Composite components with bio-inspired micro-structures: Exploiting improved damage tolerance

该项目旨在开发原始和改进的CFRP（碳纤维增强聚合物）复合材料解决方案，使组件设计师能够控制组件故障。这将通过操纵CFRP的微观结构来实现，以实现更大的损伤容限和组件级的定制跨层断裂性能。该博士学位正在与罗尔斯·罗伊斯公司的一个更大的项目同时完成，该项目旨在开发原始和改进的CFRP复合材料解决方案，以在CFRP风扇叶片中实施替代释放平面（阿普），并改善CFRP安全壳中的能量耗散。关闭事件。这个博士将探索这些工业挑战的新解决方案。通过进化过程，自然界有数亿年的时间来发展微结构，以改善生物结构的性能。这样的结构可以作为具有显著改进的性能的合成材料的灵感。这个博士将探索开发新的生物启发CFRP微观结构，以提高复合材料组件的韧性。这个博士将考虑生物灵感的新来源，一个潜在的追求者是非洲穿山甲的鳞片。将开发原型组件的制造路线，然后进行微观结构性能的实验研究。该博士学位还将探索在导致断裂的事件后操纵CFRP组件的行为。没有工程微结构的部件通常可能在不期望的位置处失效，例如，在鸟撞击时风扇叶片在靠近根部处失效。这个博士将探讨如何操纵CFRP的微观结构来改变失效机制。研究的一条途径是设计微观结构，使断裂发生在阿普处;另一条途径是探索设计CFRP微观结构的可行性，以实现部件的碎裂。CFRP层压板通常与其他材料组合在部件中。实验发现，当金属与CFRP结合时，CFRP部件的初始失效与金属的边缘一致。这个博士将探讨如何更好地设计这种联合来延迟失败的发生。最后，AFP（自动纤维铺放）已成为复合材料部件的领先制造路线。这个博士将探讨如何AFP可用于开发新的CFRP微结构具有更大的损伤容限和定制translaminar断裂性能。

The project aims to develop original and improved CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer) composite solutions which will give component designers control of the component failure. This will be achieved by manipulating the microstructure of the CFRP to achieve greater damage tolerance and bespoke translaminar fracture properties at component level.This PhD is being completed in parallel with a larger project with Rolls-Royce which aims to develop original and improved CFRP composite solutions to implement alternative release planes (ARP) in CFRP fan blades and to improve the energy dissipation in CFRP containment casings during blade-off events. This PhD will explore novel solutions to these industrial challenges.Through the process of evolution, nature has had hundreds of millions of years to develop microstructures to improve the performance of biological structures. Such structures can serve as inspiration for synthetic materials with drastically improved properties. This PhD will explore developing new bio-inspired CFRP microstructures to improve the toughness of composite components. This PhD will consider new sources of bio-inspiration, a potential suitor being the scales of the African Pangolin. A manufacturing route to develop prototype components will be developed, followed by an experimental study of the microstructure performance.This PhD will additionally explore manipulating the behaviour of CFRP components upon an event causing fracture. A component without an engineered microstructure may typically fail at an undesirable location, for example a fan blade failing close to the root upon a bird strike. This PhD will explore how the microstructure of CFRP could be manipulated to change the failure mechanisms. One route of investigation would be to design the microstructure such that fracture occurs at an ARP; another route would be exploring the feasibility of designing a CFRP microstructure to achieve fragmentation of the component.CFRP laminates are often combined with other materials in components. It has been found experimentally that when metal is bonded to CFRP, initial failure of the CFRP component coincides with the edge of the metal. This PhD will explore how this joint may be better designed to delay the onset of failure. An experimental study will be carried out testing a variety of novel solutions.Finally, AFP (Automated Fibre Placement) has emerged as a leading manufacturing route for composite components. This PhD will explore how AFP may be used to develop new CFRP microstructures with greater damage tolerance and bespoke translaminar fracture properties.