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By Ray Garner HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (June 10, 2002) - The University of Alabama in Huntsville has received $950,000 from NASA's Langley Research Center to upgrade a laboratory on campus to research methods to improve aviation safety, university officials announced today. UAH research engineers will measure and analyze new composite materials, as well as train students on research and applications of these materials. Dr. Francis Wessling, chairman of UAH's Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, said composite materials are an essential part of modern aircraft, and upgrading this laboratory will provide state-of-the-art advances in the design, analysis, fabrication and testing of these new materials. "Aviation safety and fuel economy are two issues that are extremely challenging and of utmost importance," Wessling said. "Making aircraft lighter in weight, yet stronger, increases fuel economy and safety. We are studying not only the materials that are presently used to build aircraft, but also developing new materials for future use. "This is a real help to the university to be able to investigate and enhance aviation safety. This gives our faculty and students the opportunity to use their expertise on very timely topics. We now have funds along with the talent to develop a first class laboratory in composite materials." Creating materials that have better fire resistance, higher strength, lighter weight and lower cost than present materials may be possible based on inorganic binders, rather than organic binders commonly used in composite systems. This could revolutionize the building of aircraft, ships and land vehicles. The present system of using autoclaves and high pressure and temperatures might be supplemented by other less capital and less labor-intensive methods, according to Wessling. New methods of fabrication will also provide applications on "smart" material systems. This is an emerging technology aimed at developing material and structures that can rearrange themselves to their optimum function and capabilities. Sensors, actuators, controllers and clever designs will allow these materials and structures to adapt to external changes or pressures. The means by which composite structures are fabricated could make this possibility a reality. UAH research engineers may be able to make tendons that contain 'nerves' for the structure, which, in turn, makes it possible to build a 'living' structure." As the technology evolves, engineers need to understand the optimum location of sensors and actuators, and how to efficiently connect this "nervous" system, said UAH officials. This will require experimental investigations and analyses that have never been done before, according to a UAH proposal. These smart systems will be useful on aircraft with a network of sensors that can monitor an aircraft's structural performance, but can sense problems and prevent a catastrophic failure, according to Wessling. Technology developed as a result of this research may also be useful in many other applications, according to Wessling, such as automobiles and building construction. "Knowledge gained could improve automobile crash worthiness and fuel economy. Another outcome may be safer and less costly buildings," he said. Dr. Wessling is the principal investigator on the project. Other UAH team members and their area of expertise include: Dr. John Gilbert, formulating new composite materials and expressions for predicting material responses; Dr. Kader Frendi, mechanical interactions of fluids with solid materials; Dr. Mark Lin, embedding sensors, and measuring dynamic responses; and Dr. Mark Bower, strength measurements and failure analyses. 2002 Competition Page; 2003 Competition Page
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