Strategy Composite Materials & Structures
Development and design of polymer composite materials and structures is the fastest growing segment of lightweight (durable and sustainable) construction and product engineering (in general 'moving and moved beings'). Since fifteen years for each five years period the world market volume of advanced polymer composites was doubled (100% growth per quinquennial). For the first decade of this millennium a growth of at least 700 % is foreseen (350% growth per quinquennial). The majority of structural parts in novel aircraft and space platform designs will be materialized in polymer composite materials. In case of fireproof interiors including floors and supporting structures (beams and brackets) the applied volume of composites are reaching the maximum of almost 100 % and the for the high performance and durable exterior shell structures almost 80% by volume is within the reach.
The same trends and developments are true for inshore and offshore wind turbine blade designs (wing structures possessing a radius equal to the total span of a Boeing 747) and the development of the latest fast transport varying from trains, cars, ferries, trucks to ships and yachts, show similar tendencies. No other university, faculty or department, world wide, practise the tradition of the development and design of advanced materials and technical objects including dedicated manufacturing techniques, like it became practice at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. In traditional metal structure design a proper mechanical behaviour as a response to 'loads' is realised by a sufficient volumetric distribution and combination of proper metallic materials (stress and stiffness level control).
For today's and future designers of the ultimate lightweight structures in general (minimum material, minimum energy, maximum performance) a change in attitude and design skills is indispensable. In addition to the volumetric distribution approach to sustain all kinds of stress and strain states, for composite laminates a sophisticated distribution and control of coupled and uncoupled stress and strain phenomena, induced by both mechanical and physical loads, becomes necessary. Different to metal construction design, an an-isotropic composite structure design is a matter of pro-active integration or segregation of functional, mechanical and physical requirements in both material and structure, to respond to 'any load' in a proper and safe manner.
Compared to metals in composites structure design stiffness, strength and durability, resistance and tolerance with respect to impact events or proper scenarios to absorb impact energy are becoming true initial design parameters, from material to load path and structure design. The same is true either for acoustic and thermo-isolating properties, either for stability, vibrations and aero-elasticity. Therefore in near future developments of advanced and cost effective structures requires a new generation of (scientific, academic) developers and designers capable of creating and using new design tools and rules and last but not least capable to create new paradigms in conceptual and structural design. Therefore exemplary, ambitious and realistic, development programs are necessary to support and to update our educational program, either for the Delft University community (staff and students), or for courses given to (inter) national academia and 'research & development' groups. These basic composite developments of the disciplinary group will more and more supersede the boundaries of aerospace technology and they will start to have a direct impact and interference with other disciplines like civil engineering (bridging and architecture), (industrial) design of packaging, development of machine parts (fast and free of vibrations), as well as car and shipbuilding. Potential cost effective applications are covering products ranging from small advanced and lightweight parts to durable mega structures, from rigid to semi-rigid even inflatable (iso-tensoid) structures, from nano and short fibre reinforced to continuous fibre reinforced laminated or filament wound polymeric structures, from 2 dimensional to 3 dimensional fibre architectures and polymer morphologies.
Mission statement
The disciplinary group for Design and Production of Composite Structures, in short 'DPCS', concentrates on the development of new concepts for composite materials and structures preferably combined with novel 'down-stream' production technologies in which material, structure and product are formed in one step. This means a maximum reduction of intermediate steps between the basic materials (ingredients) and the product realisation (the cooking); a more straightforward approach to intrinsic durable and sustainable products is not possible.
Therefore, proper design philosophies ('think composites'), tools and rules must be developed and integrated. This includes tools for process simulation and tools for dedicated manufacturing equipment development too. In addition knowledge and skills must be developed to ease optimal integration or segregation of functional, mechanical and physical product requirements in the materialised structure itself. This philosophy of 'pro-active or forward integration of design parameters' is and will be the leading theme for future research and education of the disciplinary group 'on composites' and support will be sought from other disciplinary groups, which have substantial specific knowledge to offer necessary for realising of our objectives. Therefore, the research and development programmes are organised in such a way that the development of knowledge on composites emphasises the mutual relationship of the following subgroups of technological sciences:
- Development and design of composite materials
- Development and design of composite structures
- Development of dedicated manufacturing techniques
These themes will interfere strongly with novel 'integration or segregation' philosophies in support of new developed simulation and optimisation codes, with respect to functional, mechanical and physical behaviour per unit performance or cost. As a derivative activity the development of product or market dedicated manufacturing techniques for advanced composite structures and constructions will be intensified.
