Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/C517229/1
Title:	Advanced Ultrasonic Techniques For Highly Scattering Ordered and Semi-Ordered Materials
Principal Investigator:	Somekh, Professor M
Other Investigators:	Clark, Professor M
Researcher Co-Investigators:	Dr SD Sharples
Project Partners:	Airbus Operations Limited Rolls-Royce Plc (UK)
Department:	Sch of Electrical and Electronic Eng
Organisation:	University of Nottingham
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	10 January 2005	Ends:	09 January 2008	Value (£):	176,239
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Acoustics Materials testing & eng.
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Aerospace, Defence and Marine
Related Grants:	EP/C517237/1
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Ultrasonic techniques are very effective in detecting defects in materials. This project tackles issues relevant to many high technology manufacturing industries particularly the aerospace industry. In this industry inspection of both engines and airframes are a vital part of the process that ensures aircraft safety. In order to improve the performance of aircraft components more and more sophisticated materials are being used. These can give better strength to weight properties, better wear characteristics or better thermal properties. Many of these materials achieve their superior properties by complex `microstructures', in which different materials are combined to achieve improved properties compared to the individual constituents.Although these materials are excellent they tend to scatter ultrasonic waves so that reliable inspection is rather difficult. We find ourselves in the awkward position of having a range of materials available to us with truly excellent properties but no really satisfactory ways of ensuring that they perform as they should. Safety considerations therefore dictate that we cannot gain the full benefits from these advanced materials. This project addresses this problem by developing advanced computer codes and experimental validation to predict the behaviour of sound waves in these complex materials. In the first instance this will enable us to predict and understand what may be reliably inspected, the second stage will involve developing strategies to compensate for the scattering in the complex materials to produce new ways of inspecting them. This project will be a valuable step towards realising the full potential of modern materials.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Impacts
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Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.nottingham.ac.uk