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• Auxetics

Dr F Scarpa

Reader in Smart Structures

                        

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Dr Fabrizio Scarpa obtained a MEng in Aeronautical Engineering and a PhD in Machine Design at the Politecnico of Torino, Italy. In 1997 he joined the Dynamics Research Group at the University of Sheffield to work in the field of negative Poisson's ratio materials for vibroacoustic applications. He then became Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Sheffield working as Aerospace Departmental Coordinator and International Student Exchange Officer. He joined the Department of Aerospace Engineering in Bristol in 2005.

His research activities span the field of auxetics (foams and honeycombs), shape memory alloy honeycombs, smart multifunctional cellular solids, viscoelasticity and structural-acoustic coupling. Dr Scarpa is Principal Investigator in EPSRC, European Framework 6, Transfer Technology partnerhips and DTI projects, working also in International Collaboration projects with US Army ARO and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Dr Scarpa is a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and features in the Editorial team of the Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology Journal.

Research

Dr Scarpa is a member of the Aerospace Composites research group. His principal research interests are listed below.

Auxetic structures

 

Auxetic solids feature a negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) effect, expanding in all directions when pulled in only one. We design and manufacture cellular materials with auxetic characteristics to enhance the structural integrity, vibroacoustic signature and electromagnetic properties of novel concept of sandwich structures. Current programs involve also the design of NPR honeycombs cells with embedded MEMS for structural health monitoring and active electromagnetic compatibility. Cellular structures with NPR capabilities are also used to design novel concepts of morphing airfoils with continuous camber variation.

Passive and active NPR foams

We have modelled and manufactured samples of negative Poisson’s ratio foams using alternative production procedures from the ones illustrated in literature. Work on the area has focused on static and dynamic performance of mechanical properties, crashworthiness capabilities and absorption acoustic properties. Further studies have been carried out also on auxetic and conventional PU foams doped with magnetorheological fluid – both mechanical, acoustic and dielectric properties showed significant changes  when loaded with external magnetic fields.

We have developed conventional and auxetic honeycombs made of 1 and 2 ways shape memory alloy material. The cellular structures provide changes of stiffness with temperature loading. Large recoverable deformations can be obtained, as well as increased damping capacity under random vibration excitation. The cores can be used in sandwich structures for crashworthiness applications and in satellite-type antennas with deployability capabilities.

We have developed numerical techniques to improve the vibroacoustic prediction of sandwich and smart structures in middle and high frequency domains, using Spectral Finite Elements or wavelet-based condensation techniques on classical FEM models. Damping characteristics of sandwich structures with viscoelastic material inserts are also simulated with numerical methods improving the initial estimate given by the Modal Strain Energy method applied to classical FEM models. Recent work has focused on homogenisation numerical techniques and the use of metamodelling strategies with Genetic Programming and Artificial Neural Networks to reduce the computational costs for material of microstructure composite design.

 

Mechanics and vibrations of nanostructures

We develop analytical and FE models of carbon nanotubes and fullerenes based on atomistic-equivalent continuum models to simulate mechanical properties of nanostructured materials and vibrations of Giga and Terahertz oscillators.  The models take into account the uncertainties associated to the mechanical and geometric properties of the nanostructures to provide reduced order models for the design of nanostructures and nanoengineered materials.