Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MASTRO (Intelligent bulk MAterials for Smart TRanspOrt industries.)

Teaser

MASTRO Project overall objective is to develop intelligent bulk materials for smart applications in the transport sector incorporating several self-responsiveness properties aiming at increasing consumer safety, component life-span and performance while reducing maintenance...

Summary

MASTRO Project overall objective is to develop intelligent bulk materials for smart applications in the transport sector incorporating several self-responsiveness properties aiming at increasing consumer safety, component life-span and performance while reducing maintenance and manufacturing costs and also through-life greenhouse gas emissions. Self-responsiveness functionalities will be achieved by incorporating electrical conductive nanomaterials like multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphite-based nanomaterials into smart lightweight polymer composites together with asphalt and concrete formulations. The functionality of the intelligent bulk materials will be incorporated into different critical transport sector components.

Work performed

The work performed during these first 18 months is summarized below:

WP-1
•To complete deliverables D1.1, D1.2 and D1.3.
•To define the governance structure, routes of communication and reporting and the Quality Assurance and Gender Action plans.
•Project’s documents templates have been created circulated among partners and uploaded on project website.
•To define the project’s decision-making & conflict resolution mechanism.
•Coordination of the different WPs and for the day to day communications with the EC.

WP-2 technical, materials and processes requirements and key performance indicators have been already defined in detail by the end-users in WP2 deliverables: D2.1, D2.2, D2.3 ,D2.4, D2.5, D2.6, D2.7 and D2.8

WP-3 To produce different types of tailored nanocarbons with improved electric conductive properties:
•Selection of the different carbon nanomaterials, based in both cylindrical (Task 3.1) and platelet shape (Task 3.2), to fulfil the requirements according to the statements of WP2.
•To tailor the selected carbon nanomaterial for each matrix and for each functional response, by means of different surface chemical and/or thermo-mechanical treatments.
•To check the compatibility of the modified carbon nanofillers with each final matrix in terms of dispersion and processability (Task 3.3).

WP-4 To develop a multi-scale predictive model of the self-responsive functionalities incorporated into a user-based application:
•In the first time, definition of the strategy was established to model the Joule effect, as well as to model the piezoresistivity. Physical phenomena and workflow are describe in the MODA.
•Percolation test was made at nanoscale with DIGIMAT and OCCAM software in order to analyze the influence of several parameters (aspect ratio, CNT fraction).
•Multiscale workflow is proposed on a sample for Joule effect and piezoresistivity
•User-oriented application development with first link between OCCAM and ABAQUS software.

WP-5 To design and develop intelligent bulk materials with self-responsiveness properties.
•Evaluation of self-responsive functions when CNT and expanded Graphite are incorporated in different matrices formulations.
•Analysis of the influence of the carbon nano-material content on the electrical, rheological and mechanical properties of each of the addressed matrices;
•Optimization of materials, processes and component design;

WP-6 To develop an ICT platform for providing intelligent monitoring and control capabilities to the self-responsive functionalities.
•Technical user needs regarding systems activation, data processing and data analysis have been defined.
•Ad-hoc APIs and software connectors has been developed to integrate partner systems with the Cloud.
•IT architecture & technology stack definition have been carried out for AE, AU and TI use cases, based on Industry 4.0 standards and trends (IoT & Business Intelligence).
•Actuator flowcharts have been defined together with the involved partners (both local and Cloud sides)

WP-8: To develop LCA and LCC Analysis, REACH analysis, standardization and training.
•Life Cycle Costing and Life Cycle Assessment of AE1 Wing Leading Edge, AE3 Fuel tank, TI1 Concrete Road, TI3 Asphalt Road, AU1 Bumper and AU3 Windshield Cowl Cover Baseline Scenarios have been conducted to assess and quantify economic and environmental impacts of existing practice using relevant software.
•SGR and ARK have been involved in REACH regulations of their previously developed materials.
•Activities related to identification of standardization needs of MASTRO materials. Identification of internal training needs.

WP-9 To boost the communication, dissemination and exploitation of the technologies.
•It has been developed and implemented early in the project tools facilitating these activities.
•The project website was launched, which serves a dual purpose.
•Furthermore, visual content, such as poster present

Final results

Enhancing market opportunities for EU industries

Improving consumer safety
AERONAUTIC. Self-deicing, self-sensing and self-curing technologies will have a strong impact (estimated around 10%) on consumer safety, contributing to mitigate the risks that caused most of those types of accidents.
AUTOMOTIVE. Increasing the visibility of the cars by self-heating some critical parts of the vehicle will increase significantly consumer safety, reducing casualties, material costs for damaging of vehicles.
TRANSPORT NETWORK. Deicing MASTRO asphalt technologies would reduce ice related accidents in blackspots due to freezing by a 20%.

Reducing maintenance costs
AERONAUTIC. Material with new concept of self-sensing contributes to make easy the detection of the damage without stopping and disassembly the eventual damaged part, reducing maintenance costs.
AUTOMOTIVE. MASTRO technologies can improve maintenance costs saving by 30% of total costs thanks to the fact that the components will be working in a better condition.
TRANSPORT NETWORK. All roads require some maintenance activities before they come to the end of their service life, three in case of the regular scheme used for asphalt (in a lifespan of 30 years). As a result of applying MASTRO self-healing technology, regular activities can be reduced from three to one, saving 2/3 of the regular maintenance cost.

Improving resource efficiency
AERONAUTIC. MASTRO electric de-icing technology will enable manufacturers to use bleedless engines and the “More Electric Aircraft” architecture, which could help them to meet the emissions requirements set forth by ACARE. MASTRO proposition of developing self-curing components can leave up to 90% energy reduction.
AUTOMOTIVE. MASTRO will contribute to resource efficiency through the avoidance of the use of these large infrastructures, the energy for heating up, curing, the vacuum pumps, etc. as there is no need to place the components inside the oven.
TRANSPORT NETWORK. Savings of 2/3 of the aggregates and bitumen would be possible. When a regular maintenance of 1km of road consumes 4500 tn of asphalt concrete, MASTRO is expected to reduce this amount to 1500tn/km.

Improving understanding of materials properties based on theoretical materials models.New material models will allow numerical screening of properties in order to improve understanding of materials.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.mastro-h2020.eu.