SEMINAR:Structural Health Progress towards Monitoring Industrialisation.

Abstract: The clean sky II core partnership SHERLOC project provides a detailed assessment of current Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) technologies, including piezoelectric transducers (PZT), fiber Bragg gratings (FBG), and magnetostrictive sensors, as well as methodologies for use in composite airframes. These evaluations are tailored to reflect the operational and environmental conditions typical of regional aircraft fleets. The project addresses key challenges in maintaining structural integrity and reliability while aiming to optimize efficiency and reduce maintenance costs. A building-block approach has been developed, aligned with certification guidelines, to evaluate SHM systems as integrated solutions. This approach focuses on the integrity, durability, and longevity of individual components and installations, as well as the performance of diagnostic and prognostic methods used to monitor and predict potential issues. By considering the system as a whole, the SHERLOC project seeks to ensure that SHM solutions are both practical and effective for operational use. The project has also introduced several innovations, including lightweight diagnostic films with embedded sensors and actuators produced using inkjet printing. These films are designed to minimize additional weight, making SHM systems more practical for aerospace applications. Additionally, multifunctional sensors have been developed to monitor critical parameters, such as curing processes during manufacturing and the degradation of adhesive bonds over time. These advancements help address common limitations of SHM systems and contribute to the industrialization of these technologies.This talk outlines the technological developments achieved through the SHERLOC project. It describes the process of designing and refining SHM technologies and presents the roadmap for their integration into composite aircraft fuselages. This roadmap addresses the challenges of scaling production, integrating SHM into existing manufacturing workflows, and meeting certification requirements. By focusing on these areas, the project aims to support the adoption of SHM technologies in the aviation sector, contributing to improved maintenance practices and operational efficiency.

Bio: Ferri Aliabadi has worked in the field of  Solids and Structures and has established an international reputation for his achievements in development of Computational Methods related to Fracture & Damage Mechanics. He has pioneered a new generation of boundary element methods for structural integrity analysis. Research in computational mechanics (BEM, FEM and MeshFree)  include: Acoustics noise control, Nonlinear Mechanics, Contact and Wear Mechanics, Optimisation and Reliability Analysis and MultiscaleMaterialModelling (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/structural-integrity-health-monitoring/). During the last decade, he has also pursued research and development in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) for composite airframes in collaboration with the aeronautics industry (Airbus, Leonardo) supported by significant EU funding. He has been PI and coordinator of several EU projects including SMASH and SCOPE and coordinated the SHM platform for the wing in SARISTU project. One of the latest projects is a 10 million Euro Cleansky II, core-partnership SHERLOC which he is the PI and coordinator with the aim of developing the next generation of smart (highly sensorised) composite airframe. Current projects also include EU Horizon 2020 projects BANNG and AVATAR on digital twining and ATI project with Rolls Royce related to hydrogen fuel tanks. Ferri Aliabadi has published 480 papers in leading international journals and 63 books related to Experimental and Computational Methods in Solids and Structures (  ). He has been the editor in chief of 6 international journals and is editor in chief of international journal of Multiscale Modelling (https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscinet/jmm) and  Experimental and Computational Methods in Solids and Structures book series (https://www.worldscientific.com/series/cems). He is also on the editorial board of 8 other international journals. Ferri Aliabadi has been recipient of several awards including a Distinguished Achievement Medal and the George Green Medal sponsored by Elsevier for his contribution to the field of computational mechanics. Prof Aliabadi has supervised 76 successful PhD studies and 22 post doctoral researchers. Ferri Aliabadi has coordinated and participated in 39 national and international research projects and continues to work closely with the aerospace sector in the UK and Europe. He is a frequent Keynote speaker at international conferences related to Structural Mechanics and Computational Methods and has given many lecture tours internationally on the topic.