Composites Engineering Design and Mechanics

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Understand testing procedures to obtain material properties for analysis.
• Apply understanding of composite theory to simple component design.
• Understand the steps involved to manufacture a simple laminate.
• Select an appropriate manufacturing method for a composite component.

Full CEng Programme Level Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• As part of the individual assignment, the student must demonstrate understanding of classical laminate plate theory and its limitations applied to complex composite laminate lay-ups and sandwich structures.
• As part of the group assignment students must select and justify the composite materials to be used for their chosen engineering structure and the appropriate manufacturing process.
• The group assignment expects the students to design a discipline specific structure in composite materials, this could be a novel solution. It is expected that the students evaluate their solutions in areas of codes and standards (if applicable), through life issues such as maintenance and end-of-life disposal.
• The group assignment expects the student to redesign a structure or part of a structure in composite materials and as such treat the solution as part of a complete system. This include joints, compatibility and the impact of the composite solution on the system as a whole.
• As part of the individual assignment students will learn to use experimental test results based on standards to obtain the Young’s modulus of a composite laminate assessing for basic mechanical properties and the variability in the results and comparing with predicted values from classical laminate plate theory.
• As part of the group assignment, design decisions and approaches to find solutions to the design of their chosen composite engineering structure must be justified using relevant technical literature.
• The design assignment is a group project and it is expected that all members are fully involved in both the formative presentation and the production of the final report. Peer assessment can be used in cases where group dynamic fails.
• An initial step of the group design is to assess their engineering structure for extreme loading scenarios such that the risk of occurance can be mitigated. In the individual assignment 2 the students are expected to evaluate the uncertainty in the experimental testing and to identify how the CLPT comparison can be used to incorporate the measured uncertainly.
• The group assignment expects the student to address the life cycle of the solution, including manufacturing issues, in-service life and end-of-life disposal.
• The group assignment is designed such that the students have to explore the use of composite materials as an alternative material for a structural element of an engineering system within their discipline. It is expected that they find and use available data which may be incomplete or have some uncertainty. It is expected that they use their engineering judgement to assess both the data used and the validity of the final solution.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the factors involved in selecting manufacturing processes.
• Appreciate properties of modern composite materials and factors which determine their use.
• Demonstrate understanding of mechanics of composite materials and structures, fracture and failure mechanisms as applied to simple component design.
• Be able to apply concepts, theories and methods for analysis and design of composite structures to real-life applications.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Optimise a problem.
• Report writing.
• Searching literature.
• To apply theory to solve practical problems.
• Apply a selection procedure.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Laminae and laminates: micro-mechanical models, modelling of the laminae, classical laminate theory
• Fracture and failure.
• An in-depth understanding of the overall topical area of composite materials including their properties, manufacturing, analysis and design.
• Modelling of layered composite beam and plate structures.
• Applications of composites: past, present and future.
• Fibres and polymer resin materials: types and properties
• Manufacturing methods, their processing characteristics and influence on the mechanical properties of composites
• Introduction to joining of composite materials.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Coursework

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: • Class discussions based on notes and examples • Discussion in laboratory sessions • Written feedback on marked laboratory report, group project and individual assignment • Computer based quizzes on course material • Feedback on project through class presentation • Group surgeries
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.