Aerospace Technologies and Materials

Synthetic program:

L'insegnamento intende impartire, anche alla luce dei concetti di meccanica strutturale acquisiti nei corsi precedenti, le nozioni di base sulle tecnologie ed i materiali adottati nelle costruzioni aerospaziali.. A questo fine vengono preliminarmente illustrate le tecniche di scelta dei materiali/tecnologie e gli indici di merito. Vengono poi trattate le principali caratteristiche delle famiglie di materiali di interesse aerospaziale, con speciale riguardo ai metalli ed ai compositi, nonché delle relative tecnologie per la produzione di pezzi staccati. Viene infine posta speciale enfasi sull'organizzazione delle fasi finali di assemblaggio.

The program will cover aspects related to innovative materials and technologies as well as degradation issues in atmospheric and space environment, with particular reference to the application of special structural solutions.

More in details:
Smart materials: principles and classification. Shape memory alloys, Piezoelectric materials, Fiber optics and their structural monitoring applications, Self-healing materials. Design of Smart Structures. Micro- and nano-technologies (Micro-electro-mechanical-systems – MEMS. Nano-electro-mechanical-systems – NEMS). Rapid prototyping and rapid tooling. Bio-mimetic concepts.
Tribology and corrosion principles. Surface treatments. Hygrothermal, edge and notches effects in composites. Production defects; fatigue, impact, environmental aging. Degradation of materials in space environment. Non-destructive testing (NDT). Repairing techniques.
Fiber Metal Laminates – FML. Metal Matrix Composites – MMC. Ceramic Matrix Composites – CMC. Thermal Protection Systems – TPS. Gossamer structures. Morphing structures.
Classroom exercises and laboratory activities will be devoted to the design of smart systems, with elements of general theory of the various components, computer-assisted design and implementation of technological demonstrators. Specific seminars will be planned by engineers from the main aerospace Italian industries.