Q&A With Dr Stefan Szyniszewski

Transportation may soon become smoother and quieter as scientists from University of Surrey have joined forces with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and the University of California to develop a material that has high stiffness and damping.
​
The process combined 3D-woven technical textile composite sheets with selected unbonded fibers, allowing the inside of the material to move and absorb vibrations, while the surrounding material remains rigid. The scientists believe the new material could usher in a new wave of trains, cars, and aircrafts, allowing customers to experience little to no vibration during their travels.
​
Dr Stefan Szyniszewski, lead author of the study published in Scientific Reports and Assistant Professor of Materials and Structures at the University of Surrey, answered some questions for Innov8 Updates on this novel material:

 

Innov8 Updates (IU). Do you envision future generations incorporating polymeric ‘moving’ fibers to optimize the damping?   
Dr Szyniszewski. Yes, I am interested in polymeric 3D-woven composites. I had discussions with colleagues in Germany at RWTH-Aachen about this route, and there are existing 3D weaving machines capable of producing our architectures. Moving fibers could be even made of two materials: an inner core made of a stiffer material and an outer core made of a damping layer to increase the damping further. That is my next step, with emphasis on the optimization of the architectures.

IU. Do you envision these materials to be used for broad use in structural parts, like a frame or suspension, or for more limited use in sound absorbing parts?
Dr Szyniszewski. Sound absorbing parts are a low hanging fruit, because we have measured increasing damping at higher frequencies approaching the acoustic range. Structural parts would require the use of carbon fiber composites or metallic wires.

IU. Can these 3D-woven structures be mass produced using current infrastructure? 
Dr Szyniszewski. Polymeric and carbon fiber 3D-woven composites can be produced at large scale using current infrastructure. Metallic 3D-woven structures can be produced at a smaller scale at the Johns Hopkins University, and that technology would need to be scaled up.

IU. How will these materials be shaped into parts needed for transportation applications?
Dr Szyniszewski. Metallic lattices could be cold-formed or stamped just like metallic sheets are formed today. Carbon fiber or polymeric sheets would rely on the well-established composite technology.

IU. How great is your flexibility in choosing the metals of construction, have you prepared any ‘mixed-metal’ examples?  
Dr Szyniszewski. Yes, we combined copper and nichrome and played with stainless steel.

IU. What inspired you to prepare these novel structures? 
Dr Szyniszewski. I was inspired by the work on locally resonant structures by Prof. Chiara Daraio from Caltech. I also had some insights into the effect of moving fibers while working at Bechtel power on the design of nuclear power systems about a decade ago. Lightweight, non-safety related, flexible cable trays survived a massive earthquake in California. The subsequent study attributed their surprising resilience to high damping, which was experimentally shown to reach values up to 30% of critical damping. That experience made me think that such system can be scaled down to meta-material level by combining the stiff, skeleton-like structure (analogy to a cable tray frame) with long wires or lattices (analogy to cables) that are free to move and interact with the encompassing architecture. I was also inspired by Prof. Kevin Hemker who developed 3D woven lattice structures for heat exchanges and structural applications in his DARPA-funded project.

Innov8 Updates thanks Dr Szyniszewski​ for insights into this fascinating technology. His work shows the importance of building a strong experience base and then applying it to new areas. We look forward to further developments in this area in the future. The full text of Dr Szyniszewski’s article may be found here.

Q&A With Dr Stefan Szyniszewski

Transportation may soon become smoother and quieter as scientists from University of Surrey have joined forces with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and the University of California to develop a material that has high stiffness and damping.
​
The process combined 3D-woven technical textile composite sheets with selected unbonded fibers, allowing the inside of the material to move and absorb vibrations, while the surrounding material remains rigid. The scientists believe the new material could usher in a new wave of trains, cars, and aircrafts, allowing customers to experience little to no vibration during their travels.
​
Dr Stefan Szyniszewski, lead author of the study published in Scientific Reports and Assistant Professor of Materials and Structures at the University of Surrey, answered some questions for Innov8 Updates on this novel material:

 

Innov8 Updates (IU). Do you envision future generations incorporating polymeric ‘moving’ fibers to optimize the damping?   
Dr Szyniszewski. Yes, I am interested in polymeric 3D-woven composites. I had discussions with colleagues in Germany at RWTH-Aachen about this route, and there are existing 3D weaving machines capable of producing our architectures. Moving fibers could be even made of two materials: an inner core made of a stiffer material and an outer core made of a damping layer to increase the damping further. That is my next step, with emphasis on the optimization of the architectures.

IU. Do you envision these materials to be used for broad use in structural parts, like a frame or suspension, or for more limited use in sound absorbing parts?
Dr Szyniszewski. Sound absorbing parts are a low hanging fruit, because we have measured increasing damping at higher frequencies approaching the acoustic range. Structural parts would require the use of carbon fiber composites or metallic wires.

IU. Can these 3D-woven structures be mass produced using current infrastructure? 
Dr Szyniszewski. Polymeric and carbon fiber 3D-woven composites can be produced at large scale using current infrastructure. Metallic 3D-woven structures can be produced at a smaller scale at the Johns Hopkins University, and that technology would need to be scaled up.

IU. How will these materials be shaped into parts needed for transportation applications?
Dr Szyniszewski. Metallic lattices could be cold-formed or stamped just like metallic sheets are formed today. Carbon fiber or polymeric sheets would rely on the well-established composite technology.

IU. How great is your flexibility in choosing the metals of construction, have you prepared any ‘mixed-metal’ examples?  
Dr Szyniszewski. Yes, we combined copper and nichrome and played with stainless steel.

IU. What inspired you to prepare these novel structures? 
Dr Szyniszewski. I was inspired by the work on locally resonant structures by Prof. Chiara Daraio from Caltech. I also had some insights into the effect of moving fibers while working at Bechtel power on the design of nuclear power systems about a decade ago. Lightweight, non-safety related, flexible cable trays survived a massive earthquake in California. The subsequent study attributed their surprising resilience to high damping, which was experimentally shown to reach values up to 30% of critical damping. That experience made me think that such system can be scaled down to meta-material level by combining the stiff, skeleton-like structure (analogy to a cable tray frame) with long wires or lattices (analogy to cables) that are free to move and interact with the encompassing architecture. I was also inspired by Prof. Kevin Hemker who developed 3D woven lattice structures for heat exchanges and structural applications in his DARPA-funded project.

Innov8 Updates thanks Dr Szyniszewski​ for insights into this fascinating technology. His work shows the importance of building a strong experience base and then applying it to new areas. We look forward to further developments in this area in the future. The full text of Dr Szyniszewski’s article may be found here.

Q&A With Dr Stefan Szyniszewski

Transportation may soon become smoother and quieter as scientists from University of Surrey have joined forces with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and the University of California to develop a material that has high stiffness and damping.
​
The process combined 3D-woven technical textile composite sheets with selected unbonded fibers, allowing the inside of the material to move and absorb vibrations, while the surrounding material remains rigid. The scientists believe the new material could usher in a new wave of trains, cars, and aircrafts, allowing customers to experience little to no vibration during their travels.
​
Dr Stefan Szyniszewski, lead author of the study published in Scientific Reports and Assistant Professor of Materials and Structures at the University of Surrey, answered some questions for Innov8 Updates on this novel material:

 

Innov8 Updates (IU). Do you envision future generations incorporating polymeric ‘moving’ fibers to optimize the damping?   
Dr Szyniszewski. Yes, I am interested in polymeric 3D-woven composites. I had discussions with colleagues in Germany at RWTH-Aachen about this route, and there are existing 3D weaving machines capable of producing our architectures. Moving fibers could be even made of two materials: an inner core made of a stiffer material and an outer core made of a damping layer to increase the damping further. That is my next step, with emphasis on the optimization of the architectures.

IU. Do you envision these materials to be used for broad use in structural parts, like a frame or suspension, or for more limited use in sound absorbing parts?
Dr Szyniszewski. Sound absorbing parts are a low hanging fruit, because we have measured increasing damping at higher frequencies approaching the acoustic range. Structural parts would require the use of carbon fiber composites or metallic wires.

IU. Can these 3D-woven structures be mass produced using current infrastructure? 
Dr Szyniszewski. Polymeric and carbon fiber 3D-woven composites can be produced at large scale using current infrastructure. Metallic 3D-woven structures can be produced at a smaller scale at the Johns Hopkins University, and that technology would need to be scaled up.

IU. How will these materials be shaped into parts needed for transportation applications?
Dr Szyniszewski. Metallic lattices could be cold-formed or stamped just like metallic sheets are formed today. Carbon fiber or polymeric sheets would rely on the well-established composite technology.

IU. How great is your flexibility in choosing the metals of construction, have you prepared any ‘mixed-metal’ examples?  
Dr Szyniszewski. Yes, we combined copper and nichrome and played with stainless steel.

IU. What inspired you to prepare these novel structures? 
Dr Szyniszewski. I was inspired by the work on locally resonant structures by Prof. Chiara Daraio from Caltech. I also had some insights into the effect of moving fibers while working at Bechtel power on the design of nuclear power systems about a decade ago. Lightweight, non-safety related, flexible cable trays survived a massive earthquake in California. The subsequent study attributed their surprising resilience to high damping, which was experimentally shown to reach values up to 30% of critical damping. That experience made me think that such system can be scaled down to meta-material level by combining the stiff, skeleton-like structure (analogy to a cable tray frame) with long wires or lattices (analogy to cables) that are free to move and interact with the encompassing architecture. I was also inspired by Prof. Kevin Hemker who developed 3D woven lattice structures for heat exchanges and structural applications in his DARPA-funded project.

Innov8 Updates thanks Dr Szyniszewski​ for insights into this fascinating technology. His work shows the importance of building a strong experience base and then applying it to new areas. We look forward to further developments in this area in the future. The full text of Dr Szyniszewski’s article may be found here.