Fully Funded EPSRC iCASE and Airbus Operations Ltd PhD Scholarship: Digital Image Correlation for Mechanical Testing at Cryogenic Temperature

Funding providers: EPSRC iCASE and Airbus Operations Limited 

Subject areas: Experimental Mechanics, Digital Image Correlation (DIC), Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials, Cryogenics, Hydrogen

Project start date: 

• 1 October 2024 (Enrolment open from mid-September)

Aligned programme of study: PhD in Biomedical Engineering

Project description: 

Hydrogen is one of the leading candidates for the propulsion of next generation aircraft. Airbus’ Structures Test department is interested in continuously developing and refining an understanding of how materials and components behave when exposed to the cryogenic temperatures required to store hydrogen in its liquid form. The existing methods for instrumenting specimens for tests conducted at cryogenic temperatures are limited. Digital image correlation (DIC) is a non-contact optical measurement technique that can capture full-field displacement and strain on components under test. DIC is highly adaptable and is widely applied in mechanical testing when complex, non-uniform strain fields are expected and where point-based measurements (e.g. strain gauges) are insufficient. With the increasing need to test materials and components at cryogenic temperatures comes the need to instrument these tests with data-rich techniques that function in challenging cryogenic temperatures. The project will aim to develop novel approaches to enable the use of DIC during cryogenic mechanical testing and significantly advance the current instrumentation capabilities in preparation for testing the next generation aircraft.

DIC relies on good optical access and a well-sized, high-contrast pattern with the correct adhesion and deformability for the structure and durability for its environment. Depending on the materials of interest, the surface may become compromised in cryo-temperatures, hydrogen environment as well as the optics themselves, reducing the image quality. Equally in situ mechanical testing with any imaging techniques has its own challenges at low temperatures, e.g., thermal effects on the load train and sample mounts. The Team at the Biomedical Engineering Simulation & Testing Lab (BEST Lab), led by Dr Arora, are actively pushing the boundaries of DIC, as well as particle image velocimetry (PIV) and digital volume correlation (DVC) amongst other image-based experimental mechanics methods. Measurements in challenging conditions are a focus of the Team for >15 years. The challenge of cryo-imaging may require bespoke and novel solutions to the imaging setup. Such challenges working in extreme environments and translation from the lab to fieldwork have been addressed by the Team over the years. The Team has experience working on large structures and field tests, ensuring DIC best practice remains in place in practical industrial settings. Challenges with strain corrections due to variable distortions, pattern durability, application compatibility and technique effectiveness under controlled cryo-temperatures needs to be pursued in this studentship.

Eligibility

Candidates must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) in Engineering or similar relevant science discipline. If you are eligible to apply for the scholarship (i.e. a student who is eligible to pay the UK rate of tuition fees) but do not hold a UK degree, you can check our comparison entry requirements. Please note that you may need to provide evidence of your English Language proficiency.

This scholarship is open to candidates of any nationality.

Please visit our website for more information.

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