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CCM Faculty Profile: Jack R. Vinson

Researchers at the US Army Research Laboratory and CCM are collaboratively investigating the feasibility of smart materials for use as actuators and/or aerodynamic control surfaces for smart munition guidance and control.

Part of the Composite Materials Technology (CMT) program, the “smart fin” project is led by Jack R. Vinson, H. Fletcher Brown Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. A founder of CCM, Vinson has been involved in a wide variety of composites-related projects during the past four decades.

The smart fin is used to maneuver small aerial vehicles by controlling the twist angle of the fin, which is constructed with a composite laminated plate that incorporates an active piezoelectric layer. Potential capabilities of the smart fin include improved tracking of a moving target, changing targets in mid-flight, and moving around an obstacle to the flight path—e.g., a building or a mountain.


Jack R. Vinson,
H. Fletcher Brown Professor of
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Vinson was recruited for the project because of his past experience in working with piezoelectric (PZ) materials. “We initiated the work in 2001, and we started small,” he says. A team that initially included only Vinson and graduate student Jamie Arters has grown to encompass more than a dozen University and Army researchers.

According to current graduate student Aaron Hickman, who joined the project this summer after earning his bachelor's degree at the U.S. Naval Academy, technical barriers include weight and size limitations, in-flight loads, and power supply. “But we're confident that these are challenges and not impediments to realization of the technology,” he says.

As the project has progressed, changes have been made in both the original design and the material used. “We started with ceramic PZ materials, but they proved to be too brittle and fragile even in the laboratory environment,” says Vinson. “We then turned to macro-fiber composites, known as MFCs.”

Developed by Dr. Keats Wilkie of ARL, MFCs offer a more robust solution to the problem, as they are very flexible and durable. MFCs combine PZ and composite material technologies that use interdigitated electrodes to apply voltage to the PZ fibers.

The new design is also an improvement, in that it features fewer moving parts, no reduction in payload, and low power requirements. It also offers the potential for a broader range of applications, whereas the original design was used primarily in projectiles.

The smart fin project incorporates a number of components, including (1) performance predictions (analytical solutions and minimum potential energy solutions); (2) benchtop testing in the form of applied load testing and applied voltage tests; and (3) wind tunnel testing to demonstrate fin performance and examine the presence of flutter at speeds up to about 200 MPH.

The results of the wind tunnel tests show that the current actuator design can provide control authority for subsonic, low angle-of-attack flight. The work has also shown the pathway to further improvements necessary for higher velocity flight.

Current work focuses on maximizing achievable deflection without inducing flutter. The team is also working on better characterization methods for existing actuators. Improvements have been made to the test setup, and plans are being developed for the next round of wind tunnel testing, which is conducted at several specialized facilities throughout the country, including the University of Maryland and Texas A&M. “We also have an ongoing dialogue with Dr. Wilkie to ensure that we're using the best piezoelectric devices possible,” says Hickman.

Vinson credits ARL researcher Travis Bogetti with being a key person on the project. “He's the glue that holds the team together,” says Vinson. “He's a great behind-the-scenes leader, and he keeps the program on track. The progress we've made to date has exceeded our most optimistic predictions about how the project would proceed.”

Vinson is also optimistic about the potential of the technology for broader applications—for example, unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. “UAV wings are bigger, but the PZ materials we're using might be useful for some UAVs,” he says. “The main limitation we have right now is the size of the material.”

But Vinson is confident that the continuous evolution of materials technology will enable further progress in the development of the smart fin and other applications of PZ materials.

The team's circle of collaborators continues to grow as well. “Most recently, a group from Australia has expressed interest in teaming with us on the wind tunnel tests,” Vinson says. “People seem to keep coming to us as we develop this new capability.”

PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS

Rapid Tooling Fabrication by 2Phase Technologies and CCM

UD-CCM and 2Phase Technologies ( www.2Phasetech.com ) have successfully fabricated a mold plug for a CH-47 helicopter component using the 2Phase tooling system recently installed at CCM. The new tooling system is a rapidly reconfigurable tool bed that provides nearly instant manufacture of tools with complex geometries.

Capabilities
Molds fabricated with the 2Phase system can be processed at temperatures up to 350F and pressures up to 100 psi. The tooling can be formed to high tolerance in less than 30 minutes, and in combination with the Vacuum-Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) process allows true low-cost prototyping and production of complex composite parts.


2Phase reconfigurable tooling allows rapid fabrication of dimensional accurate molds for hand lay-up and infusion processes

How the Tooling System Works
The 2Phase tooling system allows pattern shapes to be pressed into a forming bed while the tooling material is in the liquid form, and then the material is consolidated and turned into a rock-like hard state. Once part fabrication is complete the tool may be returned to its liquid-like form, readying it to create a tool for a different part.

Current Use
Current use of this technology at CCM is targeting composite applications for sheet metal replacement of vehicle components and helicopter repair. UD-CCM and 2Phase are working together under an Aviation Applied Technology Directorate program (technical point of contact: Jon Schuck) to develop a reconfigurable tooling systems (RTS) for depot level repair for improved maintenance of critical Army vehicles and aircraft. The prototype helicopter component mold plug was fabricated for a CH-47 work platform supplied by the Boeing Corporation. In addition, CCM will work with 2Phase on a newly awarded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract to develop composite part replacement and repair methods for Army ground vehicles.

CCM wants to expand the current use of the novel tooling approach and is seeking partners for new applications. Please contact Dr. Dirk Heider for more information.

OTHER NEWS

USDA Awards Grant to Develop Bio-Based Products

CCM-affiliated faculty member Richard P. Wool has been awarded a four-year, $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop bio-based advanced materials. Wool is professor of chemical engineering and director of the Affordable Composites from Renewable Resources (ACRES) program. He is also the coauthor of a new book on green materials.

Wool said the grant will fund two main projects, one on the use of soy resins and chicken feathers to develop computer circuit boards in cooperation with Intel Corp. and the second on the use of chicken feathers to create high-performance, low-cost carbon fibers.

In developing soy resins and chicken feathers for use in circuit boards, Wool said the research team hopes “to make the electronics materials business a little more Earth friendly.”

Currently, the manufacture of circuit boards is petroleum based and highly energy intensive, and therefore puts a strain on the environment, Wool said. The effect of that strain is magnified by the enormous number of electronic components being manufactured worldwide.

In most cases, today's circuit boards are made of an epoxy-fiberglass composite. Wool would replace the epoxy with a biodegradable soybean oil resin and the fiberglass with chicken feathers.

The use of this technology in circuit board manufacturing would have double environmental benefits, Wool said, in the replacement of petroleum-based products with sustainable materials and in the disposal of tons of waste chicken feathers.

“It is estimated that farms generate 6 billion pounds of chicken feathers annually as a waste material,” Wool said. “They are hard to dispose of because they do not burn very well, and they can be considered a biohazard, given recent outbreaks of avian flu.”

Furthermore, Wool said he believes the circuit boards will be superior to current components because they will make use of a unique property of chicken feathers—they are hollow and, as such, allow for the very rapid movement of electronic signals.

The ACRES research group will undertake the project in cooperation with Dennis W. Prather, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, who directs a nanoscale fabrication facility and is also affiliated with CCM.

The second part of the project will concern the carbonization of chicken feathers. “Chicken feathers do not have a great deal of strength, but you can make strong carbon fibers out of chicken feathers,” Wool said. “The feathers are unique because they remain hollow in a carbonized state, thus offering strength with reduced weight, which could be quite significant.”

Wool said the carbonized chicken feathers could have applications in a variety of manufacturing areas, particularly in the aeronautics and automotive industries.

The UD research group will collaborate with researchers from Boston University , who are developing hydrogen fuel cells.

Adapted from an article by Neil Thomas, UDaily , August 4, 2005

Governor's School for Excellence Students Tour CCM

On July 20, a group of 12 rising juniors from Delaware High Schools visited CCM for a brief introduction to the world of composite materials. The students were participating in a program called the Governor's School for Excellence. Gifted students with a keen interest in science and humanities are given an opportunity to participate in programs designed to stimulate career interests. As part of the science program sponsored by the University of Delaware Engineering Outreach Program, headed by Assistant Dean Kathy Werrell of the College of Engineering, students spent three hours with Jeff Lawrence, a CCM Research Professional, learning about manufacturing processes for composite materials.

The session started with an introduction to composites, which included formation, benefits, uses, and manufacturing processes using Liquid Composite Molding. An interactive presentation was followed by a CCM lab tour, where students could see the process at work and examine products (including a U. S. Army HMMWV hood) produced using this process.


Research Professional Steve Andersen explains
virtual manufacturing of the HMMWV hood
After a discussion of virtual manufacturing of the HMMWV hood, led by Steve Andersen, another CCM Research Professional , students had the opportunity to actually see a real HMMWV as Steve discussed the military needs for the composite hood and other vehicle parts. The students also had the opportunity to participate in some demonstrations led by CCM Graduate Students Amanda Lim and Solange Amouroux , and CCM Research Professional Ahmad Abu- Obaid on their specific research topics. After the lab tour, students were given a “hands on” opportunity, by Jeff, to use the LCM simulation computer program. Using their newfound knowledge, they were given the challenge of using the computer to help them to find the best injection location to minimize the filling time of a HMMWV trailer mold. The students enjoyed the virtual manufacturing exercise and tour at CCM and had only one complaint at the end of their day ….that they needed more than one day in Engineering.

CCM Hosts 2005 Spacebeam Challenge

July is the traditional month for the CCM Spacebeam Challenge. In cooperation with the Delaware Aerospace Academy, CCM hosted 32 middle-school students in an opportunity to learn about composites science and technology. Now in its thirteenth year, the Space Beam Challenge enables "Space Cadets" from the Delaware Aerospace Academy to learn about engineering through a variety of hands-on projects, from building bridges and operating robotic arms in space to launching satellites.

Dr. Erik Thostenson, Associate Scientist & Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, presented an overview on composite materials at the beginning of the two-day experience. Following a tour and demonstrations of CCM equipment, the "space cadets" built composite beams.

Winning team Antares 4 with CCM graduate student Solange Amouroux gluing their beam

CCM graduate students Justin Clews, Solange C. Amouroux, Andres Leal, and Valentin Neacsu and undergraduates Mike Fuqua, Stephen Koellhoffer, James Powell, and Alex Reeser led the tour, gave demonstrations, and helped with beam fabrication and testing. The beams were weighed and loaded to failure by Johnny Thiravong. The Antares 4 team had the winning beam with a load-to-weight ratio of 9370. Abigail Scout, Cadet at the Delaware Space Academy, remarked "I had a lot of fun putting together our space beams."

The Delaware Aerospace Academy is an educational program of the Delaware Aerospace Education Foundation (DASEF), a non-profit organization dedicated to "enlightening and inspiring the minds of the students and the general public of the State of Delaware and its surrounding geographic area, in preparation for meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century."

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Bio-Based Polymers and Composites
The first book on using crops to make high performance materials, written by Richard Wool, Professor of Chemical Engineering and ACRES Program Director at CCM, and X. Susan Sun, Kansas State University, was published on July 19. This book describes how to make green plastics, adhesives, and composites from soyoil, proteins, starch, natural fibers, recycled newspapers, chicken feathers, and waste agricultural by-products. Plant science, genetic engineering, food science, chemistry, physics, nano-technology, and composite manufacturing are integrated into the interdisciplinary approach needed to transform common crop plants into engineering materials. The book titled, "Bio-Based Polymers and Composites," is published by Elsevier's Academic Press and is available through that website.


CONSORTIUM NEWS

CCM would like to welcome L & L Products, Romeo, MI and Siemens Power Corporation, Orlando, FL, to the University-Industry Consortium. 3Tex, Inc, Carey, NC, Cara Plastics, Newark, DE, Composite Sourcing Solutions, Yardley, PA, and DIAB Inc., DeSoto, TX, have recently renewed their memberships and continue to participate in consortium activities.

 

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