About the Project

High-performance composite materials are a key enabler for lightweight construction of aerostructures. Hence, they are one of the key technologies on the Rolls-Royce UltraFan® demonstrator aero engine, which offers a 25% fuel burn improvement on the first generation of Trent engine. However, significant opportunities remain to more highly tailor composite designs to make use of the wide range of fibres, resin matrices and fibre architectures that can be realised with new and non-conventional manufacturing automation technologies such as rapid tow shearing, 3D weaving, tailored and dry fibre placement, discrete patch placement and braiding. The EngD project will:

• Explore the constraints of conventional laminate design rules to discover if improved materials, manufacturing technologies and design tools can unlock dramatic improvements in component weight, thickness, performance, and durability - while attaining the required production rates, costs and quality
• Investigate new manufacturing routes such rapid tow shearing, tailored, dry fibre placement and automated fibre placement steering capability and their impact on deposition rates and laminate design improvement
• Consider non-conventional stacking sequences, ply orientations and mixed reinforcement materials to tailor performance and failure behaviour
• Examine novel material and architectural concepts and innovations, such as those developed EPSRC research programmes HiPerDuct and NextCOMP.
• Study simplifications of manufacturing processes through function integration (e.g., co-moulding of metallic and non-metallic protective materials, including erosion coatings and paint)
• Excite your interest in developing new design freedoms for aerostructures to deliver impactful performance and rate capability advantages.

Eligibility: Home/permanent UK residents subject to security clearance

To apply please submit a personal statement, outlining your experience and why you are interested in the EngD project, your CV and transcript of results to the application portal. Please include the project title in the project description field and select EngD in Composites Manufacture. Please enter Professor Janice Barton the Director of the CDT as the 2nd supervisor and indicate that the funding is provided by the CDT in Innovation for Sustainable Composites Engineering.