Topic：

Modelling of Impact and Repair of Composite Aircraft and Wind Turbine Structures

Spearker：

John P. Dear, FREng, Associate Editor

Time:14:30-15:30, April 22nd 2025，Tuesday

Profile:

Professor John P. Dear FREng, MA PhD CEng FIMechE CPhys FInstP, is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Professor in the Mechanics of Materials Division, in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London. He also holds an Honorary Professorship at Xi’an Jiaotong University and serves as Associate Editor of the International Journal of Lightweight Materials and Manufacturing.  Professor Dear has published 400 peer-reviewed papers and conference proceedings, edited 18 books, and supervised 66 PhD students and 22 postdoctoral researchers. His research expertise is structural integrity of materials including manufacturing and micro-structural effects, the impact behaviour of aerospace and automotive components, blast resistance of laminated glass curtain wall systems and composite structures, creep life prediction for materials in power generation and water distribution infrastructure, and the high strain rate properties of polymers, composites, and other advanced materials for defense and biomedical applications. His work has attracted funding from the European Commission, the UK Research Councils, and numerous international industrial partners. 

John P. Dear

Abstract:

Thermoplastic matrix composites, owing to their excellent toughness, reparability, and superior impact energy absorption capabilities, have become a focal point in enhancing the impact resistance and maintainability of structural components. This report focuses on the impact behaviour and repair strategies of composite structures used in aircraft and wind turbine blades, with an emphasis on the dynamic response characteristics of thermoplastic composites under typical impact scenarios. By integrating drop-weight impact testing, micro-damage characterisation, and finite element simulation, the study systematically investigates the influence of structural design parameters on impact response and damage evolution mechanisms. Furthermore, an engineering-oriented predictive model for impact damage assessment is developed. The report also presents recent research progress on repair techniques for thermoplastic composites, including thermal remoulding and localised heating-based methods. These advances provide a theoretical foundation and technical support for ensuring the service safety and sustainable maintenance of composite structures in complex operational environments, such as those encountered by aircraft and wind turbine blades.