CCM Plays a Key Role in Fire Safety Composite Initiative
CCM is currently active in the Fire Safety Composite Initiative for the Air Force. One of the goals of the initiative is to provide military firefighters with the training needed to safely respond to composite material fires. Over the last year, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), CCM, and the Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute have constructed a three-day training course, with the pilot version presented to the Dover Air Force Base Fire Department in February. The purpose of this training module is to provide civilian and military firefighters and first responders with the methodologies they need to rapidly and safely extinguish composite material fires. |
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Twenty-four firefighters from Dover AFB Fire Department, the Delaware Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserves attended the two-day course and provided feedback on the content and presentation. At their suggestion, a simulated hazardous material response exercise was added to the course. As a result, the pilot course also met the firefighters' need for this refresher.
Donald Striejewske, Fire Chief of Dover Air Force Base, noted his appreciation for the pilot course. “As first responders to emergency incidents where composite materials are involved, firefighters have to face special hazards that can affect their health and safety. This new course offered by the University of Delaware and MFRI has provided my firefighters with the training and expertise to handle such emergencies with proper care and to rapidly and safely extinguish fires involving composite materials.”
Jennifer Kiel, program manager from the Air Force Research Laboratory at Tyndall Air Force Base, noted that the participants were extremely responsive to the course. Darl McBride and T. Harmon led the portions of the course prepared by the Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute, University of Maryland .
In addition to the training goal, CCM is performing research to learn more about the effect of fires on composite materials in an airfield environment. Critical questions currently being addressed include ignition times, the effect of fires on nearby composite materials and air quality, and capabilities for identifying levels of damage in composite materials after a fire. Dr. Shridhar Yarlagadda, who is leading the CCM effort, noted "CCM is breaking new ground in looking at real issues for fire safety with the increased use of composites in aircraft."
CCM Faculty Named Delaware Engineer of the Year
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Michael Keefe, CCM-affiliated faculty from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, was named 2004 Delaware Engineer of the Year by the Delaware Engineering Society. Presented at the society's 2005 Engineer's Week Banquet on Thursday, Feb. 24, the award honors Keefe for his contributions to the engineering profession as a teacher, researcher, consultant and innovator. Professor Keefe is currently working on three-dimensional modeling of fabrics as part of the Composite Materials Technology Program.
CCM Faculty Receives Spectroscopy Award
John Rabolt, CCM-affiliated faculty and chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, was awarded the Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award during a special symposium of the Spectroscopic Society of Pittsburgh on March 1, 2005 . The award recognizes Professor Rabolt's lifelong contributions to the development of novel spectroscopic techniques and their application to the study of structure and morphology in thin organic and polymeric films.
SAMPE 2005
CCM will participate in the SAMPE '05 Conference and Exhibitionin Long Beach, May 1 – 5 with presentations and a booth. More information will be available in an upcoming newsletter.
Current Events
The weekly Research Reviews continue on Wednesdays at 12:00 . More information
Xiao, J. R., B. A. Gama, J. W. Gillespie, Jr., and E. J. Kansa, “Meshless Solutions of 2D Contact Problems by Subdomain Variational Inequality and MLPG Method with Radial Basis Functions,” Engineering Analysis with Boundary Element , 29 (2), pp. 95-106, 2005.
McCarthy, M. A., J. R. Xiao, N. Petrinic, A. Kamoulakos, and V. Melito, “ Modelling Bird Impacts on an Aircraft Wing – Part 1: Material Modelling of the Fiber Metal Laminate Leading Edge Material with Continuum Damage Mechanics, International Journal of Crashworthiness , 10 (1) pp. 41-49, 2005.
McCarthy, M. A., J. R. Xiao, C. T. McCarthy, A. Kamoulakos, J. Ramos, J. P. Gallard, and V. Melito, “Modelling Bird Impacts on an Aircraft Wing – Part 2: Modelling the Impact with an SPH Bird Model, International Journal of Crashworthiness , 10 (1), pp. 51-59, 2005.
Articles in Conference Proceedings
Andersen, S. M., and J. W. Gillespie, Jr., “Accelerated Insertion of Lightweight Materials into Military Vehicles,” Presented at the 3 rd Annual Lightweight Materials for Defense , Arlington , Feb 28 – March 2, 2005 .
Andersen, S. M., and J. W. Gillespie, Jr., MD J. Haque, D. Heider, N. Shevchenko, R. Siers, J. Sands, “Overview of the Composite Body Parts Replacement Program,” Presented at the Defense Manufacturing Conference 2004 , Las Vegas , Nov. 29 – Dec. 2, 2004 .
Gao, S., R. E. Jensen, and J. W. Gillespie, Jr., “A Study of the Mechanical Interlocking Effect on Polymer Composite Properties,” Proceeding of the 28 th Annual Meeting of the Adhesion Society , February 13-16, 2005 .
Gama, B. A., S. L. Lopatnikov, and J. W. Gillespie, jr., “Recent Advancements in Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) Technique,” 20 th International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites , Cocoa Beach, FL, January 23-28, 2005.
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