Thesis Proposals
Here you can take a look at the thesis proposals at SIAMS laboratory. Feel free to contact us for any information, please put Prof. Alessandro Airoldi in CC (alessandro.airoldi@polimi.it).
Experimental and numerical assessment of Kevlar/Epoxy fastened joints
SIAMS is working together with the Leonardo Helicopter Division to devise a reliable and cost-effective experimental/numerical approach to assist in the modelling of composite fastened joints and to possibly offer insights into their design. The overall project comprises the following steps:
- Test campaign with bolted Kevlar/Epoxy specimens and an innovative test fixture to assess different failure modes.
- Development of a FE high fidelity model of the joint with Abaqus/Explicit.
- Development of an equivalent efficient model of the joint.
- Experimental and numerical investigation of the impact response of the joint, since bird strike is a serious threat for joints.
The thesis will be based on one of the aforementioned points, and the student will be involved in both numerical and experimental activities.
Contact
Edoardo Novembre – edoardo.novembre@polimi.it
Investigation of Structural Battery Systems
Volta Structural Energy is developing cutting edge structural batteries that could be implemented in the next generation of eVTOL aircrafts or in electric vehicles. The student will be involved in numerical and maybe experimental activities that aim to assess design and manufacturing strategies for this innovative technology. The main topics are:
- Detailed design of enhanced multi-layered and multi-functional panels through FE analyses
- Physical assembly of the panels
- Experimental evaluation of stiffness, strength and damage tolerance for engineering applications
Contact
Edoardo Novembre – edoardo.novembre@polimi.it
Structural Health Monitoring of an eVTOL frame element
The thesis will be focused on the structural health monitoring of an eVTOL frame element made of composite material with optical fiber sensors. The monitoring will be carried out creating a Digital Twin of the structure using the Finite Elements and calibrating the numerical model with experimental results to obtain a high-fidelity Finite Element model of the frame element.
The Digital Twin will be then exploited to monitor the state of integrity of the structure using Machine Learning tools, and an experimental campaign will be performed in laboratory to assess the damage detection performance.
The thesis verts on different innovative aspects, like the Digital Twin, Machine Learning tools, and eVTOLs, which represent the future of the low-medium range air transportation.
Contact
Pietro Ballarin, PhD – pietro.ballarin@polimi.it