Dr Richard Trask

Summary

Dr Trask is a member of the Aerospace Advanced Composites research group (ACCIS), working in the field of Multifunctional Composites.
 
Research Interests

His field of interest is bio-inspired multifunctional materials covering the areas of damage tolerance and self-healing composite materials. Nature has developed materials, objects and processes that function from the nanocale to the macroscale. The aim of Dr Trask’s work is to mimic nature to develop innovative and ingenious methods of adding functionality to advanced fibre reinforced polymer composite materials.

Current Research:

• Biologically inspired design features and philosophies found in nacre for advaced body armour 
• Hierarchical form and design strategies of Euplectella aspergillum (sea sponge) for structural efficiency and damge tolerance of airframe structures
• Biomimicry of plantae vascules in the development of self-healing composite structures.

Dr Trask is also the Chair of the Scientific Committee – 3rd International Conference of Self-Healing Materials, Bath, UK, 2011.

Biography

Dr Richard Trask received his Ph.D. (Damage Tolerance of Repaired Composite Sandwich Structures) from the University of Southampton in 2004. Currently, he is a Lecturer (funded through the ACCIS Doctoral Training Centre) in the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

Teaching

Lecturer in the ACCIS Doctorial Training Centre

Structures & Materials 3

Structures & Materials 4

Design Group 3

Unit Director of 4th Year Research Project

Keywords

• Biomimicry
• Self-Healing
• Damage tolerance
• Composites

Memberships

Organisations

Department of Aerospace Engineering

Other sites

• Aerospace

Research Groups

• Advanced Composites Centre for Innovation and Science (ACCIS)
• Advanced Composites Centre for Innovation and Science (ACCIS) - Core

Recent publications

• Malkin, R, Trask, RS & Bond, IP 2013, ‘Control of unstable crack propagation through bio-inspired interface modification’. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, vol 46., pp. 122-130
• Norris, CJ, Bond, IP & Trask, RS 2013, ‘Healing Of Low-Velocity Impact Damage In Vascularised Composites’. Composites: Part A, vol 44., pp. 78-85
• Trask, R, Hallett, S, Helenon, F & Wisnom, M 2012, ‘Influence of process induced defects on the failure of composite T-joint specimens’. Composites: Part A, vol 43., pp. 748 - 757
• Helenon, F, Wisnom, MR, Hallett, SR & Trask, RS 2012, ‘Numerical investigation into failure of laminated composite T-piece specimens under tensile loading’. Composites, Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, vol 43., pp. 1017-1027
• Norris, CJ, White, JAP, McCombe, G, Chatterjee, P, Bond, IP & Trask, RS 2012, ‘Autonomous stimulus triggered self-healing in smart structural composites’. Smart Materials and Structures, vol 21., pp. -
• McCombe, G, Rouse, J, Trask, R, Withers, P & Bond, I 2012, ‘X-Ray Damage Characterisation in Self-Healing Fibre Reinforced Polymers’. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, vol 43(4)., pp. 613 - 620
• Knipprath, C, McCombe, G, Trask, R & Bond, I 2012, ‘Predicting self-healing strength recovery using a multi-objective genetic algorithm’. Composites Science and Technology, vol 72., pp. 752 - 759
• Yasaee, M, Bond, I, Trask, R & Greenhalgh, E 2012, ‘Damage control using discrete thermoplastic film inserts’. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, vol 43(6)., pp. 978 - 989
• Knipprath, C, Bond, I & Trask, R 2012, ‘Biologically inspired crack delocalisation in a high strain rate environment’. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, vol 9., pp. 665 - 676
• Helenon, FH, Wisnom, M, Hallett, S & Trask, R 2011, ‘Predicting failure mechanisms in t-shaped aerospace composite structures’. in: 18th International Conference on Composite Materials (ICCM 18), Jeju Island.

View complete publications list in the University of Bristol publications system

Courses

Dr Trask currently teaches 4 courses: