Dr Timothy Swait
MEng, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
CSIC Liaison
Room B03
Composite Systems Innovation Centre,
The Sheffield Bioincubator,
40 LeavyGreave Road,
Sheffield,
S3 7RD
Tel: 0114 222 5920
Mobile: 07985 600872
email : t.swait@sheffield.ac.uk
Profile
My name is Tim Swait, I am a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. I completed my PhD in 2009 which I also did at this university as a joint student between the Materials and Mechanical Engineering departments.
My current project is funded by Airbus and EADS as part of the Airstream upstream technologies programme. I am studying the use of electrical resistance measurements to detect damage in carbon fibre composite structures. The principle of operation is that the local resistivity of the material changes as a result of damage due to fibre fracture, matrix cracking and delamination. The anisotropic conductivity of carbon fibre composite then allows the location and extent of the damage to be inferred from changes in voltages recorded at the edge of the structure when a current is applied. The principle has been successfully demonstrated on small scale panels subject to low energy impact (barely visible damage). The focus of the project is now to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of the technique and to apply it to larger scale structures. My work is also linked to projects carried out by other group members on self-healing resin systems. Resistive heating is intended to be used to activate the self-healing resins. The ultimate goal of this project is to produce a truly smart material able to both self-sense and then self heal damage.
I also have a research interest in fibre matrix-interfaces; my PhD project was in the use of plasma polymerisation to optimise fibre-matrix adhesion. I have a personal interest in motorsport and in renewable energy and I have assisted a small company to build a prototype of an innovative design of tidal turbine.
Publications
- T.J. Swait, A. Rauf, R. Grainger, P. B. S. Bailey, A. D. Lafferty, E. J. Fleet R. J. Hand and S. A. Hayes "Smart composite materials for self sensing and self healing" Plastics, Rubbers and Composites, In Press, accepted manuscript PRCME 2985, to be published 2012.
- T.J. Swait, T. Whittle, C. Soutis, F.R. Jones "Identification of interfacial and interphasal failure in composites of plasma polymer coated fibres" Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, Volume 41, Issue 9, September 2010, Pages 1047-1055
- T.J. Swait, C. Soutis, F.R. Jones "Optimisation of interfacial properties for tensile strength by plasma polymerisation" Composites Science and Technology, Volume 68, Issue 12, September 2008, Pages 2302-2309
- T.J. Swait "Interfacial optimisation of glass fibre reinforced composites by plasma polymerisation" PhD Thesis, University of Sheffield 2009