Micromechanics of Interacting Smart Composite Structures, Nano-Composites and Advanced Composite Materials

Exceptional expansion in applications of advanced composite materials and structures, nano-composites and smart structures in the modern technology calls for the development of rigorous modeling, design and optimization techniques. The existing mechanical models are commonly based on certain approximations and simplifications. As a result, they often lead to wrong values of local and effective properties. Accurate calculation of these properties is essential for the refined analysis and optimal design. The present proposal is aimed to solve these issues. It consists of rigorous analytical studies in modeling, design and optimization of smart composite structures and nano-composites. It includes development of micromechanical models capable of investigating effects of micro-structure and taking into account non-linearity, anisotropy, defects, interaction, coupled fields and actuation properties of smart composite materials.

The key advantage of smart composite structures is in interaction with the environment. They are subjected to external loading in the form of distributed loads and, in many applications, in form of fluid or gas interactions, i.e., air for aerospace applications and fluid/gas for naval and oil/gas applications. Therefore, it is foremost important to analyze the smart composite structures interacting with the environment. The purpose of earlier studies was calculating effective properties without taking into account external loading. The present proposal makes a very significant fundamental innovation in developing micromechanical modeling in the ensemble with the external loading on the local scale of unit cell of a smart composite structure. The proposed new rigorous analytical approach will allow taking into account all interactions on local (unit cell) level, as the multi-scale Asymptotic homogenization procedure will be applied to the rigorously formulated coupled 3D boundary-value problems. This method allows taking into account influence of the surface geometry, interaction with fluid or gas on local level, specifically capturing effects of actuator actions within each unit cell of the smart structure.

Special attention is paid in the present proposal to the advancing nano-composites. Quantum dots-based semiconductor nano-composites enable never seen before applications to science and technology. The carbon nanotubes have extraordinary mechanical properties. The new rigorous micromechanical models will be developed for the quantum dots-based nano-composites and for the carbon nanotube reinforced nano-composites.

The proposed research will represent major fundamental contribution, and it will generate results of a high practical importance to the Canadian industry in creating novel exiting opportunities in mechanical engineering and infrastructure. The major feature of the proposal is a high degree of training of HQP in the frontier research area. In five years 2 PhD, 6 Master and 20 undergraduate students will be trained.