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327-2103-00L 4 Credits MSC D-MATL
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Advanced Composite and Adaptive Material Systems

Lecturers & Examiners: Dr. Frank Jörg Clemens, Bernhard Weisse
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:36:28

Abstract

Enables materials scientists to work in a wide range of advanced composite and adaptive material systems. Emphasis is placed on developing advanced knowledge and understanding of their design, manufacturing, structure and properties, characterisation and applications.

Objective

Enables materials scientists to work in a wide range of advanced composite and adaptive material systems. Emphasis is placed on developing advanced knowledge and understanding of their design, manufacturing, structure and properties, characterisation and applications.

Content

The course will comprise a balance of lectures, tutorials, student presentations and laboratory classes. In addition, case study site visits will be made for certain topics to illustrate the industrial application of particular technologies. More and more, the interest in particle and fibre reinforced / structural composite materials is increasing. In beginning, the main focus will be on the production of functional fibres, e.g., for fibre-based sensor and actuator composites with polymers, metals and ceramics. Optical, piezoelectric, shape memory and other fibres for advanced composite applications will be treated in detail. There will be a discussion on fibre classification, fibre production (ceramic and others), adaptive and smart materials, types of sensors and actuators (e.g. made from electro-active polymers), and sensor networks with piezoelectric composites (e.g., Active or Macro Fibre Composites) for adaptive material systems or structural health monitoring (SHM) of advanced composite structures. Furthermore, students will get an overview of biomedical composites and composite application in the field of aerospace, automotive, civil engineering, and energy industry. Emphasis will be put on the underlaying science of a particular process or effect rather than a detailed description of the technique or equipment. Manufacturing of actuators driven by electro-active polymers (EAP) and sensors applications of Active Fibre Composites (AFC) will be studied in laboratory classes. Case studies and examples drawn from structural and functional applications of advanced composite and adaptive material systems will be demonstrated.

Resources

Lecture Notes

will be distributed

Literature

Composite Materials: Engineering and Science by F. L. Matthews, R. D. Rawlings. Publisher: CRC Press, 1999. Adaptronics and smart structures : basics, materials, design, and applications by H. Janocha. Publisher Springer 1999; Berlin, New York. Smart structures : analysis and design by A.V. Srinivasan, D. Michael McFarland. Publisher Cambridge University Press, 2001; Cambridge, New York. Structural health monitoring by D. Balageas, C.-P. Fritzen, A. Güemes. Publisher iSTE, 2006; ISBN: 1-905209-01-0.

General Information

Language
English
Levels
MSC
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
end-of-semester examination
Semesterendprüfung mündlich 30 Minuten; Sprache wahlweise Englisch oder Deutsch; Gesamtnote = Durchschnitt aus benoteter Semesterendprüfung (2/3) und obligatorischem Leistungselement (1/3)Das obligatorische Leistungselement besteht aus einem 20 min. Vortrag zum Thema "adaptive materials and smart systems".

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture Advanced Composite and Adaptive Material Systems
  • Tue 13:45-15:30 (HCI D 6)
2 h weekly
exercise Advanced Composite and Adaptive Material Systems
  • Wed 15:45-17:30 (HCI D 6)
2 h weekly

Offered In