The Royal Academy of Engineering has announced the appointment of four new Research Chairs and two Senior Research Fellows at universities across the UK, who will spend the next five years working with some of the world’s largest companies to tackle a broad spectrum of engineering challenges. Dr. Giuliano Allegri from Bristol Composites Institute and University of Bristol's Department of Aerospace Engineering was appointed Rolls-Royce PLC / Royal Academy of Engineering Senior Research Fellow in Physically Based Modelling of Fatigue in Composites.
Dr. Allegri's research is focused on the characterisation and prediction of fatigue damage in composite materials, aiming to introduce new strategies to ensure the durability of these materials in engineering applications. Polymer-based composites are key enablers for reducing structural weight and hence reducing CO2 emissions in the transportation sector. Lightweighting is critical to achieving a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, as stipulated by the 2015 Paris agreement. Therefore, understanding and predicting fatigue damage in composites is vital to ensuring the long-term reliability and safety of key components in hybrid-electric propulsion and working towards carbon-neutral aviation.
Mitigating fatigue damage in composite structures is very complex and has so far been based on extensive and expensive experimental characterisation. Dr. Allegri hopes to improve the engineering design and testing of composite structures, aiming to substantially reduce the development costs and time to market of novel products.
Dr. Allegri says: "The event that triggered my interest in engineering, and aerospace in particular, was the Voyager 2 flyby of Neptune on August 25, 1989. I still have a vivid recollection of the photos of the deep blue "ice giant" planet broadcast on tv. I asked myself: how can something man-made fly so fast, for so long and so far away? Among all the technical challenges associated with the Voyager endeavour, I was particularly fascinated by those associated with material and structural integrity. I pursued such an interest in my engineering studies, especially regarding the computer simulation of mechanical behaviour and the prediction of failure. These still represent the core areas of my research activity and the central themes of this Fellowship."
Professor Karen Holford, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Cardiff University and Chair of the Academy’s Research Committee, says: "Engineers are influential agents of change in our drive towards a more sustainable society and an inclusive economy. The Royal Academy of Engineering has an important role to play in promoting engineering excellence and working with industry to help achieve these goals. Over the past 20 years, our Research Chairs and Senior Research Fellows have developed numerous internationally renowned centres of research excellence and I am sure our new appointees will achieve even more."