Prof. Maiaru teaches Mechanics of Composites every Spring semester. The main goal of this class is to develop a strong understanding of the mechanics of composite materials; derive orthotropic stress-strain relations and failure criteria for a broad range of composite materials; establish a strong understanding of the role of constituents in the overall response of […]
Prof. Maiaru teaches Applied Strength every Fall semester. The strength of materials principles are applied to the stress analysis of machine components and structures. The effects of buckling and combined bending, torsion, and axial loadings are studied together with the effects of stress risers due to geometrical complexities. Topics include 3D stress transformations; principal stresses; […]
Prof. Maiaru teaches Intro to Aerospace together with Prof. Willis, Prof. Niemi and Prof. Cook every Fall semester. This survey course introduces and discusses basic lightweight structures, aerospace materials, aerodynamics, air-breathing/rocket propulsion, space environment, energy systems, thermal analysis, aerospace systems design, and the aerospace industry (economics, jobs, opportunities, etc.). The hands-on laboratory component of this […]
Renewable energies is a fundamental core of the iComp2 group at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Our group works together with industrial partners within the NSF funded I/UCRC WindSTAR. There are currently three ongoing projects listed below. Prof. Maiaru is Assistant Director for Education and Outreach for the WindSTAR center. Matrix Material Enhancement Curing results […]
Our group works on a novel approach for the FE analysis of fiber-reinforced composites, which can provide accurate stress and strain fields with minimum computational costs using 1D refined theories. The structural models are derived in the framework of the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF), which provides hierarchical higher-order structural models with arbitrary expansion orders where […]
The objective of this project is to solidify the processing-microstructure-property relationship to improve predictions and processing times of thermosetting composite materials. This work aims to quantify the local microstructure of composites based on manufacturing-induced variations in the fibers and matrix. This is an interdisciplinary project led by Prof. Maiaru and funded by the National Science […]