Division/School School of Civil, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Contract type Open Ended
Working pattern Full time
Salary £33,797 - £42,792
Closing date for applications 24-Nov-2019

As part of the Composites University Technology Centre (UTC) supported by Rolls-Royce, there is an exciting opportunity to join a world-class team conducting state of the art research for composite aircraft engine components. These components have complex geometries, tailored to achieve optimal fluid-dynamics performance, and comprise both two- and three-dimensional fibre architectures, including through-thickness reinforcement (TTR), to ensure structural integrity.

In particular this post will develop and validate numerical methods for predicting the toughening action provided by TTR, which plays a fundamental role in suppressing delamination. This will entail introducing and validating a finite-element based multi-scale and multi-physics modelling methodology, which will connect in a physically consistent fashion the composites’ micro- and meso-mechanics composites in presence of environmental effects with mechanical performance at structural level.  This project will run in close collaboration with researchers conducting experimental characterisations. High-quality numerical work and high-fidelity simulations will be a crucial part of the process of understanding and predicting failure, which are key requirements for the design and certification of composite components for aircraft engines.

Based in the Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS), within the Department of Aerospace Engineering, you will work as part of the UTC team on the ATI funded FANTASTICAL project, in collaboration with Rolls-Royce, Oxford University and Imperial College London. You will have or be working towards a PhD in Engineering / Materials Science (or closely related discipline) and have good experience of finite element analysis, including developing user-defined sub-routines, and composites failure mechanisms.

We welcome applications from all members of our community and are particularly encouraging those from diverse groups, such as members of the LGBT+ and BAME communities, to join us.