Optimisation of Composite Floor for Truck Trailers

Project Title:

Supervisors:

Dr. Gayan Kahandawa Appuhamillage and Dr Fatemeh Javidan

Contact person and email address:

Gayan Kahandawa Appuhamillage: g.appuhamillage@federation.edu.au

A brief description of the project:

Utilisation of composite materials for refrigerated truck trailers is beneficial for thermal insulation, high load-bearing capacity and weight reduction. This project focuses on development of an effective design for composite floor structures in truck trailers. The main aim of this project is to develop a new optimised floor which is cost effective for manufacturing.

The project will focus on developing robust Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models of the composite floor in order to optimise the structure and to reduce the manufacturing cost. Sample testing will be conducted to derive accurate material models and test verification. The student will work closely with industry to identify the optimal structural configuration for composite floor using FEA models, existing knowledge and manufacturing techniques. Representative samples will be fabricated and tested under both static and dynamic loading conditions. Samples will be equipped with sensors and the results will be used to update and validate the FEA simulations. Using the developed FEA model, extensive optimisation analysis will be conducted considering manufacturing efficiency, weight and strength of the system to develop an optimum configuration for the composite floor. Final testing will be conducted to validate the proposed design.

Project Objectives:

Development of Finite Element models for composite floor of the trailer.
Test verification of representative samples
Utilisation of sensors for verification