Professor Peter Myler

Professor of Engineering Analysis & Design

School Research and Enterprise Leader

B.Sc. (Hons.), M.Sc. (SRC Studentship), Ph.D. (PED/SERC Studentship), UMIST, C.Eng.

Room: B2-5d

Telephone: 01204 90 3661

Professional Biography

MIMechE
Thompson Engineering Award
EPSRC/IMechE Expert Class FRC failures 1991
Founder member of the B.Comp.Society 1987-1992
European Scientific Committee Member, Innovation in Engineering and Textiles 2001 to date.

The first position of my career was as one of only twenty nationwide SERC sponsored research assistants based at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. Here I was one of the first to receive a postgraduate scholarship on structural composites. This was funded by the newly formed polymer-engineering directorate (PED) back in 1981.

In the summer of 1984 I was appointed as a Lecturer at The Polytechnic of Wales. During my first year I developed a new method for three-dimensional modelling of composite structures, utilising PE methodology in conjunction with Rolls-Royce Derby and Wilkinsonsword at Bridgend. Whilst working at the Polytechnic I presented a special guest paper on reinforced polyester structures to the IMechE at Birdcage Walk in London.

In 1985 I joined Lancashire Polytechnic/University of Central Lancashire as a Senior Lecturer. During my time there I supervised the first overseas female PhD student in the area of the prediction of failure of fibre-reinforced composites. I also gained funding for the first Post-doctoral fellowship in this area, sponsored by BAe systems. In addition to this, I obtained £28000 of funding for a three-year research programme on Polysulfide reinforced composites.

I became a Charted Engineer in 1987, an industrial mentor in 1988 for the IMechE and continue on with these roles to date. In 1988 I also became a founder member of the British Composites Society, based initially at Imperial College and now forming part of the Institute of Materials. I also represented Prof Kitching at the University of Bath as an expert leading to formulate methods for analysing the through thickness behaviour of GRP structures leading to the new BS 4994.

In 1991 I gained recognition by the IMechE/EPSRC as an 'Expert' related to Composite failure mechanisms and design, "The St Albans Event."

I have acted as an expert witness for Lancashire Constabulary at Hutton and produced finite element models for Nottingham University Hospital in order to simulate scoliosis a symptom related to female vertebrae.

I have been external examiner and verifier for four HEIs (Oxford Brookes, UWE, Swansea Inst. & Uclan) and an external examinership at Muscat, Oman in the Middle East in conjunction with Sultan Qubas University, QAA and UCL. I worked as a consultant for the British council as an advisor for engineering education in Egypt. I have worked as a curriculum advisor at Bordeaux University mentoring both undergraduate and postgraduate students in the area of structures and composites.

I have acted as an expert witness for Bancroft Solicitors based in London related to CAE and modelling for a multinational motor company and the Lancashire Constabulary at Hutton.

I am a member of the European Scientific Committee (Since 2002) for Innovation in Engineering and Textiles that is involved with European Postgraduate/Masters Level students in western European countries; France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium and major companies such as Nylstar, Smartex, Unitex etc. One of the goals of the committee was to establish a uniform professional educational European programme for Technologists and Engineers. This would therefore enable a common European framework for technical education up to Chartered Engineer/EurIng.

I as deputy for the NW HE sector for the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing.

I am the FEA and materials analyst for the Product development service, co-ordinate and lead four research programmes in this area.

15 Successful PhD completions
3 M.Phil. Completions
27 M.Sc. Completions
7 PhD examinations
3 MPhil examinations

Currently supervising six students as DOS and three as second supervisor

Research Interests

Finite element analysis & simulation
Composite materials
Virtual product development
Inclusive transport & design

Recent Publications

K.Kandola, A.R. Horrocks & P.Myler. The effects of Intumescents on the burning behaviour of Polyester resin containing composites, Composites Part A, Elsevier Pub. 2002
B.K. Kandola, A.R. Horrocks, P. Myler. Proceedings Novel Flame Retardant Glass-Reinforced Composites Containing Intumescent and Flame Retardant Fiberof 13th Annual BCC Conference on Recent Advances in Flame Retardancy of Polymeric Materials, 2002
B.K.Kandola, A.R.Horrocks, P.Myler and D.Blair. 'New Developments in Flame Retardancy of Glass - Reinforced Epoxy Composites', Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 88 (10),2511 – 2521 (2003).
B.K.Kandola, A.R.Horrocks and P.Myler. 'The Use of High Performance Fibres and Intumescents to Render Glass-Reinforced Composites Flame Retardant', US Fibre Society Conference, Loughborough, 2003
B.K.Kandola, P.Myler & AR Horrocks. Residual mechanical strengths of heat/fire damaged flame retardant epoxy composites. In Composites B 2003
J.P.M. Whitty, A. Alderson, P. Myler & B.K. Kandola. Towards the Design of Sandwich Panel Composites with enhanced Mechanical & Thermal Properties by Variation of the In-Plane Poisson's Ratios ICMAC ed Composites A Applied Sc and Manf 2003
B.Henderson P.Myler et al. Finite Element Modelling of Quasi-isotropic Laminate Composite Materials in Pristine and damaged Forms (part1 Benching Marking Techniques) NAFEMS World Congress, Orlando, May 2003
B.Henderson, P.Myler et al. Finite Element Modelling of Quasi-isotropic Laminate Composite Materials in Pristine and damaged Forms (part2 Compressive virtual testing of laminates with and without holes) NAFEMS World Congress, Orlando, May 2003
B.K.Kandola, A.R. Horrocks, P.Myler, D.Blair. New Developments in flame retardancy of Glass reinforced composites. J Applied Polym Sci, Vol 88(10) pp 2511-2521, 2003
B.K.Kandola, A.R. Horrocks, P.Myler, D Blair .Mechanical Performance of Heat/Fire Damaged Novel flame retardant Glass Reinforced Epoxy ,Composites Part A Vol 34, pp 863-873, 2003
A.Alderson, J.P.M.Whitty, P.Myler, B.Kandola. Auxetic Polymers for Thermal Applications: A Hot Topic?. Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Deformation, Yield and Fracture of Polymers, Cambridge, UK, 2003. IOM Communications Ltd. (2003) 337.
B.K. Kandola, S. Nazare, A. R. Horrocks, and P. Myler.Effect of Layered Silicate Nanocomposites on Burning Behavior of Conventionally Flame-Retarded Unsaturated Polyesters , Fire and Polymers IV Materials and Concepts for Hazard Prevention 2005 ISBN-10: 0-8412-3948-7 &ISBN-13: 978-0-8412-3948-7
O.Farooq & P.Myler. Computional Modelling of Elastic Response for Fibre-Reinforced Laminated Composites under combined loads, LUMS, Int. Conf on Mathematics & its Applications in IT,Lahore,Nov 2005
B.K. Kandola, P. Myler, A.R. Horrocks, M. El-Hadidi, D. Blair. Optimisation of Flammability and Mechanical Performances in Flame Retardant Glass Reinforced Epoxy Composites; FRPM 05,Sept,Berlin
B.K. Kandola,P. Myler AR Horrocks, M El-Hadidi. Optimisation of Fire and Mechanical Properties of Glass Reinforced Composites SAMPE, Europe Paris 2006
P. Myler, R James & K Alderson. Strain Distributions in damaged Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plates, Sub to The Journal of Strain Analysis for Engineering Design, MEP
B.Kandola, S.Nazare, A.R.Horrocks and P.Myler. 'Flame Retardant Glass Fibre – Reinforced Polyester Composites Incorporating Organic – Inorganic Nanocomposites', 07
J.P.M. Whitty, B. Henderson, P. Myler and N. Lloyd. Optimized aspect ratios of restrained thick-wall cylinders by virtue of Poisson's ratio selection (Part one-Pressure application)", by J. Solids & Struct., 2007.
B. Henderson, J.P.M. Whitty, and P. Myler. Modelling the thermo-mechanical response of conventional and auxetic materials, sub to Int J. Mech Sci, Jan07
J.P.M. Whitty, P. Myler & B Henderson. Modelling the stress distributions in cellular polymeric materials due to pressure and biaxial loading, Sub to 03.07 Int J. Mech Sci,
B Kandola,P.Myler & RHorrocks. Empirical and Numerical Approach for Optimisation of Fire and Mechanical Performance in Fire Retardant Glass Reinforced Epoxy Composites Fire Safety Journal 07
J.P.M. Whitty, P. Myler, B.Henderson. Modelling thermal stress distributions and mass loss in charred honeycomb and systems, Sub. To Int J. Mech Sci, Feb 07.
B.Kandola,P.Myler,E.Kandare & K.Herbert. Fire and Mechanical behaviour of hybrid composite laminates, Texcomp8 Nottingham,10.06
P.M. Whitty, B. Henderson, P. Myler and N. Lloyd. "Optimized aspect ratios of restrained thick-wall cylinders by virtue of Poisson's ratio selection (Part two-Temperature application)", J, E.Journal of Mechanics. Sub .Aug. 2007.
O Farooq , Myler P & BK Kandola. Computional Modelling of variable shaped impactors on Fibre-Reinforced Laminated Composites, 10th, Int. Sym on Advanced Materials, Rawalpindi, 2007
Harris ET, Myler P and JPM Whitty. The Effect of Fibre Waviness on Carbon FibreReinforced Thermoplastics, modified for publication in 2008
B. Henderson, J.P.M. Whitty, P. Myler and C. Chirwa. Crash performance of cellular foams with reduced relative density, Part 1: Rib thickness variation, International Journal of Crashworthiness,vol6,6,2007
B. Henderson, J.P.M. Whitty, P. Myler and C. Chirwa. Crash performance of cellular foams with reduced relative density, Part 2: Rib Deletion, International Journal of Crashworthiness, vol6,6,2007

Teaching

Finite element analysis and simulation
Composite materials
Applied mechanics

Projects

EPSRC Grant No. GR/L98435, £235K, Intumescent-Flame Retardant Composites

Co-investigator with A.R. Horrocks and J.Staggs (Leeds University).

1-Research fellow and 1 Research Student.

Hexcel Composites, Duxford/Albright & Wilson/Frankenhuis 1998-2003

BTG UK Patent. No.99929178.3 Fire & Heat Resistant Materials

With A. R. Horrocks,BKKandola and Hexcel Composites, Duxford

EPSRC/MOD Grant No EP/D000734/1 ,£324K 50/50 award on Predictive Modelling of Combustion-Induced Mechanical Property Degradation of Flame-retardant Structural Composites

Co-Investigator with BK Kandola and AR Horrocks in collaboration with The University of Manchester,Y Wang & Shuguang Li 2006-09

Product Development Service: ERDF 2007-08

Research supervisor, materials analysis and FEA With C.Styles & K Gregory