PhD (4 years) on experimental and numerical study of textile-based armor for blast and fragment protection

Ballistic protection concerns apparel, vests, armors, helmets and structural reinforcement for vehicles as well. Woven, knitted or nonwoven fabrics, laminates, and composites are an interesting option for ballistic protection because of their light weight compared to metallic materials and the shear endless possible combinations based on a variation of fiber nature, fiber type, fiber density, yarn composition, yarn density, manufacturing techniques (weaving, knitting, Unidirectional lay-up, 2D or 3D), number of layers, combination of different types of layers and the use of coatings and matrix resins.

In order to optimally design armored protection to resist blast and fragmentation damage, realistic experimental testing and precise modelling and simulation tools are required. Therefore, the proposed project aims at developping optimised Explosion-proof textile-based armor to be used in both personal and vehicle protection using a novel experimental technique for combined fragment impact and blast loading, which is closer to the actual threat than the existing ballistic impact test standards. Once reliable test data have been gathered, a finite element based model will be developed to predict the blast and fragment protection by the textile-based armor. The test data will be used as input for the simulations, as well as for validation of the predictions. The project is a collaboration between Sioen, a leading textile manufacturer in Belgium, the Royal Military Academy and Ghent University. The PhD candidate will work at the Royal Military Academy and get support from Sioen and Ghent University. The funding foresees in a 4-year PhD fellowship.

Only candidates with a Master degree should apply. The candidate should have a strong interest in experimental and computational mechanics of materials, and should be enthusiastic to work in a collaborative project between industry, defense and academia.

More information can be found on https://composites.ugent.be/PhD_job_vacancies_PhD_job_positions_composit....