Audi Pole2Pole

I know it has been awhile since my last update, but I am proud to say that I have been dedicating my time wisely. I have finished my thesis and it is now in digital format on the North Carolina State University's Electronic Thesis and Dissertations (ETD) website! The title is "Analysis of Directed Fiber Placement using Air Laying Using Air Laying Technique", it basically covers a novel technique to create controlled alignment of fibers in a nonwoven using only air. These nonwoven mats have the potential to be used as composite preforms in weight reduction applications.

Now that we have caught up, lets move on to the subject of interest! Audi announced a partnership with adventurer Johan Ernst Nilson for a year long journey from the North Pole to the South Pole (around 12,000 miles!). The reason why it is scheduled to take an entire year is because this adventure will be done in a carbon-neutral manner, meaning he CANNOT USE A VEHICLE.

This expedition will consist of several legs, the first of which starts at the North Pole to the northeastern tip of Greenland and will be covered using skis and a sled. Nilson will cross North, Central and South America by bicycle and sail from Patagonia to the Antarctic. The last leg of his journey across the icy plains to the South Pole will be traversed using skis being pulled by a kite-sail.

Nilson has been able to test out his gear under extreme conditions in Audi's Wind Tunnel and cold chamber. Audi has designed and fabricated a super-lightweight carbon fiber sled for Nilson's adventure will provide an Audi Q5 as a expedition car and camera team transport to follow his progress.

Although this appears to be a very lavish PR stunt to promote the capabilities of the Audi's line of SUVs, this may also serve as a real world test for certain materials. For example, Nilson will rely on this custom sled designed and built by Audi to transport his supplies across the icy fields of the Antarctic. This provides an excellent test for carbon fiber in real world -40 degree F environments with load and abrasion. In order for Nilson to cross North, South and Central Americas on a bicycle, he will be averaging 62 miles a day. I will bet my dog (and I REALLY like my dog) that his bike will be constructed from carbon fiber composites. Essentially, I hope that this adventure provides some useful knowledge about environmental effects on materials.

By taking solely a materials view on this story, it supports my previous post pertaining to traversing the gap between industries with composites. If you take the final application out of the equation, the requirements for the material or composite could be the same in two different markets. The outcome of the materials used during this journey could help the direction of materials used by Audi in the future.

I truly admire what Audi is doing, promoting expeditions and focusing on the environment. There has been an increase in "get outside and see something" type of marketing lately (just saying, the new Ford Explorer) and I am completely behind that. I look forward to hearing more about this journey and I wish Nilson the best of luck! If you want to read more about this click here.

Versatility of Composites

How can composites, more directly "automotive" composites, relate to different industries and markets outside the automotive realm? In order to answer this conundrum one must take a step back and view the big picture of composites and materials in general.

Popular materials such as carbon fiber reinforced composites or even bicomponent fibers were at one point highly guarded secrets hidden in vaults surrounded by laser security systems stashed hundreds of feet underground. Well, I may have over exaggerated, but you get the idea. Extended Polytetrafluoroethylene was originally used to coat piping used in the Manhattan Project to protect from corrosion, for goodness sakes, and now you can find it in almost every kitchen and it goes by the name Teflon. Carbon fiber reinforced composites went through years of military and aerospace testing, being used for small components (such as rudders) before being widely known. Now carbon fiber composites can be seen in bicycle frames, shoe soles, tennis rackets and golf clubs. Same with Kevlar, which was first developed into ballistics protection and as a replacement for the steel in radial tires, it can now be found in consumer products such as high strength tow ropes or bike/motorcycle riding apparel.

What is the reasoning behind all of this inter-industry material usage? Simple....common interests.

I do not believe that chefs wanted to be able to withstand nuclear radiation, they simply didn't want their morning omelettes to stick. Many industries are in the market for similar product features which can be found in materials used by other industries. Carbon fiber reinforced composites are becoming increasingly popular in the automotive field because of their weight reduction capabilities while at the same time retaining strength and dimensional stability. Weight reduction design perspectives can also be found in say the athletic apparel industry where a fraction of a second can be the difference between a "W" and a long quiet bus ride home. When interest of a specific product increases, production volumes increase, ultimately decreasing cost.

The starting point of any new revolutionary material is the financial backing. In an industry where single units cost millions of dollars (cough* aerospace *cough), price really is not an option. These markets are the gateways into future, affordable materials. This is why I believe it is important to keep an open mind about materials and composites, because you never know which market they will pop up in next. Ultimately, thanks to research in process efficiency and advances in manufacturing technology, this "trickle down" effect through diverse markets, can occur. Meaning, new manufacturing techniques may develop a way to produce an extremely expensive fiber cheaper, making that fiber more appealing to a market that is more cost aware. So, next time you fasten that Velcro strap on your jacket, just think, it got its first big break on an astronaut's space suit...

Case Study: Lamborghini

Lamborghini has always been at the top of the list for most exotic and elegant sports cars in the world. Even through the company's rough patches over the years, they have been able to relentlessly manifest iconic works of art in the form of vehicle designs. However, Lamborghini was bought out in 1998 by Audi, who was determined to increase the profits for the sport car brand and begin to place it up with Ferrari worldwide. To clarify, Ferrari has been known as THE exotic sports car, with a great emphasis on SPORT. Meaning, Ferrari as a company and brand is highly involved in multiple levels of racing and designs their cars with a focus on the driving enthusiast, aiming to develop a fluent connection between driver and machine. Lamborghini, on the other hand, has placed most of their focus on the design, creating works of art with their very much geometric-based design foundation. In 2007, Lamborghini was actually able to outshine Ferrari, posting better sales worldwide (just a few years after Lambo introducted the Gallardo or "economical Lambo"). Following up the much anticipated and impressive Murcielago with an affordable (in the "ask the butler to pull the car around" sense), version such as the Gallardo was a great business move in my book. However, the Gallardo has been on the road for almost 8 years, the enthusiasts and tuning shops have been there and done that and honestly, the Lamborghini fans have been growing impatient for a new fantasy we can drool over through posters, computer wallpapers and drive invincibly in video games.

After months of teaser pictures scattered across the internet like some kind of crude

scavenger hunt, the 2010 Paris auto show gave the loyal Lambo fans what they deserve, the Sesto Elemento concept (Italian for the Sixth Element, which we all know on the periodic table is Carbon, you knew that though, right?). The name says it all, oozing with carbon fiber in multiple forms this vehicle has a overall curb weight of a shoe (only 2,202 lbs) and when given a 570 horsepower V10, can get the Sesto Elemento from 0-62 mph in 2.5 seconds. The car is based around a carbon fiber monocoque (making more components actually functional structural components of the vehicle), which is created as a Forged Composite. Traditional carbon fiber is layered in woven sheets to a desired form, Forged Composites, however, are created by injecting a epoxy/fiber paste into a mold. This process makes the fibers become randomly oriented, offering strength in many more directions than the traditional layered sheet carbon. Forged Composites allows for complex geometries to be created, ultimately consolidating parts and lowering weight. The Sesto Elemento exhibits these type of components along with traditional woven sheet carbon fiber and braided carbon fiber, which can all be seen in high resolution here. Crossing industry boarders, this type of material development has also

gained the attention of Callaway Golf, which will be using the Forged Composite technology to create new golf clubs.

Even though I personally believe that this new concept looks a typical Lamborghini concept, I do have to applaud them on material development and the minimalistic design direction, they not only thought out of the box, they smashed the box with a sledge hammer and wove a lighter one. It is vehicles like this that help the industry progress and embracing the progress is the key to moving forward.

Have a seat

Automotive seating structures are very complex and heavy components in a vehicle. The high end, automatic seats can weigh upwards of 70 pounds and can take over an hour to assemble (How it's Made - Automotive Seats). Opel, a General Motors European subsidiary has teamed up with Recaro, one of the world's most innovative seat designer/manufacturers as well as BASF, the largest chemical company in the world. The product of this union was a state-of-the-art slim seat design. Shown here to the right, Recaro was able to use simulation software known as ULTRASLIM to create a seat with minimal components, ultimately reducing assembly time and cost. Design criteria included low weight, high mechanical strength, high level of comfort and sporty look. The use of CAD software allows the design to conform more to the driver, providing better ergonomics and higher level of comfort without the use of large metal springs or excessive amounts of foam. It does not stop there, no springs means no squeaks and rattles and the thinner design creates more interior room for cargo or passenger legroom. BASF provided the high mechanical strength in the form of Ultramid B3ZG8 and B3G10 fiberglass reinforced plastics to make the backrest and seat pan. The foam is Neopolen P 9225 K energy absorbing foam, which means less foam is required than a conventional seat. For more information on the materials click here and to see the final seats in the Opel Insignia, click here.

My final topic of discussion today deals with a very in depth dissertation I recently came across (L.T. Harper, Discontinuous Carbon Fibre Composites for Automotive Applications, The University of Nottingham, UK). The author goes into great detail about the feasibility of carbon fiber composites in the automotive industry, how they will work and what will be the challenges faced by their integration into the market.

However, the section which caught my attention dealt with the dent resistance of recently developed composites compared to the current standard steel. Specifically, steel was compared to six different types of composites which are either in production or under consideration to be placed in production by the automotive industry. Below is a graph which is in L.T. Harper's paper, which shows each material and its dent threshold (the amount of displacement needed in order to create a visible dent).

The dotted horizontal line indicates when there is a visible dent and the far left curve is that of steel. Steel will have a noticeable dent when displaced by 0.5 mm. The composite with the lowest displacement will not have a dent until 2.2 mm of displacement and the strongest composite is over 3 mm. Although the composites tested have a dent performance around 6 times that of steel, Harper mentions that their cost is around 39 times more than steel. My concern is that manufacturers might be asking too much from future components with the current technology. Is there a reason why there is such a large leap in strength? Would the final product work just as fine with a composite which dents at 1 mm of displacement? I strongly believe in baby steps in order to create a successful movement. There are plenty of other factors that composite developers can focus on, such as how to repair a dent in a composite. I am pretty positive most body shops are not too familiar with how to repair a $1500 carbon fiber bumper after you backed into a light pole. All I am suggesting is to slow down and get the little things right and gradually increase from there, when the little things are done correctly, the big things fall into place.

Summer Detours

The summer term has come to an end, this could only mean two things; football season and the start of yet another school year. For myself, this is the final year of my masters program, foreshadowing the inevitable thesis...My summer was chalked full of research, distractions and detours, ultimately leading me back to the same place from which I started. A simple picture of my desk is indicative to not only my necessary Rockstar energy drink sponsorship but how busy my summer has actually been (housecleaning is on the To Do list).

This summer provided me with time to research material properties for which to compare the product of my thesis experiments. I began with the intent to use carbon fiber in my experiments, until I was told that NC State does not have the equipment to run carbon fiber....so I shifted my focus to a more feasible material. Stein fibers, out of Charlotte, North Carolina were able to provide me with a few pounds of bicomponent polyester. This bicomponent fiber has a sheath/core cross section, meaning the core of the fiber has different properties than the skin. This was of interest to me because the sheath is created from a low melt component, requiring less energy to melt, hence bond the fibers together in a thermal bonding process. Another snag is the fact that tests show the molds that I have designed with the three-dimensional printer have about the same glass transition point as the fibers. This means that the molds will begin to melt around the same time as the fibers, making temperature control crucial. However, at the moment I am awaiting to confirm a committee meeting to ask for solutions to this problem.

The technology that I am basing my thesis around has been around for a few years and is constantly under development, so a main focus of my research has been reviewing this technology and trying to find out the vital areas for future development. Basically, where the current developers are having trouble and where I can add to the pool of knowledge. My summer came to an end with yet another detour in the form of a journal article lurking in my mailbox. It appears as though a university with a hefty automotive manufacturer as a financial backer (University of Nottingham and Bentley Motors) has developed and is testing the exact idea that I was aiming towards. Not only that, they won SAMPE's 2010 Outstanding Paper Award. However, as with every cloud, there is a silver lining and they were able to provide sufficient information pertaining to challenges they were facing which can help open new doors for my project. Article reviews have pointed me in the direction of studying the feasibility of fiber alignment in a nonwoven composite, which offers comparable strength at lower cost than woven carbon fiber laminate. I will discuss these in greater detail in due time.

I am looking forward to my last year and a meeting last night discussing an upcoming career fair has my foot tapping and making me excited for what the future holds.

P.S. I have a new addiction, TED.com. If you have time, view some videos of interest, simply inspiring.

The Rise in Demand

The semester is finally over and another class walked across the stage this past weekend. It was a wonderful ceremony and yet another reminder of how close I am to graduating again. Moments like those really motivate me to finish my graduate research with an impact and to be able to leave a something behind here at NC State.
As many students or new alums are starting their new jobs/internships or simply taking time off to soak up freedom before they take on the real world, I find myself wrapping my mind around time lines and reestablishing myself with CAD software. One of the keys to success I have learned in my time at NCSU is the importance of time management and old fashioned determination. Great ideas are merely paperweights unless properly put into action.
Now, on with the post: I have been very interested in the demand in the automotive market for composite materials. Along with what companies are doing to appease this demand.
BMW is known for creating excellent driving machines, connecting with the emotion of driving and offering reliability in beautifully designed automobiles. Through the past decade or so, it has been seen that BMW is trying to flex their designing muscles by breaking into different markets, filling in gaps in their lineup. The current BMW lineup includes the 1, 3, 5, 6, and 7-series along with the X3, X5 and X6, not to mention the Z4 and the entire performance-based M class. Needless to say, BMW has their hands full and judging from their Efficient Dynamics concept, their future looks very busy.
The specific reason for my interest in BMW recently is the partnership they have created with the SGL Group in October of 2009. SGL Group is one of the world's leaders in carbon products ranging from graphite materials to carbon fibers and composites. This partnership will create a $100 million carbon fiber plant in the state of Washington. There hasn't been any word on the exact date of the opening of the plant but it has been said that the facility will be utilizing hydroelectric power to turn out carbon fiber-reinforced plastics for BMW's upcoming MegaCity car, due out in 2013. The MegaCity concept is based off of BMW's electric vehicle movement. BMW currently has the Mini E, which utilizes an all-electric 204 horsepower motor in the Mini platform. They have launched the Mini E in several test markets to study the market reaction. The Mini platform was used for its already low weight, allowing time for BMW to develop affordable light weight composites to create larger passenger vehicles.
Light weight composites are necessary in electric vehicles to counteract the high weight of the battery systems required for the power train. BMW is said to further develop this electric drive train and utilize it in upcoming vehicles such as the ActiveE (based on the 1-series, pictured) and the MegaCity.
Carbon fiber automobiles are usually only seen on racetracks or in the garages of people who are too powerful to wash their own cars. However, BMW says that the MegaCity vehicle will be the first mass-produced vehicle which relies heavily on carbon fiber for the structure. This coalition between BMW and the SGL Group might be strictly for the MegaCity concept currently, however, the MegaCity design and development will open doors in the future for further composite developments within BMW. I believe the downfall of the electric vehicle is the fact that there haven't been any truly exciting electric vehicles and I hope that BMW can pull through with producing one that can break the mold.
This relationship between BMW and the SGL Group has the ability to show automotive manufacturers across the board the importance of composites for production vehicles.
For more information on the MegaCity click here. (Don't worry, the picture in the link is not the MegaCity).
More on my thesis research to come!

It's raining concepts!

Automotive news has recently been riddled with concepts and production teasers. For example the Zenvo ST1, Ford Focus RS500 (which will not be sold in the US...don't get me started), the new Hennessey Venom GT (with a 1200 hp option I might add), Koenigsegg Agera, and even McLaren has come out with a MP4-12C. All of these vehicles are very fast, expensive and full of carbon fiber (the McLaren actually has a carbon fiber monocell chassis configuration) which only very few of us will actually see in real life and even fewer will have the chance to drive. What is the purpose for cars like these you ask? To evoke emotion.
Designers and manufacturers of these types of cars want to bring the passion back to driving. Sure, your car can get you from point A to point B and has XM radio and GPS (yada yada), but have you ever turned your radio off, opened your windows and just listened to the road? Press down on the gas just a bit more than you are use to and just feel the car come to life. The synergy of an automobile and driver is unparalleled. This feeling is where designers build their art.
These exotic bullets are actually an amazing (and costly) source of research and development. 50 years ago, nobody thought that a woven fabric could out perform steel car bodies and now thanks to concept car testing and racing advancements, carbon fiber is a household name. A more recent development is from 2008 with BMW's GINA concept which is covered in a fabric (polyurethane coated Spandex) which is translucent, stretchable and water resistant. Click here to see more about this car and watch the video about the design. The skin is one piece which you have to see to believe. Designers such as these are a true inspiration and really help people think outside of the box, innovating the way we think. We may never actually see a production version of this type of car but it definitely provokes an motivational emotion within me. You may never grace the driver's seat of one of these exotic masterpieces but in a few years you may see yourself driving an affordable car fully equipped with a carbon fiber chassis....maybe.