Browsing by Author "Prabhakar, Arun"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Open Access Review of Non-destructive Testing (NDT) Techniques and their applicability to thick walled composites(Elsevier, 2015-10-27) Jolly, Mark R.; Prabhakar, Arun; Sturzu, Bogdan; Hollstein, K.; Singh, R.; Thomas, S.; Foote, Peter; Shaw, AndyA tier 1 automotive supplier has developed a novel and unique kinetic energy recovery storage system for both retro-fitting and OEM application for public transport systems where periodic stop start behaviour is paramount. A major component of the system is a composite flywheel spinning at up to 36,000 rpm (600 Hz). Material soundness is an essential requirement of the flywheel to ensure failure does not occur. The component is particularly thick for a composite being up to 30 mm cross section in some places. The geometry, scale and material make-up pose some challenges for conventional NDT systems. Damage can arise in composite materials during material processing, fabrication of the component or in-service activities among which delamination, cracks and porosity are the most common defects. A number of non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques are effective in testing components for defects without damaging the component. NDT techniques like Ultrasonic Testing, X-Ray, Radiography, Thermography, Eddy current and Acoustic Emission are current techniques for various testing applications. Each of these techniques uses different principles to look into the material for defects. However, the geometry, physical and material properties of the component being tested are important factors in the applicability of a technique. This paper reviews these NDT techniques and compares them in terms of characteristics and applicability to composite parts.Item Open Access Sand casting of sheet lead: numerical simulation of metal flow and solidification(Springer, 2019-11-20) Prabhakar, Arun; Papanikolaou, Michail; Salonitis, Konstantinos; Jolly, Mark R.Sandcast lead sheets are characterised by their superior aesthetic performance and mottled surface. Lead sheet casting is widely used in the construction industry for roofing and flashing applications, while the roots of this process can be tracked back to the Roman times. In this study, two-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations have been performed to simulate the melt flow and solidification stages of the lead sandcasting process. The effects of process parameters such as pouring temperature, screed velocity and clearance between the screed and the sandbed on the final quality of the lead sheet are investigated. Lead sheet quality has been quantified by measuring the variance and the average value of the final sheet thickness over the sandbed length. The developed CFD model has been validated against experimental results by comparing the time evolution of the lead-sandbed interface temperature against data collected by thermocouples during the real-time process. The numerical results show that all of the aforementioned parameters affect the final quality of the cast product and suggest that superior quality lead sheets can be produced for a range of relatively low values of the pouring temperature and slow strickle motion.