📖Program Curriculum
Course modules
Compulsory modules
All the modules in the following list need to be taken as part of this course.
Introduction to Materials Engineering
Aim
The aim of this module is to enable you to analyse the structure and properties of materials, to relate fabrication processes with structure and properties, and assess how this determines materials properties, and apply this knowledge to materials in applications.
Syllabus
Introduction to materials: Atomic structure, crystal structure, imperfections, diffusion, mechanical properties, dislocations and strengthening mechanisms, phase diagrams, phase transformations, solidification, corrosion.
Basic and alloy steels, tensile behaviour of metals, work and precipitation hardening, recovery and recrystallisation.
Structural steels - C-Mn ferrite-pearlite structural steels, specifications and influence of composition, heat treatment and microstructure on mechanical properties. Fracture, weldability and the influence of welding on mechanical properties.
Corrosion Resistant Materials - Stainless steels - austenitic, ferritic, martensitic and duplex stainless steels- compositions, microstructures, properties.
Welding and joining processes, weld metal, heat affected zones and weld cracking.
Non-metallic Materials - Polymers and composites manufacturing issues, physical properties and mechanical behaviour. Structure and properties and applications of ceramics.
Principles underlying electrical and magnetic properties of materials.
Intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
1. Analyse material structures on a micro and macro scale, and correlate micro structure to mechanical performance.
2. Relate the chemical composition, microstructure and processing route for steels and non-ferrous alloys with the resulting mechanical properties.
3. Compare and contrast fracture, corrosion and welding behaviour for a variety of alloys.
4. Describe and evaluate a range of manufacturing processes for composites and ceramics and explain important properties of these classes of material with respect to typical applications.
5. Relate magnetic and electrical behaviour of materials to specific materials.
Sustainable Aerospace Materials
Aim
To evaluate sustainable materials issues and challenges in processing and performance requirements relevant to aerospace and space applications.
Syllabus
• Review requirements for airframe, aero engines and space applications.
• Structural metals, lightweight alloys eg aluminium, magnesium, titanium.
• Ceramic and ceramic matrix composites.
• Structures containing both carbon fibre reinforced composite and metal (hybrids) and composite performance.
• Sustainable and critical aerospace materials.
• Maintenance and vehicle heath monitoring.
• Operative environment and corrosion issues.
• Phases of a product life cycle.
Intended learning outcomes On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
1. Explain requirements from classes of aerospace materials for airframe, aero engine and space materials discussing suitability in the context of specific applications.
2. Select the most appropriate material for parts of a range of aerospace and space craft components considering the likely requirements and issues of sustainability.
3. Describe methods of processing aerospace materials particularly joining issues and propose suitable routes for selected applications.
4. Appraise manufacturer’s requirements in the context of product life cycle, maintenance and health monitoring.
Composites Manufacturing for High Performance Structures
Aim
To provide a detailed awareness of current and emerging manufacturing technology for high performance composite components and structures and an understanding of materials selection and the design process for effective parts manufacturing.
Syllabus
• Background to thermosetting and thermoplastic polymer matrix composites.
• Practical demonstrations – lab work.
• Overview of established manufacturing processes, developing processes, automation and machining.
• Introduction to emerging process developments; automation, textile preforming, through thickness reinforcement.
• Design for manufacture, assembly techniques and manufacturing cost.
• Case studies from aerospace, automotive, motorsport, marine and energy sectors.
• DVD demonstrations of all processing routes.
Intended learning outcomes On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
1. Describe a range of modern manufacturing techniques for thermoset and thermoplastic type composites.
2. Select appropriate manufacturing techniques for a given composite structure/ application and describe current areas of technology development for composites processing.
3. Demonstrate or describe practical handling of prepregs and a range of fibre forms and resins.
4. Use the design process for high performance composite structures and appraise the influence on design to the manufacturing process.
5. Evaluate performance-cost balance implications of materials and process choice.
Functional Materials
Aim
To provide you with specialist training in functional materials and devices for applications in aerospace and space. The module will explore the way in which different functional and nano materials can be used and structured for energy, transport and aerospace.
Syllabus
• Functional materials for energy
o Electrochemical energy storage, alternative energy storage.
• Materials and devices used in aerospace
o Radiation detectors in space.
o Battery & supercapacitor technologies.
o Photo, thermo, electrochromic devices.
o PV & solar cells.
• Materials and devices used in aerospace
o sensors.
o actuators.
o graphene.
Intended learning outcomes On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
1. Describe the operation of a range of small sensing devices derived from functional materials.
2. Select and develop a sensing solution for different environmental situations.
3. Design or critique devices for a specific application in the context of aerospace.
4. Critically evaluate novel devices for sensing solutions.
Failure of Materials and Structures
Aim
To provide an understanding of why materials and structures fail and how failure conditions can be predicted in metallic and non-metallic components and structures.
Syllabus
• Overview of failure behaviour of cracked bodies; crack size influence, brittle and ductile behaviour; influence of material properties. Cyclic loading and chemical environment. Thermodynamic criteria and energy balance; Griffith’s approach, modifications by Orowan. Strain energy release rate, compliance, applications to fibre composites.
• LEFM and crack tip stress fields, stress concentration, stress intensity, plane stress and plane strain. Fracture toughness in metallic materials, fracture toughness testing, calculations of critical defect sizes and failure stress. Crack tip plastic zones; the HRR field, CTOD, J Elastic- plastic failure criteria. Defect assessment failure assessment diagrams.
• Fracture of rigid polymers and standard tests for fracture resistance of polymers. Delamination fatigue tests. Emerging CEN/ISO standards, current ESIS test procedures.
• Crack extension under cyclic loading; Regimes of fatigue crack growth; Influence of material properties and crack tip plastic zones; Calculation of crack growth life and defect assessment in fatigue; Crack closure and variable amplitude loading; Short cracks and the limits of LEFM.
• Software design tools for fatigue crack growth.
• Static loading-stress corrosion cracking; corrosion fatigue.
Intended learning outcomes On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
1. Assess the different regimes and processes of failure of cracked bodies and describe the factors controlling them and the boundaries and limits between them.
2. Explain the principles of Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) and demonstrate their application to cracks in brittle, ductile and fibre composites through calculation of static failure conditions.
3. Calculate the limits of applicability of LEFM and apply modified predictive tools such as elastic-plastic fracture mechanics and failure assessment diagrams for calculation of failure.
4. Appraise fracture mechanics to failure of cracked bodies under cyclic loads and under aggressive chemical environments to evaluate and predict service lives of structures.
5. Evaluate laboratory fracture mechanics data and critically assess its validity for application to particular engineering situations.
Finite Element Analysis
Aim
Provide you with both an introduction to the theory underpinning finite element analysis (FEA) and hands on experience using the well-established FEA package.
Syllabus
Overview of element discretisation, FEA method, pre-processing, solution and post-processing, basic terminology, range of applications.
Introduction to concepts of constitutive equations for linear elasticity.
Introduction to concepts of nodal displacement, element shape functions for 1D and 2D linear-elastic structures.
Introduction of FEA matrices, equations and critical steps to an FEA solution.
Presentation of commercial FEA software packages.
Presentation of FEA for mechanical analysis using various element types: bars, beams, 2D, 3D, shell elements.
Presentation of FEA for heat transfer analysis, equivalence with other field problems, convergence issue, boundary conditions, model creation and solution.
Presentation of CAD model, meshing, symmetry, model development, implementation of force boundary conditions, solution, and post processor analysis.
Advanced FEA analysis: geometric non-linearity, material non-linearity, contact problems, dynamic problems, and explicit solution.
Applications of FEA to enhanced mechanical designs: Optimisation.
Case studies on metallic and composite structures
Intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
1. Recognise finite element analysis (FEA) methodology and uses by comparing principles, assumptions, and case studies to state-of-the-art.
2. Recognise and examine the limitations associated with the use of FEA in actual applications.
3. Demonstrate an approach for solving a range of actual problems.
4. Evaluate considerations for applying FEA to component modelling.
5. Critically assess the results obtained from FEA by comparing FEA solutions from fundamental matrix operations, constitutive equations, and a commercial software.
Materials Selection
Aim
The aim of this module is to provide you with the knowledge and skills required to enable them to carry out the selection of appropriate materials for a wide range of engineering and other applications. The module also encourages the use of knowledge of a range of materials properties and skills acquired during other modules on the course.
Syllabus
• Principles of materials selection: Materials selection procedures. Check lists. Elementary stressing calculations. Choice of fabrication techniques. Case studies. Data sources. Material selection group exercise. Material selection individual exercise.
• Specific polymers and composites: The structure, properties, processing characteristics and applications for the commercially important polymers. General classes of polymers: commodity, engineering and speciality thermoplastics, thermosetting resins, rubbers. Variation in behaviour within families of polymers: crystallinity, rubber toughened grades; reinforced and filled polymers.
• Specific metals, alloys: The metallurgy, properties, applications and potentialities of metals and alloys in a wide variety of engineering environments. Specific metals and alloys both for general use and for more demanding applications. Titanium, nickel and magnesium based alloys, intermetallics, steels. The design of alloys, current developments in the field of light alloys, steels, high temperature materials. Development of current aerospace aluminium alloys: precipitation hardening, effect of precipitates on mechanical properties, designation of aluminium alloys, alloys based on Al-Cu, alloys based on Al-Zn. Applications.
• Introduction to engineering ceramics: introduction to particulate engineering, thermodynamic and kinetic requirements for powder processing, Interparticle forces.
• Ceramic forming techniques, Sintering and densification, processing related properties of ceramics: structural and functional.
Intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module you should be able to demonstrate:
1. Recognise and examine a wide range of materials and their properties that will enable students to undertake materials selection effectively, using appropriate reference sources (books, data sheets, computer databases etc).
2. Evaluate materials with respect to material properties and manufacturing processes for a given design specification or application.
3. Use and appraise a systematic approach to the selection of material(s) to meet the requirements of a component design brief.
4. Prepare and present effective oral or written presentations to justify materials selection
Surface Science and Engineering
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