Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | EP/K025023/1 | |
| Title | G8-2012 Material Efficiency - A first step toward sustainable manufacture | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Energy Efficiency(Transport) 25%; Not Energy Related 50%; Energy Efficiency(Industry) 25%; |
|
| Research Types | Basic and strategic applied research 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials) 25%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Chemical Engineering) 50%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 25%; |
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| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Dr K Potter No email address given Aerospace Engineering University of Bristol |
|
| Award Type | Standard | |
| Funding Source | EPSRC | |
| Start Date | 01 January 2013 | |
| End Date | 31 December 2015 | |
| Duration | 36 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £218,533 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Aerospace; Defence and Marine; Manufacturing | |
| Region | South West | |
| Programme | Manufacturing: Engineering | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Dr K Potter , Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol (100.000%) |
| Web Site | ||
| Objectives | ||
| Abstract | This research will focus on out-of-autoclave processing as a sustainable means of composite manufacturing. The large-scale introduction of composite materials into the aerospace industry will result in lighter planes with greater fuel efficiency. By moving composite manufacturing out of the autoclave, energy consumption during processing will be reduced and production rates will increase. Our proposal will highlight the sustainable aspects of out-of-autoclave composite manufacturing, specifically with regard to vacuum bag only (VBO) prepregs. For our purposes, "sustainability" will refer to preservation and expansion of access to affordable energy, and minimization of environmental impact.The environmental benefits to replacing metal structures with composite materials are clear. Composite parts are light-weight, providing greater fuel efficiency, and also display higher fatigue and corrosion resistance. The composite manufacturing process, however, contains inefficiencies. While moving composite processing out of the autoclave will reduce energy consumption, there are still environmental concerns associated with thermoset composite manufacturing. Waste management and energy savings are of high priority. We will address these issues through three main subject areas; waste reduction, defect control, and manufacturing efficiency | |
| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 09/10/12 | |
