Dr James Campbell
Reader - Structural Integrity

Summary

Dr James Campbell's  research is focused on numerical modelling of materials and structures during transient events such as impact and crash. His PhD in hypervelocity impact on spacecraft from Cranfield University provided a basis for the development of expertise in non-linear numerical methods, code development and complex engineering analysis applied to a wide range of engineering problems. A Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and Chartered Engineer, Dr Campbell has 20 years of experience leading multidisciplinary research projects, funded by the EU, Innovate UK, ESA, industry, academia and research organisations (UK and internationally), with more than 100 publications (peer-reviewed journal, conference papers/book chapters).

Areas of Expertise

• Fundamental development of physical models and non-linear numerical methods (FE and SPH), through implementation and code development up to complex engineering analysis.
• Numerical modelling of the transient response of materials and structures.
• Meshless methods, including Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH).
• Predictive analysis of lightweight structures, structural integrity and failure, impact on spacecraft, fluid-structure interaction, impact on aircraft (birdstrike, ice, hard object), crashworthiness and ditching for fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, automotive crashworthiness, fragmentation and shock loading.
• Modelling and experimental characterisation of materials (metallic, composite, ceramic, polymer), from quasi-static loading through to high strain-rate behaviour and shock wave propagation.
• Use of commercial analysis codes LS-DYNA, ABAQUS

Experience

Dr Campbell graduated from Imperial College London with a BEng in Aeronautical Engineering and Cranfield University with an MSc then PhD in Astronautics and Space Engineering. His PhD research developed numerical modelling of hypervelocity impact on spacecraft and the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. This was followed by research on numerical modelling of shock waves at the Centre for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA, for two years. He returned to Cranfield University as Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Computational Mechanics and Course Director of the Structures, Crashworthiness and Impact MSc.  Dr Campbell was then appointed as Head of the Crashworthiness, Impact and Structural Mechanics Group at Cranfield.

Awards

• Derek George Astridge Safety in Aerospace Award, IMechE, 2009.
• Royal Institute of Naval Architects Medal of Distinction, 2010.

Selected research projects

• Principal Investigator. Development of Advanced Material Modelling for Metal Additive Manufacturing (TWI/Lloyds Register Foundation).
• Principal Investigator. Basalt Fibre Reinforced HDPE for Wave Energy Converters
• Co-Investigator. Harpoon Impact Modelling
• Principal Investigator/Project Coordinator. Smart Aircraft in Emergency Situations (SMAES)
• Principal Investigator. Nonlinear Static Multiscale Analysis of Large Aerostructures (MUSCA)

Dr Campbell's expertise is applied to the aeronautics, space, defence, automotive, manufacturing, energy and offshore sectors - and is directly linked to teaching and supervision of PhD and Masters students and professional development programmes.