Objectives

SMARTFAN proposes the development of “smart” material and product architectures, with integrated functionalities, that will interact with their environment and react to stimuli by employing biomimetic, self-sensing, actuating and damage-repairing technologies. Their smartness is based on bio-inspired engineering and the use of:

  • low and high grade carbon fibres (CF)

  • CF reinforced polymers (CFRPs)

  • nano-/micro- composites with special physicochemical properties, in order to develop smart (bulk) materials, applied on intelligent structures

Special functions of the smart materials involve:

  • CFs for reinforcement of the structure and creation of conductivity gradients

  • Carbon Nano Tubes (CNTs) and Carbon Nano Fibres (CNFs) for sensing, micro-hollow particles for self-healing

  • electro-magnetic nanoparticles that enable field detection and shielding

  • coloring agents or marking cracks and defects

  • intelligent communication through Internet of Things (IoT)

SMARTFAN-concept

Expected Goals

Development of “smart and green” chemical composites

that will be recyclable and reusable

Development of system design strategies

that will use this feature by applying CFRP as a bulk material with self-sensing characteristics

SMARTFAN will approach intelligent structures through two different design concepts, the L concept and G concept. The L concept will be based on multilayer architectures of composite materials, while the G concept will focus on composite architectures including variable fibre grids.

Discover SMARTFAN main challenges