Dr Jose L. Curiel-Sosa

IngInd, MRes, PhD, CEng, MIMechE, EurIng

Lecturer

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Sir Frederick Mappin Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
UK
UK

Telephone: +44 (0) 114 222 7857
Fax: +44 (0) 114 222 7890

Email: j.curiel-sosa@sheffield.ac.uk

www.jlcurielsosa.org

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Profile

Jose Luis comes from Pilas, a village close to Sevilla, Spain. After undertaking his engineering studies at the University of Sevilla, he joined Reyplas, a composite manufacturing company working for the aerospace and chemical sectors. He was awarded a Master of Research (MRes) in Finite Element Analysis and Computer Modelling in Mechanical Engineering from Swansea University. He then completed his PhD on Computational Modelling of Critical Points and Structural Instabilities at Swansea University. From Aug 2005-Sep 2007 he worked as a Research Assistant in Impact Engineering  within the Solid Mechanics Group at the University of Oxford, sponsored by Rolls-Royce plc.

In September 2007, he joined the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Barcelona, as a Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, teaching modules such as 'Numerical Methods' and 'Computer Modelling' in the Schools of Civil and Aerospace Engineering and the Faculty of Mathematics. His research focused on the development of new simulation software for calculating structural collapse and failure in a range of structures and mechanisms. This research was sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. In addition, he investigated the structural integrity of urban design concepts subjected to impact loading, in a project sponsored by FDB Ltd., and also conducted research, sponsored by Rolls-Royce, on damage modelling of aircraft engine blade roots.

In January 2010 he joined Sheffield Hallam University as a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, teaching topics such as Finite Element Method, Solid Mechanics, Fatigue, Fracture Mechanics and Aerospace Structures. Since January 2013, he has worked as a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sheffield. He is a member of the European engineers association FEANI (EurIng), a chartered engineer (CEng), and a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (MIMechE). In his spare time he likes reading Spanish and English Literature, country walks, birdwatching and running.

Research Interests

Jose Luis' research interests can be framed within the broad fields of structural analysis and computational methods for simulation. In particular, he is currently interested in the following two areas of research:

Computational Mechanics of Composites and Structural Integrity

• Computational damage mechanics of composites is an exciting development area, mainly because of the numerous problems associated with the irreversible thermodynamics process of damage, as well as the nonlinearity of the mathematical methods used. Directions for research in this area include: progressive damage models, delamination, modelling based on energy release rates, symptotic expansion homogenisation and multi-scale modelling.
• Application of the Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) for simulation of delamination in fibre metal laminates (FML). This research looks at the fracture modelling of aerospace FML in modes I and II.
• Novel numerical strategies for describing fracture and/or fatigue in conjunction with damage progression in the micro-scale.

Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Bioengineering

• Research into computational nonlinear materials is based on the consideration of several advanced numerical techniques, such as return mapping algorithms, consistent tangent operators for implicit finite element methodologies and nonlinear constitutive laws, amongst others. 
  This often creates instabilities, which cause divergence of the numerical procedure. Dr Curiel Sosa's research in this area has focused on the development of algorithmic strategies for providing stable numerical procedures. Problems of interest include elastic-plastic damage, large deformations, plasticity and strain softening damage or nonlinear hyperelasticity. So far, this has resulted in a novel implicit-explicit FEM.
• New finite elements, for example, a continuum-based beam element (CBE) in the framework of explicit finite element methods. This CBE element is characterised by a velocity gradient tensor computed in the slave nodes rather than in the master nodes, enabling a more effective computational performance in terms of both CPU-time and convergence. The thickness of the element is assumed to be variable, which allows dilation and/or contraction when large deformation processes are involved. The element has been successfully used in the modelling of reinforcing bars for reinforced concrete.

Research Grants

• 2010-11: "Optimisation of the design of a new railway catenaries product", funded by ELEBk-TRo Ltd. Investigators: J. L. Curiel Sosa.
• 2009: "Research Mobility Grant", funded by Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Investigator: J. L. Curiel Sosa.
• 2008: "Evaluation of GENOA to consistently predict the failure load and the failure mechanisms associated with a composite root specimen under quasi-static loading until ultimate failure", funded by Rolls-Royce plc. Investigators: J. L. Curiel Sosa & S. Phaneendra.
• 2007-10: "Evaluation of upper and lower bounds of the plastic limit state of frame structures using mathematical programming", funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Investigators: A. Huerta & J. L. Curiel Sosa. Industrial partner: Arcelor-Mittal.
• 2007-08: "Computer FE structural analysis of urban design concepts subjected to extreme impact loading", funded by FDB Ltd. Investigators: J. Sarrate, A. Perez-Foguet & J. L. Curiel Sosa.