Sanjeev Sharma
My current research project is in the use of sandwich steels for automotive crash structure applications, I am sponsored by EPSRC and Tata Steel R&D.
Profile
I am a 3rd year PhD student in the Materials and Manufacturing Group at WMG
.
I have a 1st class degree in Mechanical Engineering (MEng) (Hons) from the University of Birmingham.
I have work experience in the engineering field having spent a year working for British American Tobacco R&D department in Southampton, and 5 years working in the summer months for RTS Technology Solutions as a Structural Engineer and Project Manager in Birmingham.
Current Research Project
Aims
The aim of the project is to understand the performance of steel-polymer-steel sandwich materials when used in automotive crash structures.
Objectives
The objective of this work is to determine whether steel sandwich material crash structures would be able to compete with monolithic steel and aluminium crash structures in terms of energy absorption with reduced mass.
How my PhD works
The process of the PhD involves predicting the material performance using Finite Element Analysis (FEA); producing the materials; using conventional pressing and joining technologies found in the automotive industry to produce crash structures; perform crash testing on WMG's 11 kJ drop tower; and feedback test results into FEA to compare and validate modelling.
What difference will my research make?
This project is in line with the trend in the automotive industry to reduce the weight of the vehicle structure whilst maintaining/improving occupant and pedestrian safety.
The sandwich materials produced are tested for the automotive front impact load case, the image below shows the typical automotive front impact structure for a monocoque chassis.
Image from Thyssen Krupp website, http://incar.thyssenkrupp.com/4_04_020_LT01_Referenz.html?lang=en.
The impact structures shown above absorb the energy in an impact protecting the occupants. The image below shows an NCAP front impact test to ensure a vehicle meets the standards required and the front end impact structures absorb enough energy to protect the occupants.
Image from EuroNCAP website, http://www.euroncap.com/results/jaguar/xf/2011/464.aspx.
