Offer Description
Characterisation and Modelling of the Mechanical Behaviour of Thick Composite Structures for Maritime Transport: Role of Resin Curing, Environmental Conditions, and Carbon Fibres
This project aims to improve the understanding and control of the mechanisms leading to longitudinal compressive failure in carbon-fibre composites, with particular emphasis on fibre and ply waviness generated during the curing of polymer resins. These misalignments, often invisible to the naked eye, can significantly affect mechanical properties, especially longitudinal compressive strength, durability, and the overall performance of composite structures used in competitive sailing and maritime transport.
By improving the control and prediction of these microscopic defects, the project will contribute to enhanced material quality, reduced manufacturing waste, and increased service life of composite components.
The project is aligned with Brittany’s strategic innovation domain, “Ship of the Future”. It contributes to the maritime energy transition through the development of lighter structures with reduced environmental impact, thereby supporting the decarbonisation of the maritime sector. It also addresses broader sustainability challenges by reducing production waste and preparing the transition towards recyclable thermoplastic composite materials.
From a scientific perspective, the project combines experimental, numerical, and advanced computational approaches:
- Quantitative measurement of fibre misalignments: development of automated image-processing and deep-learning tools to detect, quantify, and characterise fibre waviness and orientation in composite materials.
- Multiphysics modelling of resin curing: development of thermo-chemo-mechanical models incorporating epoxy cure kinetics, viscoelastic deformation, residual stress development, and the formation of microscopic defects, enabling the prediction of fibre misalignment during curing.
- 3D microstructure reconstruction and generation: use of experimental observations to reconstruct and generate representative misaligned microstructures for advanced numerical analyses of mechanical behaviour, particularly compressive strength.
- Characterisation of constituent contributions to compressive failure: investigation of the influence of temperature and moisture uptake on resin softening, together with the role of carbon-fibre properties, including compressive strength, non-linear elasticity, anisotropy, and material heterogeneity.
These activities will benefit from collaborations between Université Bretagne Sud, industrial partners from the competitive sailing sector, and companies specialising in automated composite manufacturing through Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) and Automated Tape Laying (ATL). These partnerships will enable the validation of the developed models on industrial-scale structures such as masts and hydrofoils.
Where to apply
E-mail: vincent.keryvin@univ-ubs.fr
Requirements
Research Field: Engineering » Mechanical engineering
Education Level: PhD or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
- PhD in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Solid Mechanics, or a closely related field
- Strong background in at least one of the following areas:
- Composite materials
- Computational mechanics
- Finite element modelling
- Machine learning and image analysis
- Experimental mechanics
- Interest in multidisciplinary research combining experiments, modelling, and industrial applications
Languages: ENGLISH
Level: Excellent
Research Field: Engineering » Materials engineering
Years of Research Experience: 4 - 10
Additional Information
Eligibility criteria
Applicants must have spent at least 18 months outside France between 1 May 2022 and the project start date, in accordance with the programme mobility rules.
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: IRDL
Country: France
City: Lorient
Contact
City: Lorient
Website: http://www.univ-ubs.fr/
Street: 27 rue Armand Guillemot
Postal Code: 56321
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