Thu, 24 September, 2020
TWI’s advanced composites expert, Chris Worrall, will be presenting at the NACE Nonmetallics Virtual Seminar on the 28th of September 2020. Chris Worrall is a consultant at TWI, responsible for delivering composites joining, manufacture, processing and testing services to Members, both directly and through public funded projects.
His 35 years of composites expertise covers composite-metal joining, thermoplastic composite welding, microstructure characterisation, mechanical testing of composite materials, finite element analysis of composites, design of composite structures and manufacturing technology for composite materials.
The title of Chris’ talk will be, ‘SurFlowTM: The Future of Data Transfer in Composite Structures.’
About SurFlowTM
A breakthrough at TWI led to the creation of data transfer technology that can be seamlessly incorporated into composite materials to create a high capacity, resilient data transfer network. SurFlow™ technology uses electromagnetic surface waves to transmit data directly through composite structures. Described as ‘the future of composite data highways,’ SurFlow™ technology removes the need for wires or fibre optics by passing data through the composite structure itself.
By turning a composite into a ‘smart’ material, the technology integrates a data network into a component’s physical structure. The system is capable of transmitting data at up to 3Gbps and can continue to function even if the composite part suffers damage. The frequency range that has been tested is 2-60GHz, depending on the industrial application.
Potential applications for smart composites exist throughout industry in almost every sector. For instance, in the Oil and Gas sector, the technology could be used to transmit sensor or control data along composite pipes, removing the need for embedded cables and connectors in a challenging deep sea environment. In the transport sector, where use of composites is now extending beyond high-end applications, the technology could significantly reduce the complexity of a vehicle’s internal communications network, and in consumer electronics, the technology would allow a device to connect instantly to a network simply by making contact with the composite’s surface. Other uses being explored include proximity sensing and real-time composite monitoring, whereby subtle changes in the waveform allow any damage to a smart composite component to be identified immediately.
Chris’ talk will take place on 28th of September at 10:50am. If you want to know more about the NACE Nonmetallics Virtual Seminar and register for the event, you can visit this link.
Chris Worrall