2014 news
November 2014
10th November 2014: Rolls-Royce Zirconium Day
Following last year’s success of the HexMat ‘titanium day’, Rolls-Royce invited the HexMat team to Derby again for a similar day, but this time focused on zirconium alloys. The team from Imperial College London, University of Manchester and University of Oxford met with key Rolls-Royce engineers and were presented with Rolls-Royce’s research interests in relation to HexMat. Some key speakers included Aidan Cole-Baker (Engineering specialist – Core Materials), Ted Darby (Corporate Specialist – Nuclear Materials), Mike Martin (Structural Integrity Specialist) and Steve Curr (Chief Technologist – Core).
3rd November 2014: The HexMat and WCSIM Science and Engineering Schools
The HexMat and WCSIM (Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers) Science and Engineering Schools workshop took place on 3rd November in Glaziers Hall, London Bridge, with just under 100 students from Penwortham School in South London and Long Wittenham School in Oxfordshire taking part. This was a one-day workshop, inviting KS2 pupils to spend the day with practising scientists and engineers to work on exciting science projects. The day was packed with fun and interactive demonstrations, games and hands-on activities.
Postgraduate students (Mitch Cuddihy, Vivian Tong, Zebang Zheng, Jack Patten, Abigail Ackerman, Ning Hou and Tiantian Zhang), Postdoctoral Research Associates (Drs Zhen Zhang, Terry Jun, Eleni Sarakinou, Sudha Joseph, Thomas White, Bo Lan, Hamid Abdolvand and Rajesh Korla) and other members of the HexMat team (Dr Ben Britton and Prof Fionn Dunne) from Imperial College London, University of Manchester and University of Oxford, gathered together to run the workshop.
Two workshops were run in parallel, with groups of Penwortham and Long Wittenham School children working together. The workshop on aeroplanes asked 'How do aeroplanes fly?' (Led by Mitch Cuddihy, Imperial PhD student). Tasks included designing, making and modifying paper aeroplanes, and then testing the finished planes. Competitions took place which were judged by Professor Fionn Dunne (HexMat Principal Investigator) and Professor Tony Wilson (Master of WCSIM, and University of Oxford). Prizes for the most innovative design and farthest flying plane were gratefully received by the winning teams.
The circuits workshop (led by Vivian Tong, Imperial PhD student), introduced the children to 'Circuit Theory and Renewables'. Games to demonstrate how circuits work helped the children to understand key concepts effectively. Students were then tasked with building their own circuits from scratch. The idea of kinetic energy, wind energy and generators were also taught in this session. In particular, generators were shown to be able to convert kinetic energy from a wind turbine into electrical energy, which could be used to light an LED or lift a weight.
Dr Suze Kundu’s (Teaching Fellow, Imperial College) closing activity called ‘What is a Scientist/Engineer’ aimed at dispelling any misconceptions about who can be a scientist/engineer and greatly inspired the children.
The success of the day was reflected by excited children leaving Glaziers Hall having enjoyed their day and learning more about not only aspects of science and engineering, but also inspiring them to become the scientists and engineers of the future.
September 2014
24th-25th September 2014: HexMat PDRAs from Imperial College London (Dr’s Sudha Joseph, Terry Jun, Bo Lan, Thomas White and Zhen Zhang), University of Oxford (Dr’s Hamid Abdolvand and Rajesh Korla) and University of Manchester (Dr Eleni Sarakinou) met this month at the University of Oxford for the final ‘PDRA Day’ in a series of networking days which were designed to encourage PDRAs to network and collaborate with each other and to also see the facilities available at each of the cohort universities.
The focus of this PDRA Day was on Outreach. PDRAs were tasked with designing primary school level projects and discussing their ideas with the Oxford University Outreach Officer, Jayne Shaw, who gave insightful input and feedback to them.
(University of Oxford, Outreach Officer, Jayne Shaw delivering a workshop to the PDRAs)
On Day 2, each PDRA presented an update on progress in their research, followed by discussions with the group and Prof Angus Wilkinson (HexMat Co-Investigator). The focus of the remainder of the day reverted back to outreach and Imperial College PhD students, Mitch Cuddihy and Vivia n Tong, delivered training for the upcoming HexMat/WCSIM (Worshipful Company of Instrument Makers) event in November, London Bridge.
Vivian Tong and Mitch Cuddihy training the PDRAs for the upcoming school event
Mike Mills (Taine G. McDougal Professor of Engineering, Interim Department Chair, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis (CEMAS) The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA) visited HexMat researchers at Imperial on 12th September. Discussions took place on aspects of deformation mech anisms in small-scale two-pha se titanium al loys, cold dwell fatigue a nd rate sensitivity. Following t he me etin g, Mike joined us at the Faculty barbeque.
August 2014
Tune into Radio Cardiff to hear Dr Ben Britton talk about titanium and zirconium alloys used in the aero and nuclear industries. The interview was broadcasted on Monday 11th August on Radio Cardiff at 9pm. The podcast is available on http://www.rhysphillips.co.uk/pythagoras-trousers/episode176/
June 2014
- Disruptive Forces Seminar
Imperial College and the Big Innovation Centre (BIC) hosted the Disruptive Forces seminar on 30th June, 2014. This was a half-day meeting, bringing together leading industrialists and academics. The HexMat team presented some pioneering transformational techniques being developed in materials technologies, including characterisation, microscopy and modelling, addressing how industries can better take up research in materials for improved materials properties, behaviour and performance.
The meeting was chaired by Will Hutton (Chair of BIC) and speakers included Fionn Dunne (HexMat PI, Imperial College), Michael Preuss (HexMat Co-I, Manchester University), Adrian Sutton (Materials Physicist, Imperial College), Angus Wilkinson (HexMat Co-I, Oxford University) and David Rugg (HexMat partner, Rolls-Royce).
The afternoon included a break-out session (download summary), giving the opportunity for discussions and a drinks reception and networking.
For further details and speaker's presentations, see the BIC webpage.
- ThirdSteering Board Meeting in Oxford:
The third Steering Board meeting took place in Oxford University on 26th June 2014. HexMat Academics, PDRAs, Partners and Advisors met to review the program and discuss challanges, objectives and future plans of the project. The one day meeting comprised technical and management presentations.
- The University of Manchester held the first Pellet Cladding Interaction Workshop on 18th-19th June 2014.
The goal was to bring together researchers with an interest in the key area of Pellet Cladding Interaction (PCI), and together with key industrial partners, discuss what is known, what needs to be investigated and how future research can be carried out in a coherent way, avoiding fragmentation and producing the most impact. Attendees included representatives of a range universities, research institutes and industry with participants coming from the Australia, France, Sweden, Switzerland, U.K. and U.S.A. For more details, click here (pdf).
- Experiment with Rolls-Royce
Members of the HexMat team recently carried out an experiment with Rolls-Royce on the laser driven shock deformation of titanium, studied using X-ray diffraction and small angle X-ray scattering. Those involved from Imperial included Dr David Dye, Dr Dan Eakins and Prof Adrian Sutton. For the full news click here.
May 2014
- 14th and 15th May 2014
HexMat PDRAs from the three collaborating Universities (Imperial, Manchester and Oxford) met in Manchester University for a two-day meeting to share and discuss research progress. Prof Michael Preuss gave a talk on ‘Degradation phenomena and mechanisms of Zr alloys for nuclear applications’. A tour of the facilities in the Materials Science Department and then the Manufacturing Technology Research Laboratory (MTRL) followed. On Day 2 the PDRAs presented their research results and contributions to the HexMat project thus far.
April 2014
- 28th April 2014
HexMat academics, postdoctoral researchers and postgraduate students from Imperial, Manchester and Oxford spent a day at Rolls-Royce, Derby on 28th April 2014, meeting key industrial representatives in the aero and nuclear sectors. The visit also included a tour of the Rolls-Royce Heritage Centre.
- 25th April 2014
Imperial College HexMat team visited Penwortham Primary School, Tooting on 25th April 2014 for another fun and interactive workshop. On this occasion Vivian Tong, HexMat PhD student, led a team of Imperial researchers to deliver a half-day workshop on ‘Circuit Theory and Renewables’ to 8-9 year old children. The morning session was packed with demonstrations and games as well as hands-on activities such as making their own electrical circuits and wind turbines. Those also contributing were Dr Jun Jiang, Dr Terry Jun, Dr Zhen Zhang, Dr Saira Naeem, Mitch Cuddihy, Tiantian Zhang and Victor Wan.
February 2014
- 26th-27th February 2014
Imperial, Manchester and Oxford PD RAs came together for the HexMat PDRA Networking Day(s), held at Imperial College London on 26th February. The event included a keynote lecture on “Adiabatic held Shear in Titanium and Titanium Alloys” presented by Prof Bradley Dodd. PDRAs were tasked with various activities and shown equipment and facilities in o rder to encourage collaborations between the three Institutions involved in the HexMat Programme Grant. The activities included writin g and presenting a research pr oposal, led by the PDRA Support Group.
- 11th February 2014
Imperial HexMat representatives attended the WCSIM (Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers) meeting in L ondon on 11th Feb 2014. The event included a talk given by Prof. David Rugg (Rolls-Royce) on Transport and Materials Characterisation.
January 2014
- 14 January 2014
John Molyneux, Director of Engineering and Technology at Rolls-Royce Civil Nuclear visited Imperial on Tuesday 14 January 2 014 to discuss future civil nuclear research needs with HexMat researchers.