Unprecedented £225M investment to create UK’s most powerful supercomputer in Bristol aligns with the UK-ARC ambition to exploit the potential of AI.
Aerospace applications are a potential heavy users of the AI capability in aero design and optimisation, so the investment last November is good news for academics contributions to aerospace advancement.
The National Composites Centre (NCC) which will host Isambard-AI
Imperial College London’s Brahmal Institute has launched the Doctoral Programme in Sustainable Aviation, which will support 10 students a year on projects that advance our understanding
of the effects of aviation on the environment, work towards an equitable net-zero aviation sector, and/or address industrially relevant challenges that would need Imperial’s unique strengths. For further details please go to www.imperial.ac.uk/brahmal-institute/dpsa.
Swansea University will be launching a brand-new taught MSc programme in
Sustainable Aviation inSeptember 2024.
The degree programme will be open to students with a background in aerospace/aeronautical engineering, physics or maths and more information on the course, including details on how to apply, can be found at: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/coming-soon/
The UK-Metamaterials Network kicked off its second phase with a 3-day conference in May to set out plans and share research developments. The programme – found here – show the exciting potential of metamaterials. Several UK-ARC university academics presented research and we engaged in panel discussions in view of the connection with the UK-ARC Material and Manufacturing theme. The work of the Metamaterials network links well with ambitions of the UK-ARC materials and manufacturing theme.
A new turbojet engine test rig, funded by a University of Manchester capital expenditure grant, was delivered to the Engineering Building, and successfully commissioned in June 2024. The rig houses mini turbojet engines that produce up to 250 N of static thrust and comes initially with three identical instrumented engines that can be easily swapped to cater to different specifications. The engines have been modified with instrumentation to provide pressure and temperature measurements at the key stations, as well as accurate rpm, airflow, and fuel flow sensors. The fuel and lubricant system have been modified to allow alternative fuels to be tested. Noise measurements are also possible with dedicated instrumentation. The facility is available for industry and academic use and further information is available from A.Filippone@manchester.ac.uk
The University of Southampton has been awarded a new grant of £2M to construct a refractive index-matched facility that will help carry out flow measurements of complex aerodynamic flows. The facility allows access to near-surface and near-wall information that is crucial to understanding and predicting the drag and noise characteristics of flow over aerodynamic surfaces. For more information, please contact Prof. Bharath Ganapathisubramani (G.Bharath@soton.ac.uk).
Imperial’s Department of Aeronautics biannual research showcase will take place on . The event is free to attend. For further details, please go to https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/178346/aeronautics-research-showcase-2024/
The event will include:
Keynote
Sue Partridge, Head of the Wing of Tomorrow Programme and Airbus Commercial Aircraft UK Country Manager
Professor Mark Price from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast has been awarded a prestigious 5-year Fellowship by EPSRC. The Open Plus Fellowship is called “DECIDE for Net Zero” Supported by Rolls-Royce and Spirit Aerosystems its core focus is Engineering Design and aims to put theoretical underpinning to how constraints can be managed and evolved in complex engineered systems like aircraft, and the challenge of developing net zero flight solutions that can be manufactured sustainably. In the Plus part of the Fellowship Professor Price will work with the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) and the National Composites Centre (NCC) in support of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult’s drive to speed the UK transition to faster digital design. This exciting project begins 1st October 2024. If you would like further information or to engage with the project, please contact m.price@qub.ac.uk directly.
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Innovation for Sustainable Composites Engineering Led by the University of Bristol with the University of Nottingham will provide a means of achieving environmental neutrality for composite products through production, service, and reuse. With strong sector support, the CDT’s research topics include the pursuit of more sustainable composite materials, which create inherently sustainable composite solutions, able to perform in diverse environments, and made using new scientific advances, with new energy efficient, waste-free manufacturing procedures. The CDT will explore the design freedoms and weight savings offered by reinforced polymer, metal and ceramic-based composite materials in a mission to make them key enablers for the UK’s journey to Net-Zero.
AMIC – Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre
Queen University Belfast is a key player in the new Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre being established in Northern Ireland. This exciting project is seeing a direct investment of almost £100M in a state-of-the-art Factory of the Future facility being constructed just outside Belfast.
AMIC is the foundation for a new generation of engineers and innovators in the region playing their part in helping to keep the UK as a global leader in aerospace manufacturing. AMIC offers opportunity to academia to work closely with industry. If you would like further information or to have a conversation with the AMIC team please contact the CEO Professor Sam Turner at: s.turner@qub.ac.uk