Current Opportunities
This page is periodically updated with projects supervised by group members that are accepting applications. Most opportunities are also advertised on Find A PhD.
Passive and power free wireless micro-sensors for structural health monitoring of composite structures
Supervised by
Dr M Fotouhi , Dr H Heidari
About the project
Composite materials are widely used in various sectors such as aerospace, automotive and wind energy. Composite materials are used in various infrastructures due to their weight/strength ratio, durability and feasibility of manufacturing. However, with the use of composite material, structural health monitoring (SHM) of the composite structures becomes an emerging issue. Additionally, many composite structures are designed to be used in hazardous environment or to store aggressive chemicals such as alkaline and acid solutions. In order to maintain the health of composite structure, many SHM methods are being studied such as impedance spectroscopy/tomography (EIS/EIT), acoustic emission, and fibre optics based spectroscopic methods (modified optical fibre, Bragg fibre grating. But all these methods are not convenient. An easier and cheaper method must be developed.
This project aims to innovative develop graphene-based and self-powered piezo-electric SHM sensors fully integrated on composite structures and with wireless communication capabilities. Such sensors offer a comfortable and almost imperceptible way of continuous monitoring, as opposed to heavy and bulky equipment currently in use for the same purpose. Exposed to external stimuli, such as cyclic and impact loadings, the power generation of these sensors will change in a predictable way, and this will be explored for sensing purposes.
This will be achieved by low-power circuits and data storage, with purposely developed signal processing techniques, that can translate the signals, captured by the piezo-electric materials, as simple and understandable engineering data to evaluate the structural integrity. A self-contained and environmentally friendly energy source based on a triboelectric nanogenerator, capable of harvesting energy from the structural movements, will also be developed to provide the power free concept.
The sensor can continuously record the abstracted and important events over the structure’s lifetime for downloading at specified intervals or urgent communication if critical. During this project, the sensors will be developed and validated for impact and fatigue load monitoring. These sensors will be equipped with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology which provides a low powered wireless communication with potential to exploit the Internet of Things (IoT). This is analogous to the smart tags that read details of commercial products. With the IoT-driven device connectivity and technological advancements, these devices enable a hands-free operation and continuous recording of useful data. Integrating sensors on structures, through developing multilaterals 3D printable inks with integrated wireless sensors, would eliminate the inconvenience of attaching hardware. This is very important in the case of SHM as it has to be performed continuously, which requires the prolonged maintenance for installation of sensors and their associated wires.
This project aims to innovative develop graphene-based and self-powered piezo-electric SHM sensors fully integrated on composite structures and with wireless communication capabilities. Such sensors offer a comfortable and almost imperceptible way of continuous monitoring, as opposed to heavy and bulky equipment currently in use for the same purpose. Exposed to external stimuli, such as cyclic and impact loadings, the power generation of these sensors will change in a predictable way, and this will be explored for sensing purposes.
This will be achieved by low-power circuits and data storage, with purposely developed signal processing techniques, that can translate the signals, captured by the piezo-electric materials, as simple and understandable engineering data to evaluate the structural integrity. A self-contained and environmentally friendly energy source based on a triboelectric nanogenerator, capable of harvesting energy from the structural movements, will also be developed to provide the power free concept.
The sensor can continuously record the abstracted and important events over the structure’s lifetime for downloading at specified intervals or urgent communication if critical. During this project, the sensors will be developed and validated for impact and fatigue load monitoring. These sensors will be equipped with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology which provides a low powered wireless communication with potential to exploit the Internet of Things (IoT). This is analogous to the smart tags that read details of commercial products. With the IoT-driven device connectivity and technological advancements, these devices enable a hands-free operation and continuous recording of useful data. Integrating sensors on structures, through developing multilaterals 3D printable inks with integrated wireless sensors, would eliminate the inconvenience of attaching hardware. This is very important in the case of SHM as it has to be performed continuously, which requires the prolonged maintenance for installation of sensors and their associated wires.
Funding Notes
The studentship is supported by the University of Glasgow, and it will cover home tuition fees and provide a stipend at the UKRI rate for 3.5 years (£15,009 for session 2019/20).
Funding and application: funding for UK/EU students only in a competitive basis. It should be noted that an offer of admission may be sent out before a decision on the Scholarship is made.
For an informal discussion or further information on this project, please contact Dr Fotouhi directly.
Funding and application: funding for UK/EU students only in a competitive basis. It should be noted that an offer of admission may be sent out before a decision on the Scholarship is made.
For an informal discussion or further information on this project, please contact Dr Fotouhi directly.
References
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in electrical, mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing, materials or a relevant degree, with experience of circuit design, experimental and/or modelling work on composite materials, preferably including evidence of outstanding research, such as previous awards and/or publications.
- Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
- Appropriate IELTS score (overall 6.5, with minimum of 6 in each subsection), if required.
High performance bio-inspired topologically optimized and smart composite structures
Supervised by
Dr M Fotouhi , Dr P Harrison
About the project
Polymer matrix composites usage is growing rapidly due to their superior strength, stiffness, lightness and low susceptibility to fatigue and corrosion. There is rapid expansion of composite use in aerospace and other applications, such as wind turbine blades, sporting goods and civil engineering. Recent examples include large civil aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350, high performance cars, such as the McLaren 650S, and civil infrastructure, such as the Mount Pleasant bridge on the M6 motorway. Despite this progress, composite structures will often fail through poor design, where stress concentrations appear around sharp changes in topology e.g. edges, holes, corners, or due to concentrated loads such as impact. In addition, the damage in composite materials is hidden and failure is without any warning and mainly catastrophic. Therefore, designers are forced to apply conservative design approaches which do not fully exploit the properties. For example, maximum allowable design strains can be as low as 0.1% for carbon fibre composites, despite maximum failure strains of up to 2%.
This project intends to explore bio-inspired examples of stress distribution in living organisms and to utilise some of those methodologies in the design of composites structures. These designs can be mimicked due to advances in modelling, characterisation and manufacturing of composites. The project’s vision is to develop a new generation of high-performance and smart composite structures based on nature’s generative design principles to overcome the aforementioned limitations. These bio-inspired algorithm-based composites will improve both safety and design strain limits at the same time, shifting the traditional dilemma between performance and safety. A step change in the design and performance will be achieved compared to current materials, resulting in simple and cheap approaches for optimal design and health monitoring. The outcomes of this project will enable full exploitation of the weight saving benefit in composite structures by overcoming the limitations of traditional conservative designs and avoiding expensive inspections. Such materials will provide greater reliability and safety, together with reduced design and maintenance requirements, and longer service life.
The key research questions: 1. How to produce bio-inspired topologically optimized and smart composite structures to overcome the limitations of current composite structures, i.e. over-engineering and catastrophic failure. 2. How to generate design tools for implementation of these high-performance bio-inspired topologically optimized and smart composite structures?
This project intends to explore bio-inspired examples of stress distribution in living organisms and to utilise some of those methodologies in the design of composites structures. These designs can be mimicked due to advances in modelling, characterisation and manufacturing of composites. The project’s vision is to develop a new generation of high-performance and smart composite structures based on nature’s generative design principles to overcome the aforementioned limitations. These bio-inspired algorithm-based composites will improve both safety and design strain limits at the same time, shifting the traditional dilemma between performance and safety. A step change in the design and performance will be achieved compared to current materials, resulting in simple and cheap approaches for optimal design and health monitoring. The outcomes of this project will enable full exploitation of the weight saving benefit in composite structures by overcoming the limitations of traditional conservative designs and avoiding expensive inspections. Such materials will provide greater reliability and safety, together with reduced design and maintenance requirements, and longer service life.
The key research questions: 1. How to produce bio-inspired topologically optimized and smart composite structures to overcome the limitations of current composite structures, i.e. over-engineering and catastrophic failure. 2. How to generate design tools for implementation of these high-performance bio-inspired topologically optimized and smart composite structures?
Funding Notes
The studentship is supported by the University of Glasgow, and it will cover home tuition fees and provide a stipend at the UKRI rate for 3.5 years (£15,009 for session 2019/20).
Funding and application: funding for UK/EU students only in a competitive basis. It should be noted that an offer of admission may be sent out before a decision on the Scholarship is made.
For an informal discussion or further information on this project, please contact Dr Fotouhi directly.
Funding and application: funding for UK/EU students only in a competitive basis. It should be noted that an offer of admission may be sent out before a decision on the Scholarship is made.
For an informal discussion or further information on this project, please contact Dr Fotouhi directly.
References
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing, materials or a relevant degree, with experience of experimental and/or modelling work on composite materials, preferably including evidence of outstanding research, such as previous awards and/or publications.
- Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
- Appropriate IELTS score (overall 6.5, with minimum of 6 in each subsection), if required.