolutionary convergent shells exhibit characteristic topologies with interlayered soft and stiff building blocks, allowing them to achieve 1,000 larger fracture toughness than that of the individual building blocks. The mechanism is primarily based on crack deflection. The goals are: (1) create a parametric unit cell encompassing the key features of biological topologies, (2) select and optimise a range of human-made and natural fibres, yarns and matrix materials to emulate biological topologies, (3) develop a computational model of the 3D woven unit cell and assess its performance against baseline composites, (4) produce lab-scale demonstrators to experimentally validate crack deflection mechanism and enhanced fracture and fatigue performance.