Vaigai College of Engineering

Increasing global awareness of environmental issues has spurred greater interest in green composites, overshadowing conventional petroleum-based alternatives. Eco-friendly materials are widely used in aerospace to everyday household products due to their properties such as lightweight, ease of processing, and sustainability. Green composites not only serve as alternatives to traditional materials like steel and wood but also challenge non-biodegradable polymer composites. This study specifically characterizes the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties and optical properties of bio composites play a crucial role in determining their suitability for various biomedical applications, fiber-reinforced biopolymer composites based on polylactic acid (PLA). Also, aims to identify the methods to improve the properties and optimized on wound healing biomedical applications for biopolymer composites.

Abstract Continuous fiber reinforcement polymer composites have been greatest opportunities in an assortment of sectors, from automobiles to aerospace, attributable to their remarkable mixes of high durability, excellent strength, flexibility and resistance to corrosion. The composite products can be easily and inexpensively tailored to meet individual requirements for the collaboration with 3D printing. Nevertheless, inadequate research study has been done on the material process property interactions of 3D printed thermoset composites with uninterrupted fiber. In this research work, UV-curable composites supplemented with continuous glass fiber are printed using an inexpensive 3D printing approach based on the direct ink writing (DIW) approach. The fiber tow is coated with an acrylate ink within the printer head during the printing process, and it is eventually extruded onto the printer bed, where it gets exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays to strengthen the materials. The level of quality and mechanical attributes of composites are investigated in connection to several ingredient and fabrication parameters, including resin viscosity, nozzle size, printing rate and substrates temperature. In addition, the printed symmetric laminate’s strength, stiffness and porosity are evaluated. The obtained ultimate strength (29, 38.3 and 52 MPa) has been enhanced by 93%, 107%, and 125%, respectively. The results presented in this research work could assist the automotive and aerospace industries efficiently establish and manufacture composite parts with previously unheard-of mechanical qualities and novel functionality.

The present study investigates the incorporation of silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles into a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix to develop a nanocomposite coating for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, with the objective of enhancing their performance and overall efficiency. The PDMS/SiO2 nanocomposite coating was synthesized using a solution-based dispersion method and subsequently applied to the surface of the PV panels. In addition, the electrical characteristics of the PV panels, which represent a nonlinear optimization problem, were analyzed using a highly accurate computational approach. The 5 parameters of the single-diode PV model were identified from experimental data using the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm. Three identical solar PV panels were employed in the experimental investigation. The first panel was coated with a superhydrophobic PDMS/SiO2 nanocomposite coating to impart self-cleaning properties. The second panel remained uncoated and was manually cleaned on a daily basis, whereas the third panel was left uncoated and exposed to natural dust accumulation throughout the experimental period, serving as the reference panel. The electrical power output of each PV panel was measured and compared under identical environmental conditions. Furthermore, the anti-soiling, dust-adhesion reduction, and anti-reflective properties of the PDMS/SiO2 coating were experimentally evaluated. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of the PDMS/SiO2 nanocomposite coating significantly enhanced PV panel performance. Compared with the dusty reference panel and the manually cleaned uncoated panel, the coated PV panel exhibited overall performance improvements of approximately 16% and 7%, respectively. These findings confirm the effectiveness of the PDMS/SiO2 nanocomposite coating in improving PV performance and reducing dust-related losses under outdoor operating conditions.

The optical and thermophysical properties of conventional base fluids undergo significant enhancement when small quantities of copper oxide (CuO) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles are dispersed in the fluid. This characteristic enables efficient absorption and distribution of solar radiation. The increased solar radiation absorption capacity enhances heat transfer, thereby improving the overall thermal performance of the system. In this study, the concept of a hybrid nanofluid-based parabolic concentrating solar collector (HNPCSC) for solar energy harvesting is proposed. The novelty of this work lies in the theoretical modeling and experimental validation of a CuO–Al2O3/Therminol VP-1 hybrid nanofluid-based parabolic solar collector. The study demonstrates the combined effects of enhanced optical absorption and improved thermophysical properties on collector performance under realistic operating conditions. The HNPCSC exhibited superior performance compared to a conventional parabolic solar collector while maintaining identical external operating conditions, including ambient and inlet temperatures, wind speed, solar irradiance, flow rate, and concentration ratio. Furthermore, parametric analyses were conducted to examine the influence of various factors on collector efficiency and overall performance. The investigation specifically evaluated the effects of solar irradiance, incidence angle, and convective heat transfer efficiency. The theoretical results clearly indicate that the HNPCSC can absorb solar radiation more effectively than a conventional parabolic trough collector.

The total emissions generated during the manufacturing, use, and disposal of aerospace materials and selected components were evaluated and compared using a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) of structural aircraft materials. Initially, the potential of lightweight composite materials to reduce aviation-related emissions was investigated by comparing plates made from Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy, carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), and basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP). Subsequently, a case study of a tubular component was conducted using high-quality manufacturing data obtained directly from the manufacturing process. In this case, a composite tubular component was used as a replacement for a conventional structural steel tube. The results revealed a significant cumulative reduction in aviation fuel consumption and emissions, particularly when CFRP structures were incorporated into aircraft components. The environmental assessment also considered the long-term performance of CFRPs under specific conditions related to raw material production, component use and operation, and end-of-life disposal. Overall, the findings demonstrate the potential of CFRP and other lightweight composite materials to reduce the environmental impact of aircraft structures throughout their life cycle.