Plenary Lecture
Impact and Crashworthiness of Composite Structures: Delamination Failure
Professor Hessam Ghasemnejad
School of Aerospace & Aircraft Engineering
Kingston University
London, UK
E-mail: h.ghasemnejad@kingston.ac.uk
Abstract: Crashworthiness of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials and structures is classified based on their deformation, failure and absorption of the crushing energy in a controllable behaviour. Energy absorption is therefore considered as an important factor in design of composite structures. Despite extensive investigations on the energy absorbing capabilities of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composite absorbers under axial loading, the off-axis crashworthy behaviour of composite absorbers remains unknown. The interlaminar crack propagation (delamination failure) is known as one of the factors which affect the progressive crushing modes and energy absorption capability of laminated FRP composite tubular structures.
Brief Biography of the Speaker: He was awarded a PhD in Aerospace Engineering in 2009 following successful completion of his MSc with Distinction in Automotive Engineering from Kingston University, London. Upon completion of his PhD degree, he was appointed as a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Kingston University London. In 2011 he received his fast-track early promotion to Senior Lecturer position in Composite Materials in the school of Aerospace and Aircraft Engineering. His main research areas are focused on the damage tolerance and failure modes in the laminated composite structures under various loading conditions such as buckling, post-buckling, fatigue, impact and crash. He experimentally, analytically and numerically has demonstrated the effect of the interlaminar crack propagation in Mode-I, Mode-II and Mixed Mode I/II on the progressive crushing modes and energy absorption capability of laminated FRP composite sub-structures. Since his academic appointment in 2009 he has supervised more than 25 research projects on Composite Materials. He has regularly published the outcomes of his research in more than 40 major international peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journals and conferences. He is also member of EPSRC Peer Review College and acts as member of editorial board and international scientific committees of international journals and conferences.