ASSESS
About project
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Project aim
Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are advanced materials for reducing the weight of structures, thereby improving materials usage efficiency and reducing the use of fuel for transportation. To use FRPs safely and cost-effectively, advanced Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) techniques are necessary to guide maintenance and repair strategies. These technologies form the basis for the research themes in the ASSESS doctoral training network. The project will train a new generation of doctoral candidates (DCs), which will play a key role for the future deployment of the envisaged technology
ASSESS will bridge the gap between research and industrial SHM technologies by focusing the research activities of DCs on the design, manufacturing, and testing of new ground-breaking smart FRP composites.
To enable automated, online and robust SHM for smart FRP composite, the ASSESS innovative and multidisciplinary project will encompass
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Novel integrated and wireless sensing devices and carbon-based nanomaterials
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Advanced numerical modelling
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Artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) data-driven approaches and digital twins
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Objectives of the research programme
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These include new ground-breaking smart sensing layers consisting of thermoplastic veils and fibres with embodied carbon nanotubes (CNTs), piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducers, and fibre optic sensors (FOSs), as well as novel piezoceramics integrated in polymer based smart layers (TEmSAL) and wireless radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors, which are surface mounted or introduced as interleaves into dry composite fabrics or pre-pregs
Design and manufacture smart FRP composites for SHM using integrated carbon-based materials and sensing systems
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These models will support the development of SHM technologies in smart FRPs by simulating the effect of material damage on structural vibration characteristics and ultrasonic GW propagation sensed by PZTs and FOSs, as well as on the electromagnetic (EM) response measured by RFID tags
Develop and optimise advanced multi-scale numerical modelling tools for smart FRP composites.
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These data-driven systems will enable robust and population-wide SHM of smart FRP composites under uncertainty and varying EOCs
Develop and test AI/ML-based methods and digital twins for automated damage assessment and prognosis, and devise strategies to assess their reliability for standardisation
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Focus industries
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Vision
ASSESS will educate and generate highly skilled young engineers, physicists, and material scientists, and will coordinate the most cutting-edge research in the field of composite materials, structural integrity, damage inspection lifecycle analysis (LCA) and environmental impact assessment principles through the training of 11 DCs, all under the supervision of academic and non-academic experts.
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Careers
Software Engineer - Avionics
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San Fransisco
Research Scientist - Materials Science
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San Fransisco