Corrosion-sensitive Multiscale Fatigue Modelling PhD

Advances in computing, experiments, and information will continue to reshape engineering in the next decade. This PhD position will nurture a multidisciplinary innovator with the tools to unravel the future of Corrosion-Fatigue engineering.

The application of repetitive loads results in fatigue damage that can propagate and cause catastrophic failures. The ambient conditions around a fatigue crack tip has a dramatic effect on the fate of a component—a part may survive millions of cycles in vacuum and last only a few hundreds of thousands in air and much lower in actively corrosive environments. Although there is a clear synergy between fatigue damage and corrosion, most fatigue prognosis models do not explicitly consider the role of the environment, which is usually reduced to obscured fitting coefficients. This strategy carries large uncertainty and requires vast amounts of expensive and time-consuming experimental data. Worse, sometimes the experimental data is simply inaccessible.

The need for cost-efficient research that prevents fatigue failures has pushed towards integrated computational materials engineering approaches that improve competitiveness. These approaches rely on physics-based models that can be validated with experiments and bottom-up models at multiple scales in order to predict the macroscopic response. Hence, this research will investigate the degradation of metallic materials under corrosion-fatigue conditions by integrating multiscale physics-based models combined with mesoscale experimental tests.

This research will study the effects of corrosion-induced changes in composition on fatigue damage in metallic materials. 3-D crystal plasticity models will be employed in order to understand the role of compositional changes in fatigue damage. These changes will be correlated with a realistic degradation from corrosion processes. The simulations will be integrated with mesoscale experimental tests to evaluate the constitutive response of smooth specimens degraded by corrosion.

Entry Requirements: Applicants should have a first or second class UK honours degree or equivalent in a related discipline, such as computer science, mathematics, or engineering. The candidate should be self-motivated and have excellent analytical, reporting and communication skills.

Funding: Self-funded/partially funded. Please contact the supervisor for more information or explore the funding finder.

About the Supervisor: Dr. Gustavo Castelluccio is a leader in Mesoscale Mechanics. His work integrates multiscale models and experiments to discover the fundamental mechanisms responsible for damage and deformation.

About Cranfield University: Cranfield is an exclusively postgraduate university that is a global leader for transformational research and education in technology and management. The Research Excellence Framework 2014 recognised 81% of Cranfield's research as world leading or internationally excellent. Cranfield graduates the highest number of postgraduates in engineering and technology in the UK each year.

The Through-life Engineering Services (TES) Centre is among the world leaders in through-life approaches for high value systems, including condition monitoring, damage tolerance, and asset management. TES was developed with EPSRC grant support of £11 million and serves industrial clients such as Boeing, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Meggitt, Thales, MOD, Bombardier, QinetiQ, Network Rail, Schlumberger and Alstom.

Research students at Cranfield benefit from being part of the Cranfield Doctoral Network, which brings together research students and staff to share ideas and collaborate in a multi-disciplinary environment. A tailored programme of seminars and events, alongside the Doctoral Researchers Core Development programme (transferable skills training), provide a wealth of social and networking opportunities.