Michael WisnomDirector

Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS)

Launch and 10th Anniversary Conference

The Advanced Composites Collaboration for Innovation

and Science

Launch and Ten Year AnniversaryACCIS was launched in April 2007Has developed strongly ever sinceBristol Composites Institute (ACCIS) established in 2017 as one of 7 Specialist Research Institutes

Malcolm Wicks, Minister for Science and Innovation

addressing ACCIS launch in 2007

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ACCIS core academic staff

Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS)

• Brings together composites work across University• Core team of 21 academic staff • Over 30 further affiliated academics in

Engineering, Science and Medicine• Focus for collaboration between

academia and industry• Around 200 people overall

Our Vision: A world leading institute for composites education andresearch, combining cutting edge fundamental science with strong industrial links for exploitation and technology transfer

ACCIS Milestones2008 – ACCIS Doctoral Training Centre2009 – UoB selected to host NCC2010 – Queen’s Building extension for ACCIS2011 – CIMCOMP - Centre for Innovative

Manufacturing in Composites 2011 – HiPerDuCT Programme Grant2012 – Industrial Doctorate Centre2013 – ACCIS CDT and IDC extended2016 – Future Manufacturing Research Hub2017 – Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS)

Programme Grant

ACCIS Research Groups• Materials

Prof. Fabrizio Scarpa

• StructuresProf. Stephen Hallett

• Manufacturing and DesignProf. Kevin Potter

Novel cellulose fibres

Visualisation offoreign object

damage

Characterisation of wrinkle defects

Wind Blade Research HubResearch partnership with the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult

Led by Prof. Paul Weaver and Dr. Alberto Pirrerra

Aim: to build more efficient blades that harness more energy from the wind

Hub & Spokes model: Blueprint for future collaborations.

Phase one research programme: blade materials and manufacturing, blade integrity, blade design and performance.

Recent DevelopmentsNew academic appointments: • Steve Eichhorn - Professor of

Materials Science and Engineering• James Kratz - Lecturer in Materials

Engineering• Giuliano Allegri – Reader in

Composite Structures• Terence Macquart –

Lecturer in Aeroelastics

New Nano-Engineering and Analysis lab

Composites UTC supported by Rolls-Royce• Long term partnership with ~ 30 people

• Led by Prof. Stephen Hallett

• Supports the insertion of composite materials into components, structures and systems, through understanding, characterisation, manufacturing advances, validated analysis and innovation.

• High quality research, new ideas and patents, provision of tools, support for RR programmes, highly trained people

• Part of wider Composites UniversityTechnology Partnership with TU Dresden

Stephen Hallett, Adam Bishop, Michael Wisnom and Alan Partridge at 10th UTC conference

HiPerDuCTProgramme Grant with Imperial College on High Performance Ductile Composites Technology

• Pseudo-ductility achieved with thin-ply angle-ply and hybrid laminates

• Notch insensitivity – similar notched strength to unnotched “yield” stress

• Overload, fatigue and impact sensors –working with NCC on development

Future Composites Manufacturing Hub

£10M 7 year EPSRC collaboration led by Nottingham (Prof. Andrew Long) and Bristol (Prof. Kevin Potter) together with spokes at Manchester, Cranfield, Southampton and Imperial

Aims to:

• Enhance process robustness via understanding of process science

• Develop high rate processing technologies for high quality structures

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training• 4-Year PhD in Advanced Composites with integrated

taught component; Cohort driven • 100+ PhD students since 2009; 9th cohort in Sept ‘17• Successful 2017 mid-term review; re-bid in 2018 • Strong Industrial engagement - projects with Agusta

Westland, Airbus UK, dstl, GE Aviation, Haydale, Rolls-Royce, Vestas…

• Industry sponsored prizes– Dassi, Hexcel, Imetrum, ORE Catapult, Victrex

• Collaborations with Imperial, Nottingham, Manchester, Cambridge; international placements

• Student-led public engagement and lecture series• Short courses from world leading experts

– Texas A&M University, NASA Langley Research Centre

7th CDT Conference Tues 10th April ‘18

Evangelos Zympeloudis (right) 2017 IMechE Western Aerospace

Centre prize winner

‘Team Athena’ win the Imetrum prize for best team performance in the 1st year

Design Build and Test project

EPSRC IDC in Composites Manufacture• Integral activity of the Future Composites

Manufacturing Research Hub• Led by Prof.Ivana Partridge• Industry based projects, TRL 3-5• First EngD graduation in February 2018• Strong link with NCC – courses held there,

number of research engineers based at NCC• Second Conference of the IDC on Tue 10th

July 2018 in Nottingham

Current sponsors include: Aviation Enterprises Ltd., Hexcel, Jaguar Land Rover, Jo Bird & Co., Mark Wright & Sons, National Composites Centre, National Physical Laboratory, NOV Elmar, Pentaxiaand Rolls-Royce.

IDC Research Engineers at a skills training event at NCC

A Decade of ACCIS

National Composites Centre• Kevin Potter joint NCC Chair• IDC research engineers based

at NCC provide a strong link • ACCIS PhDs recruited• Joint training activities• Mechanism established for

pull-through of technology to NCC, first projects started

• £1.3M committed support by NCC for Future Manufacturing Hub

“Working together to provide a world leading capability from fundamental research through to industrial exploitation”

Goals for the Institute• To grow our research into new areas by

further collaboration with colleagues across the Engineering, Science and Medical Faculties

• To establish further collaborations with key international composites centres and industrial partners

• To broaden the research base especially in automotive composites and renewable energy

• To work towards establishing a Future Composite Materials Programme linking fundamental research across UK universities

Future Opportunities• Academic and industrial collaborations, secondments• Major new research programmes through Innovate UK,

MoD, EPSRC and Horizon 2020 initiatives• Blue skies PhDs; initial studies - CDT, MEng, MSc projects • EngD projects in IDC in Composites Manufacture• EPSRC Impact Acceleration Projects• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships• Joint programmes with the National Composites Centre

Hierarchical truss structureNovel braided metal-composite joint