Dr Christophe Pinna

Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering

Head of Solids and Materials Teaching Group

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Sir Frederick Mappin Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
UK

Telephone: +44(0)114 222 7831
Fax: +44(0)114 222 7890

email : c.pinna@sheffield.ac.uk

Profile

Christophe Pinna obtained his PhD from Ecole Polytechnique in France in 1997 in the field of fatigue and fracture. He joined the Department in 1998 as a post-doctoral Research Associate and started to work on the thermo-mechanical processing of metals. He became Research Fellow the same year and Lecturer in 2000. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2008.

Areas of Research

Dr Pinna's research activities are in the fields of mechanics of materials, experimental mechanics and computational solid mechanics applied to the areas of the thermo-mechanical processing of metals (including forging, rolling and friction stir welding), composites, fatigue, damage and fracture as well as machining. The work involves multi-scale experiments at both room and elevated temperatures using conventional as well as small-scale testing machines (tensile and bending inside a Scanning Electron Microscope).

Full-field strain measurement techniques including optical 3D Digital Image Correlation, Scanning Electron Microscopy-based Digital Image Correlation and microgrids generated using electron lithography are being used to quantify strain distributions in specimens as well as over representative areas of microstructures.

Modelling techniques involve finite element models (including implicit/explicit, arbitrary Langrangian-Eulerian and XFEM formulations) combined with cellular automata for damage modelling as well as crystal plasticity finite element models coupled with phase-field models for simulations of microstructure deformation and evolution (recrystallization and phase transformations including texture prediction).

Projects are funded through grants from EPSRC, the European Union and industry.

Current Research Projects

• Experimental and Numerical Study of the Impact Behaviour of Fibre Composites used in Aerospace Applications
• Fatigue Behaviour of Composite Laminates
• Modelling of the Mechanical Properties of Nano-Silica Carbon Fibre Reinforced Epoxy Composites
• Fracture of Automotive Advanced High Strength steels (Dual-Phase, Complex-Phase and TRIP steels)
• Multi-Scale modelling of the Fatigue and Fracture of Aerospace Aluminium Alloys
• Finite Element Modelling of Friction Stir Welding
• Cellular Automata Finite Element (CAFÉ) Modelling of Fracture
• Damage Characterisation of Al-Li Alloys and X100 Steels using 3D Digital Image Correlation and High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy
• Hot Damage of Free-Cutting Steels
• Deformation, Recrystallisation and Transformation Texture and Microstructure Modelling during the Thermo-Mechanical Processing of Metals

Four of Dr Pinna's PhD students who have graduated recently:

• Ghadbeigi, H., Metal cutting mechanics: investigation and simulation of deformation and damage mechanisms, 2010
• Salas-Zamarripa, A., Fatigue behaviour of an aluminium alloy used in Turbocharger compressor wheels, 2008
• Boldetti, C., High resolution strain measurements of Intra-granular deformation in structural materials at high temperature, 2006
• Hernandez-Castillo, L. E. , Determination of microscale deformation in hot worked metals, 2005

Teaching

MEC313 Finite Element Techniques
MEC6440 Advanced Finite Element Modelling

Research Grants

• KTP/TSB with Arnold Magnetic Technologies Ltd – Filament Winding, 2012-2014, £135k (PI)
• M2i (Materials innovation institute – The Netherlands) / Tata Steel – Advanced High Strength Steels, 2010-2013, £377k (PI)
• EPSRC, A new framework for hybrid through-process modelling, process simulation and optimisation in the metals industry, 2008-2012, £4.6m (CI)
• EPSRC platform grant, Modern metals processing: transfer of knowledge and core skills to new and emerging technologies, 2007-2012, £880k (CI)
• EU RFCS grant, Roll-Gap Sensors, 2009-2012, £115k (CI)
• BAE Systems Marine, Plastic strain analysis, 2009-2011, £211k (CI)
• EU Framework 6, COMPACT - A concurrent approach to manufacturing induced part distortion in aerospace components, 2005-2009, £279k (CI)
• EPSRC, Thermomechanical processing: metallurgy, mechanics and modelling, 2002-2007, £3.9m (CI)
• EPSRC first grant, High resolution strain measurements of intra-granular deformation in structural materials at high temperatures, 2003-2006, £122k (PI)

Selected publications

• Characterization of the high temperature strain partitioning in Duplex steels,
  Martin, G., Caldemaison, D., Bornert, M., Pinna, C., Brechet, Y., Veron, M., Mithieux, J. D. & Pardoen, T. (2012),
  Experimental Mechanics, in press,
  Available online


• Void growth and coalescence modelling in AA2050 using the Rousselier model,
  Zanganeh, M., Pinna, C. & Yates, J.R. (2012),
  International Journal of Damage Mechanics, in press,
  Available online


• Analysis of adhesively bonded repairs in composites: Damage detection and prognosis,
  Caminero, M. A., Pavlopoulou, S., Lopez Pedrosa, M., Nicolaisson, B. G., Pinna, C. & Soutis, C. (2013),
  Composite Structures, 95, pp. 500-517,
  Available online


• Quantitative strain analysis of the large deformation at the scale of microstructure: comparison between Digital Image Correlation and microgrid techniques,
  Ghadbeigi, H., Pinna, C. & Celotto, S. (2012),
  Experimental Mechanics, 52(9), pp. 1483-1492,
  Available online


• Using Digital Image Correlation techniques for damage detection on adhesively bonded composite repairs,
  Caminero, M. A., Pavlopoulou, S., López-Pedrosa, M., Nicolaisson, B. G., Pinna, C. & Soutis, C. (2012),
  Advanced Composite Letters, 21(1), pp. 51-57.


• Modelling static recrystallization textures using a coupled crystal plasticity-phase field technique,
  Lan, Y. & Pinna, C. (2012),
  Materials Science Forum, 702-703, pp. 663-666.


• Modelling textures formed during the plane strain compression and subsequent static recrystallization of Body-Centred Cubic (BCC) metals,
  Lan, Y. & Pinna, C. (2012),
  Materials Science Forum, 706-709, pp. 3040-3045.


• Modelling the static recrystallization texture of FCC metals using a phase field method,
  Lan, Y. & Pinna, C. (2012),
  Materials Science Forum, 715-716, pp. 739-744.


• Identification of modes of fracture in a 2618-T6 aluminium alloy using stereophotogrammetry,
  Zamarripa, A. S., Pinna, C., Brown, M. W., Mata, M. P. G., Morales, M. C. & Beber-Solano, T. P. (2011),
  Materials Characterization, 62(12), pp. 1141-1150,
  Available online


• Local plastic strain evolution in a high strength dual phase steel,
  Ghadbeigi, H., Pinna, C., Celotto, S. & Yates, J. R. (2010),
  Materials Science & Engineering A, 527(18-19), pp. 5026-5032,
  Available online


• Determination of micro-scale plastic strain caused by orthogonal cutting,
  Ghadbeigi, H., Bradbury, S. R., Pinna, C., and Yates, J. R. (2008),
  International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture, 48(2), pp. 228-235,
  Available online


• Measurement and prediction of deformation in plane strain compression tests of AA5182,
  Boldetti, C., Pinna, C., and Howard, I. C. (2006),
  Materials Science and Technology, 22(11), pp. 1380-1386,
  Available online


• Measurement of deformation gradients in hot rolling of AA3004,
  Boldetti, C., Pinna, C., Howard, I. C., and Gutierrez, G. (2005),
  Experimental Mechanics, 45(6), pp. 517-525,
  Available online


• Micro-scale strain distribution in hot-worked duplex stainless steel,
  Hernandez-Castillo, L. E., Beynon, J. H., Pinna, C., and Van Der Zwaag, S. (2005),
  Steel Research International, 76(2-3), pp. 137-141,
  Available online


• Effect of roll pass schedule on through thickness texture development in Al-Mn alloy,
  Higginson, R. L., Pinna, C., Beynon, J. H. Wynne, B. P. (2003),
  Materials Science and Technology, 19(4), pp. 477-482


• The preferred fatigue crack propagation mode in a M250 maraging steel loaded in shear,
  Pinna, C. & Doquet, V. (1999),
  Fatigue and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures, 22, pp. 173-183,
  Available online


• Multi-scale approach to the compressive strength of carbon/resin composites,
  Leblanc, E., Pinna, C., Sigety,P. & Vincon, I. (1996),
  Composites Science and Technology, 56(7), pp. 855-859,
  Available online


• Microstructure evolution and strain localization during shear deformation of an aluminium alloy,
  Gasperini, M., Pinna, C. & Swiatnicki, W. (1996),
  Acta Materialia, 44(10), pp. 4195-4208,
  Available online