University awarded funding to investigate next generation of lightweight composite aircraft structures

A study led by the University of Southampton has been awarded a programme grant of £6.9m by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to address significant barriers in the design and manufacture of future composite aero structures.

Working closely with the University of Bristol, University of Bath and the University of Exeter, as well as industry partners, the project will look to enable more structurally efficient and lightweight airframes that are essential for meeting future fuel and cost efficiency challenges, to maintain and enhance the UK’s international position in the aerospace industry. Maximising advanced composite aero structures is restricted by current test, simulation and certification approaches. The programme grant, titled ​‘Certification for Design: Reshaping the Testing Pyramid (CerTest)’ seeks to break this impasse by addressing the challenges that are preventing step-changes in future engineering design by reshaping the so-called ​‘testing pyramid’, which is the backbone of current validation and certification processes. Read more