Ellis Developments Limited
Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
Nodal Optimisation of Truss Structures
The overall aim of the project was to establish the underpinning science and technological know-how concerning the use of novel lightweight composite nodal truss structures in aerospace and other sectors. The project developed the enabling know-how and innovation in joints and joining for the manufacture of truss test structures by providing:
improved performance and structural integrity with emphasis on weight reduction
increased service life thereby reducing life cycle costs
adhesive bonding technologies for joining lightweight composites
joining technologies for repair e.g. low temperature cure minimising residual stresses
3D theoretical modelling and validation of nodal joints and structures under realistic loads and environments
Truss structures inherently provide highly distributed stress paths that can be utilised to provide outstanding damage tolerance performance, with failure contrived to occur by serial failure of struts. Critical to the successful development and implementation of advanced truss structures are software tools that assist in the structural design and performance analysis, coupled with cost-effective manufacture and repair. Previous investigations of truss structures required tedious experimentation for each node, and the development of suitable modelling tools in this project for both design and performance (including the effects of damage and damage tolerance) form a major and critical part of the work. Ease of repair is also important in life cycle costs. Generic know-how and design/performance tools were generated.
This collaborative project had a value of £700,000, and was part-funded by The UK's Department of Trade and Industry
Julian Ellis will be delighted to hear from you. Telephone on +44 (0) 7976 425899
email: info@ellisdev.co.uk We are based at Far Close, Rolleston Road, Fiskerton, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0UJ,, United Kingdom