This Module on Composites is addressed to graduates in Engineering (Mechanical, Civil, Aeronautical, etc.), Materials Science or Physics.
The contents of the Module in Composites provide the student with the capabilities to design and process advanced composites for structural applications, preparing him/her for an engineer career in a related industry and, if the student wishes, opening the door for continuing to a Ph.D. thesis.
It focuses specifically on the mechanical behaviour of continuous-fibre reinforced polymer-matrix composites (such as carbon-fibre reinforced composites or other advanced long-fibre reinforced composites), and their computational design and analysis.
This Module may be taken full-time in one year or part-time over two years.
The finite element method in structural mechanics: The course introduces the student on the resolution of mechanical and structural problems using the Finite Element Method. The course emphasizes the formulation to understand how finite element methods work rather than black-box recipes. The course covers the formulation of finite element methods for linear-elastic problems and provides the foundation for other advanced computational mechanics courses.
Solid mechanics: This course introduces theoretical concepts such as conservation principles, equations of movement and behaviour in material mechanics, strain and stress and elasticity, failure criteria, damage and plasticity modelling. Practical aspects are also covered including tests in mechanical laboratory, extensometry and digital image correlation and examples of engineering problems.
Fracture mechanics: This module introduces the theoretical background to predict the failure of a structural component and describes the computational techniques that make use of these approaches in modern design.
Pre and post-process tools for structural finite element analyses: This course introduces the different modelling techniques and options available in commercial finite element packages. The student will learn from basic modelling and meshing techniques to more advanced aspects such as non-linear analyses involving non-linear behaviour of materials or contact, heat transfer and dynamic analysis.
Applied mechanics of materials and structures (1st and 2nd Phases): Applied examples of real and simulated cases in engineering of mechanics of materials and structures. Cases of problem solving and projects in mechanics of materials and structures in different areas: products and machinery industry, transport industry (vehicles, aerospace, etc.) and building.
Seminars on mechanics of materials and structures (1st and 2nd Phases): This course introduces different aspects related to the mechanics of materials and structures such as computational tools, types and selection of structural materials and experimental techniques for the mechanical characterization of structural materials. Statistical techniques and methods in mechanics of materials and structures and scientific and technical communication techniques are also covered.
Design and analysis of composites with finite elements: In this course the student will learn how to design and analyse composite materials using computational and finite element methods including analysis of elastic properties, lamination theory, hygrothermal effects, failure criteria, delamination and micromechanics.
Manufacturing and experimental techniques for composites: This course introduces the different manufacturing techniques of fibre-reinforced composite materials describing and analysing the range of applications and properties. Typical tests, standard and non-standard, for the mechanical characterisation of composite materials are described and analysed.
Advanced structural analysis: In this course you will learn about the basis and application of computational methods for the analysis of structures, with special emphasis on non-linear analysis with Finite Element Method. Material and geometrical nonlinearities, buckling, creep and time effects will be among the topics developed. The concepts will be applied to composite, steel and concrete structures.
Optimisation in engineering mechanics: The course covers the main theoretical aspects on optimization: Formulation of the optimization problem; Classical (differential) methods; Modern methods: genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, ant colony optimization; Multiobjective optimization. Nevertheless, the approach is practical since different softwares are used to solve the optimization problems: Excel, MATLAB, ANSYS. Simple but real-life mechanical engineering problems are presented and solved in class and by the student.
Finally, students undertake a full-time project beginning in March-April, and until the beginning of September. It is expected that most of the projects will be related to activities of interest to the industries that collaborate with the master and/or related to running research projects within the research group AMADE of the University of Girona. Company internships are also possible for students that prefer to undertake the bulk of their project in industry.
In the MMS Master my lessons are based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and fluid structure interaction (FSI) analysis. My research activity is focused on thermoelectric energy harvesting, particularly in electricity generation by thermoelectric devices from vehicle exhaust pipe.
- Dr. Ever Barbero (West Virginia University, USA)
- Dr. Antonio Ferreira (University of Porto, Portugal)
- Dr. Stepan V. Lomov (KU Leuven, Belgium)
- Dr. Silvestre Pinho (Imperial College of London, UK)
- Dr. Pedro P. Camanho (University of Porto, Portugal)
- Dr. Carlos González (IMDEA-Materials, Spain)
- Dr. Anthony Pickett (Universität Stuttgart, Germany)
- Dr. Giusseppe Catalanotti (Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland)
- Dr. Frans Van der Meer (TU Delft, The Netherlands)
- Dr. José Sena-Cruz (University of Minho in Guimarães, Portugal)
- Dr. Julien Jumel (Université of Boudeaux, France)
- Dr. Frederic Laurin (ONERA – The French Aerospace Lab)