ESR 4: Fracture of LFRP ultra-thin ply laminates in aeronautical applications

  • Application deadline: 30/06/2020 17:00 CEST Brussels
  • Offer starting date: 02/11/2020
  • Researcher profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
  • Type of contract: Temporary
  • Job status: Full-time
  • Hours per week: 40
  • Secondments: 6 months at Universidad de Sevilla (Spain) & 4 months at FIDAMC (Spain)

Contract signing and incorporation dates are indicative and have yet to be defined.

  • Recruiting institutionUniversidade do Porto»
  • City, Country: Porto, Portugal
  • Organization type: Higher Education Institute
  • Department: DEMec- Faculdade de Engenharia
  • Main supervisor: Prof. Pedro P. Camanho
  • Research Field:
    • Engineering > Materials engineering
    • Engineering > Mechanical engineering

Objectives

Ultra-thin ply composite laminates are the product of a novel manufacturing technology that produces laminates with higher longitudinal compressive and in situ strengths, higher resistance to delamination events and higher laminate tensile and compressive strengths. However, failure mechanisms in this novel material-type are not completely understood up to now, neither are the most appropriate analysis methods to represent these mechanisms.

For instance, the choice of the constituent materials (reinforcing fibres and matrix) and ply size effects become particularly important due to ply thinness, which can be as low as 0.015 mm (i.e. 2-3 fibre diameters). On the other hand, macro-mechanical homogenization is much easier to achieve in ultra-thin ply laminates due to a finer ply dispersion; hence, their mechanical behaviour is suitably represented by a homogenized quasi-brittle material model at the coupon and subcomponent levels.

The aim of this project is to understand the failure mechanisms and fully exploit the load bearing capacities of ultra-thin ply laminates by means of the development of novel numerical techniques integrating FFM and PF approach of fracture in the most efficient way.

These modeling strategies will be set up at different scales of analysis. Micro-mechanical analysis will provide more comprehensive understanding with regard to the potential sources of damage (matrix breakage, fibre-matrix decohesion, delamination, among others), as well as the prospective propagation paths, and allow the study of constituent and ply size effects.

Additionally, macro-mechanical modeling strategies will be employed to predict the macroscopic response of ultra-thin ply coupons and structures. Special attention will be devoted to investigating geometrical effects and loading states in specimens with stress concentrations and holes, which are of relevant practical importance in the aeronautical and aerospace industries

Benefits

A full-time fixed-term contract is offered. Marie Curie ITNs provide competitive financial support to the ESR including: a competitive monthly living and mobility allowance, coverage of the expenses related to the participation of the ESR in research and training activities (contribution to research-related costs, meetings, conference attendance, training actions, etc.). The recruited researchers will have a regular contract with the same rights and obligations as any other staff member of the institution.


Eligibility criteria

Applicants must at the time of recruitment:

  1. Be in the first four years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers. The four years start to count from the date when a researcher obtained the degree (e.g. Master’s degree) which would formally entitle him/her to embark on a doctorate.
  2. Candidates could be of any nationality but have not resided in the host country for more than 12 months in the last 3 years.
  3. Have not been awarded a doctoral degree.

Selection process

Applicants are evaluated by a selection committee on the basis of past academic performance (grades) and background, scientific relevance and aptitude to research, and any other additional pertinent data submitted in the application (such as scientific publications, if any).

The candidates that pass the initial assessment of the applications will be invited for an interview with the selection committee, either in person at the campus, or via standard internet videoconference. Equal opportunities are ensured to all candidates throughout the evaluation process.


EURAXESS offer ID: 503041

ESR4 - PhD Student Position within EU MSCA-ITN-ETN NewFrac

Requirements


Offer requirements

  • Required Education Level: Engineering - Master Degree or equivalent
  • Required Languages: English - Excellent

Skills / Qualifications

  • Master’s degree in Mechanical/Aeronautical/Civil Engineering/ Physics/ Applied Mathematics, earned before October 31 2020
  • Excellent undergraduated and Master’s degree grades
  • High level of written and spoken English
  • Teamwork ability

Specific Requirements

  • Solid background on Composite Materials, Continuum Mechanics, Finite element Method, Fracture Mechanics.

WARNING

Applications must be e-mailed to recursoshumanos@fe.up.pt mentioning the reference FEUP-NewFrac-ESR4-THIN in the subject, in addition to being submitted at the website https://www.newfrac.eu/phd-positions/esr4. For details on the required documents to be submitted with the application, please click here».

ESR project

Host Institution

Details

IRP/ESR 1: Total energy minimization with stress conditions for mixed mode fracture in anisotropic heterogeneous materials and structures

Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)

IRP/ESR 2: Toughening composites by micro and meso structural optimization

Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)

IRP/ESR 3: Fracture analysis of advanced layered ceramics

Sorbonne Université (France)

IRP/ESR 4: Fracture of LFRP ultra-thin ply laminates in aeronautical applications

Universidade do Porto (Portugal) 

IRP/ESR 5: Nucleation and propagation of compressive cracks

Sorbonne Université (France)

IRP/ESR 6: Multiscale modeling of fracture processes in injection molded SFRPs

Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany)

IRP/ESR 7: Debonding of the reinforcement in LFRP externally strengthened curved beams

Politecnico di Torino (Italy)

IRP/ESR 8: Fracture in biological anisotropic hard tissues (human bones)

Tel-Aviv University (Israel)

IRP/ESR 9: Multi-field and multi-scale modeling of fracture for renewable energy applications

IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca (Italy)

IRP/ESR 10: PF modeling of fracture in the human femur

Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule Zürich (Switzerland)

IRP/ESR 11: Analysis of the failure mechanisms associated to the unfolding failure in CFRP profiles

Fundación Investigación, Desarrollo y Aplicación de Materiales Compuestos (Spain)

IRP/ESR 12: Fracture in fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (FRTPs) across the scales

Universidade do Porto (Portugal)

IRP/ESR 13: Phase Field and Finite Fracture Mechanics for dynamic crack propagation and delamination in brittle materials and composites

Politecnico di Torino (Italy)

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European Commission under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Funded by the European Commission under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. Grant Agreement n° 861061