COMPOSITE MATERIALS DESIGN, TESTING & FABRICATION COURSE THE ADVANCED COMPOSITES TECHNOLOGY PROJECT IS ACTI…

Public award description

COMPOSITE MATERIALS DESIGN, TESTING & FABRICATION COURSE THE ADVANCED COMPOSITES TECHNOLOGY PROJECT IS ACTIVELY WORKING TO IDENTIFY COMPOSITE MATERIALS AND STRUCTURAL CONCEPTS FOR THE ARES V CARGO LAUNCH VEHICLE. THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MATERIALS AND CONCEPTS UNDER CONSIDERATION ARE DEPENDENT ON COMPOSITE COMPOSITION, LAY-UP AND MANUFACTURING METHOD. MANY OF THE ENGINEERS INVOLVED IN THIS SELECTION AND DESIGN PROCESS WILL BENEFIT FROM A COURSE IN COMPOSITE MATERIALS. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT SUCH A COURSE INCLUDE COMPOSITE MATERIALS, DESIGN, AND FABRICATION, TO BENEFIT THE CURRENT ARRAY OF ACTIVITIES IN THE ACT PROJECT. ADDITIONALLY, IT IS NECESSARY THAT THE COURSE ADDRESS TOPICS OF SPECIFIC INTEREST TO THE ISSUES FACING ARES V STRUCTURES AND MATERIALS TEAMS. WE RECOMMEND DEALING EXCLUSIVELY WITH SEMINARS FOR ENGINEERS FOR SEVERAL REASONS. PRIMARILY, THE COURSE INCLUDES SEVERAL SUBJECTS WHICH ARE OF SPECIFIC INTEREST TO THE ACT PROJECT. THOSE TOPICS EXTEND BEYOND TOPICS TYPICALLY TAUGHT TO INCLUDE: 1. COMPOSITE TESTING FOR MATERIAL PROPERTIES (DAMAGE TOLERANCE OF COMPOSITES, FATIGUE, METHODS OTHER THAN A BASIS ALLOWABLES AND B BASIS ALLOWABLES PROPERTIES THAT ARE NEEDED, COST EFFICIENCY). 2. NEW MANUFACTURING METHODS (TEST CASES, EMPIRICAL DATA, FIBER PLACEMENT: CHANGES IN PREPREG METHODS, SLITTING) AND 3. ISSUES SURROUNDING FABRICATION OF LARGE COMPOSITE STRUCTURES ( I.E. 33 FT. DIAMETER AND > 70 FT. LONG, UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING PREPREG OUTLIFE, SHOPLIFE, TACKLIFE). THESE ARE UNIQUE TOPICS OFFERED BY SEMINAR FOR ENGINEERS. A CHANGE IN INSTRUCTOR WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL TIME AND MONEY TO FAMILIARIZE A NEW INSTRUCTOR ON THE ISSUES AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE ACT PROJECT. ADDITIONALLY, DR BECKWITH HAS TAUGHT AT AND COORDINATED SAMPE CONFERENCES. THESE ARE HEAVILY ATTENDED BY PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACT PROGRAM AND DR BECKWITH COMES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY OUR COLLEAGUES.