Enhanced consolidation monitoring
4 - 22 March 2024
Biography
Shu Minakuchi is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, at the University of Tokyo. He obtained his PhD from The University of Tokyo in 2008. He has been actively working on in-situ monitoring and modelling of composite aerostructures for more than twenty years. One of his specialties is optical fibre sensor technologies to monitor the internal stress/strain state of composites. The optical fibre sensor is a very thin strain sensor with diameter less than 150-micrometer and can be embedded into composite laminates with minimal impact on the fibre bed. By fully utilizing this novel fibre-optic embedding techniques, he achieved unprecedented in situ measurement of composite deformation from the beginning of the composite structure life cycle and has utilized the measurement result for high-fidelity modelling. He participated in the international joint research and development of structural-health-monitoring technologies conducted by Airbus and Japanese industries and has collaborated with several research groups at the University of Nantes, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Delaware.
Dr. Minakuchi has recently devised an embeddable strip-type fibre-optic shape sensor to measure ply-wise consolidation deformation prior to resin solidification (i.e. before gelation). Using this technique, he was the first to successfully measure in situ deformation of composite materials during lay-up and consolidation under autoclave pressures and temperatures. To elucidate the deformation mechanism, he is planning to perform in-situ measurements using a combination of different sensors. He is also developing a simulation method to reproduce the deformation measurement results.
He has published more than 60 refereed journal papers and received the first Tsai Best Student Paper Award at the 16th International Conference on Composite Materials (ICCM, 2007), the Jaap Schijve Award from the International Committee on Aeronautical Fatigue and Structural Integrity (ICAF, 2017), and several technical paper awards from international organizations.
Research Summary
The proposed project, entitled “Enhanced Consolidation Monitoring”, represents a shared area of research between Dr Minakuchi and the host researcher and academics at the Bristol Composites Institute (BCI) on the consolidation behaviour of composites over complex geometries. Dr Minakuchi’s work on fibre optics cables and their use in measuring consolidation deformation and strains complements the use of pressure sensors for consolidation monitoring developed as part of smart tooling research within the BCI. These approaches are further complemented by the in situ X-Ray Computed Tomography (CT) scanning capabilities under development at the BCI. Combined these techniques can create a more complete image of conditions of the material throughout its volume and the boundary conditions as they evolve through time.
During the visit, several curved components, prone to consolidation driven defects, will be produced through manual lay-up and oven curing from carbon fibre epoxy pre-preg material. These components will be monitored during the cure cycle using Dr Minakuchi’s custom fibre optic cables and a mixture of the pressure sensor mats and, if viable, the in situ CT scanning approach to evaluate the consolidation behaviour with a singular joint dataset of in situ measurements. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) will then be carried out to assess overall part quality, as characterised by the presence of wrinkling, voids, and changes in thickness, radius, and corner angle. The correlation of the joint in situ measurements and the post-cure NDT will then allow a clearer picture to be established on how the composite material behaves during consolidation to result in the final part quality. The combination of these techniques presents an excellent opportunity for developing greater insight into the consolidation process of composite materials, which can be leveraged to enable improved manufacturing guidelines, simulation tools, and in situ monitoring devices for the digitization of composite manufacturing.
Details of Dr Minakuchi's lectures and seminars are listed on our Events page. You can also contact Dr Minakuchi's host, Vincent Maes, for further information.
