Dr Rachel Tomlinson
BEng, PhD, CEng, FIMechE
Senior Lecturer
Director of Undergraduate Teaching
Department of Mechanical Engineering
The University of Sheffield
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Telephone: +44 (0) 114 222 7757
Fax: +44 (0) 114 222 7890
email : r.a.tomlinson@sheffield.ac.uk
Profile
Rachel Tomlinson was awarded her PhD in Experimental Mechanics from the University of Sheffield in 1995 and graduated with a BEng degree in 1991 in Mechanical Engineering from the same institution. Her PhD was sponsored by British Aerospace Airbus Ltd and following this became a research associate in the Experimental Stress Analysis Laboratory at the University of Sheffield, working on projects supported by EPSRC ROPA, Airbus UK, Rolls Royce plc, SNECMA (Paris), and the Defence Research Agency. She has expertise in several areas of experimental mechanics including automated photoelasticity, thermoelasticity, caustics and fracture mechanics.
Rachel was appointed as a lecturer in 1998 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in January 2007.
Other professional achievements:
- Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- Member of the British Society for Strain Measurement and actively organises conferences and seminars
- Editorial member of "Strain - the official Journal of the European Association for Experimental Mechanics (EURASEM)"
- Member of the Women’s Engineering Society
Research Areas
As part of the Experimental Mechanics Laboratory, current research projects are in the development and use of optical instruments to measure strain in a wide range of applications, such as particulate reinforced materials, automotive glass, and aircraft components.
Digital Image Correlation techniques are being used to study damage in particulate reinforced materials. A range of particulate toughened polymers are being studied: to investigate experimentally the deformation mechanisms around the particles; to identify and characterise the potential failure mechanisms through experiment; and to explore how these mechanisms can be modelled mathematically. The work is sponsored by Cytec Engineered Materials Ltd, who are global providers of technologically advanced composite materials for high performance aerospace and automotive applications.
Within safety critical industries, such as in aircraft manufacture, numerical analyses need to be verified by experiment. However both the cost of development tests and the time taken to perform them are considerably greater than the cost and time required to conduct Finite Element Analyses (FEA). Airbus are sponsoring research into the use of Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) techniques to accurately produce scaled structural models for the aerospace industry with the aim of improving efficiency of design.
Asymmetric stress profiles through glass may be measured using magnetophotoelasticity. Pilkington plc are sponsoring research into developing a full-field magnetopolariscope system, which will enable more effective measurement of residual stress in glass. Non-destructive methods to measure stresses in three-dimensional photoelastic models of engineering components are being investigated. A joint research project with The University of Manchester is developing a new instrument using tomographic techniques, which will allow experimental verification of design prototypes to be performed quickly and efficiently.
Thermoelastic stress analysis techniques are being used in a number of different areas including exploring why a crack grows in the direction that it does, and investigating damage in polymers and elastomers used in the oilfield industry.
Other areas of interest are with birefringent fluids with applications in a wide variety of practical engineering problems, e.g. flow through micro-channels; unsteady flows; biological flows; and classic fluid dynamics problems, and using photoelasticity in medical and dental applications.
Research Projects
- Using additive layer manufacture to produce scaled structural models – with Airbus
- Multi-scale damage modelling of particulate reinforced materials - with Cytec Engineered Materials Ltd.
- New photoelastic techniques to measure 3D strain fields - with the University of Manchester
- Novel experimental techniques to investigate fatigue crack growth
- Photoelasticity in medical and dental applications
- Birefringent fluids for validation of CFD modelling of 3D fluid flow
- Thermal methods to investigate viscoelastic materials
Teaching
MEC302 Integrity of Materials and Components
MEC405 Experimental Stress Analysis
Journal articles
- Yang Y, Tomlinson RA, Crimp M & Patterson EA (2012) Quantitative measurement of plastic strain field at a fatigue crack tip. Proc Royal Soc A.
- Cooke W, Tomlinson RA, Burguete R, Johns D & Vanard G (2011) Anisotropy, homogeneity and ageing in an SLS polymer. RAPID PROTOTYPING J, 17(4), 269-279.
- Blakey S, Rowson J, Tomlinson RA, Sandham A & Yoxall A (2009) Squeezability. Part 1: a pressing issue. P I MECH ENG C-J MEC, 223(11), 2615-2625.
- Marsavina L, Craciun EM & Tomlinson RA (2008) Combining thermo-photo elasticity for analysis of cracked bodies. JOURNAL OF OPTOELECTRONICS AND ADVANCED MATERIALS, 10(11), 2876-2881.
- Yates JR, Zanganeh M, Tomlinson RA, Brown MW & Garrido FAD (2008) Crack paths under mixed mode loading. ENGINEERING FRACTURE MECHANICS, 75(3-4), 319-330.
- Allum SR, Tomlinson RA & Joshi R (2008) The impact of loads on standard diameter, small diameter and mini implants: a comparative laboratory study. CLIN ORAL IMPLAN RES, 19(6), 553-559.
- Zanganeh M, Tomlinson RA & Yates JR (2008) T-stress determination using thermoelastic stress analysis. J STRAIN ANAL ENG, 43(6), 529-537.
- Zanganeh M, Tomlinson RA & Yates JR (2008) T-stress determination using TSA and DIC. 17th European Conference on Fracture 2008: Multilevel Approach to Fracture of Materials, Components and Structures, 1, 595-602.
- Patterson EA, Hack E, Brailly P, Burguete RL, Saleem Q, Siebert T, Tomlinson RA & Whelan MP (2007) Calibration and evaluation of optical systems for full-field strain measurement. OPT LASER ENG, 45(5), 550-564.
- Tomlinson RA, Pugh D & Beck SBM (2006) Experiment and modelling of birefringent flows using commercial CFD code. INT J HEAT FLUID FL, 27(6), 1054-1060.
- Gibson S, Jewell GW & Tomlinson RA (2006) Full-field pulsed magnetophotoelasticity - a description of the instrument. J STRAIN ANAL ENG, 41(2), 161-170.
- Gibson S, Jewell GW & Tomlinson RA (2006) Full-field pulsed magnetophotoelasticity - experimental implementation. J STRAIN ANAL ENG, 41(2), 171-182.
- Yang H, Gibson S & Tomlinson RA (2006) Improvement of Fourier Polarimetry for applications in tomographic photoelasticity. EXP MECH, 46(5), 619-626.
- Diaz FA, Patterson EA, Tomlinson RA & Yates JR (2004) Measuring stress intensity factors during fatigue crack growth using thermoelasticity. FATIGUE & FRACTURE OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS & STRUCTURES, 27(7), 571-583.
- Marsavina L & Tomlinson RA (2004) The use of infra-red detectors for determination of the fracture mechanics parameters. J OPTOELECTRON ADV M, 6(4), 1323-1329.
- Tomlinson RA & Marsavina L (2004) Thermoelastic investigations for fatigue life assessment. EXP MECH, 44(5), 487-494.
- Tomlinson RA & Patterson EA (2002) The use of phase-stepping for the measurement of characteristic parameters in integrated photoelasticity. EXP MECH, 42(1), 43-50.
- Tomlinson RA & Patterson EA (1999) On the feasibility of determining discrete photoelastic parameters using the multi-load method. J STRAIN ANAL ENG, 34(4), 295-299.
- Tomlinson RA & Patterson EA (1999) The effects of surface topography on the method of caustics. EXP MECH, 39(4), 335-342.
- Tomlinson RA & Olden EJ (1999) Thermoelasticity for the analysis of crack tip stress fields - a review. Strain, 35(2), 49-55.
- Tomlinson RA & Patterson EA (1997) A study of residual caustics generated from fatigue cracks. FATIGUE FRACT ENG M, 20(10), 1467-1479.
- Tomlinson RA, Nurse AD & Patterson EA (1997) On determining stress intensity factors for mixed mode cracks from thermoelastic data. FATIGUE FRACT ENG M, 20(2), 217-226.
- KITCHIN RA & PATTERSON EA (1993) THE PRACTICAL USE OF VIRTUAL REFLECTION CAUSTICS. FATIGUE FRACT ENG M, 16(6), 597-602.
- Conway A, Tomlinson RA & Jewell GW () A multiple magnetic field method for the application of pulsed magneto-photoelasticity. Measurement Science and Technology.
Conferences
- Tomlinson RA (2011) Crack tip stress fields under biaxial loads using TSA. Conference Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series, 6, 275-278.
- Tomlinson RA & Patterson EA (2011) Examination of crack tip plasticity using thermoelastic stress analysis. Conference Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series, 7, 123-129.
- Tomlinson RA, Du Y & Patterson EA (2011) Understanding crack tip plasticity-a multi-experimental approach. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 70, 153-158.
- Tomlinson RA (2010) Crack tip stress fields under biaxial loads using TSA. Society for Experimental Mechanics - SEM Annual Conference and Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics 2010, 2, 1025-1028.
- Conway AR, Tomlinson RA & Jewell GW (2009) Development of a versatile pulsed magneto-polariscope. Society for Experimental Mechanics - SEM Annual Conference and Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics 2009, 3, 1767-1775.
- Cooke WR, Tomlinson RA, Burguete RL, Johns D, Vanard GJC & Featherston CA (2009) Using selective laser sintering to produce scaled structural models. Society for Experimental Mechanics - SEM Annual Conference and Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics 2009, 4, 2752-2761.
- Tomlinson RA, Conway AR & Calvert GC (2008) A photoelastic investigation into spontaneous glass fracture. Society for Experimental Mechanics - 11th International Congress and Exhibition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics 2008, 4, 1829-1836.
- Conway AR, Tomlinson RA & Jewell GW (2008) Advances in the characterization of the residual stress distribution in thermally toughened glass - Using pulsed magneto-photoelasticity. Society for Experimental Mechanics - 11th International Congress and Exhibition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics 2008, 4, 1837-1845.
- Spalton T, Tomlinson RA, Garrard AE & Beck SBM (2008) Streaming Birefringence - A Step Forward. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS VI, 13-14, 23-28.
- Hussain AK, Greene RJ & Tomlinson RA (2008) The viability of using thermoelastic stress analysis on rubber at small strain. Society for Experimental Mechanics - 11th International Congress and Exhibition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics 2008, 3, 1237-1244.
- Zanganeh M, Tomlinson RA & Yates JR (2008) T-stress determination using digital image correlation. Society for Experimental Mechanics - 11th International Congress and Exhibition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics 2008, 1, 511-517.
- Conway AR, Tomlinson RA & Jewell GW (2007) Improvements in the application of pulsed magnetophotoelasticity. Proceedings of the SEM Annual Conference and Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics 2007, 3, 2006-2013.
- Tomlinson RA, Yang H, Szotten D & Lionheart WRB (2006) The design and commissioning of a novel tomographic polariscope. Proceedings of the 2006 SEM Annual Conference and Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics 2006, 3, 1141-1147.
- Pacey MN & Tomlinson RA (2005) Complete two-dimensional principal stress separation by the photoelastic oblique incidence method. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 3-4, 229-234.
- Tomlinson RA & Calvert GC (2004) Industrial applications of thermoelastic stress analysis. Advances in Experimental Mechanics, 1-2, 165-170.
- Tomlinson RA & Yates JR (2000) An investigation of crack closure using thermoelasticity. PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEM IX INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS, 137-139.
- Tomlinson RA, Greene RJ & Delaney KV (2000) The application of thermoelastic stress analysis to compressor vanes. PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEM IX INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS, 84-87.
- Tomlinson RA & Patterson EA (1998) Evaluating characteristic parameters in integrated photoelasticity. EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS, VOLS 1 AND 2, 495-500.
- Cen M, Tomlinson RA, Patterson EA & Hickman LJ (1998) Integrated birefringence applied to solids and fluids - A review. EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS, VOLS 1 AND 2, 507-512.