ULI Collaboration
Funding Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) – University Leadership Initiative (ULI)
Partners: CCM, Joby, Spirit Aerospace
The goal of our ULI was to address technology barriers in manufacturing of complex geometry composite parts for UAM and commercial air platforms, meeting aerospace performance at automotive-like production rates, and to transition technology to our industrial partners followed by the US industrial base. We propose to use our revolutionary highly aligned short fiber technology (called TuFF or Tailorable universal Feedstock for Forming) that can be stamped into complex shapes like sheet metal at high rate, while retaining continuous fiber equivalent properties and aerospace quality. The Technical Challenge addressed in the ULI is to develop a science-based part/process design methodology for TuFF composites, as well as demonstrate at rate manufacturing capability of TuFF complex geometry UAM parts.
Annual Reports
2025 Final Research Performance Report
2023 Annual Report
2022 Annual Report
Publications
- Bogetti, Eli, Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Thickness Profile and Stacking Sequence Optimization of Rectangular Composite Columns for Improved Buckling Load at Constant Weight”, (In Progress) 2025
- Simacek, Pavel, Abu-Obaid, A., Advani, S.G., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Fiber Breakage During Fluid Based Alignment of Discontinuous Fibers, (In Progress), 2025
- Kermani, Navid Niknafs, Parambil, N.K., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Strain Rate Dependent Constitutive Tensile Behavior of Uncured Highly Aligned Discontinuous Fiber Composites for Forming”, Journal of Composite Materials” Submitted, September 2025
- Chen, Branndon, “Characterization of Residual Strain in Thermoplastic Carbon Fiber Micro-Composites”, Master Thesis in Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, January 2025
- Mahoney, Bernard, Tetteh, O., Gyabaah, K., Mensah. P, Gillespie Jr., J.W., Guoqiang, L., “Effect of Healing Parameters on the Healing Efficiency of A Vitrimer”, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, http://doi.org/10.1002/app.57810, Vol 142, 46, 2025
- Legenstein, Alexander, Fuessel, L., Heider, D., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., Cender, T.A., “Stretch-Steering of Highly Aligned Discontinuous Carbon Fiber Tape with Automated Fiber Placement, Composites Part B, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2024.111801Volume 287, December 2024, 111801
- Mulder, Duco, “Characterization of Micro-structural Changes due to Deformation in Forming of Aligned Discontinuous Fiber Composite Laminates, Master Thesis, Mechanical Engineering, Delft University, 2024
- Cender, Thomas A., Simacek, P., Gillespie Jr., J.W., Advani, S.G., “Micro-structural Evolution of Highly aligned Discontinuous Fiber Composites during Longitudinal Extension in Forming”, https://doi.org/10/1016/j.compsitec.2024.110649, Composites Science and Technology, Vol 254, 2024
- Parambil, Nithin K., Chen, B.R., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Process-Indused Residual Stress in a Single Carbon Fiber Semicrystalline Polypropylene Thin Film”, https://doi.org/10/1016/j.compositesa.2023.10769, Composite Part A, Volume 178, March 2024, 107969
- Fuessel, Lukas, Cender, T., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Influence of Deformation of Complaint Rollers on Tape Steering During Automated Tape Placement”, ASC Conference, University of Massachusetts, https://www.asc-composites.org/ascc2023 , Sept. 17-20, 2023
- Parambil, Nithin K., Chen, B.R., Gillepsie, Jr., J.W., “Fatigue Performance of Highly Aligned Short Fiber IM7/LM-PAEK Thermoplastic Composites”, ASC Conference, University of Massachusetts, https://www.asc-composites.org/ascc2023, Sept. 17-20, 2023
- Parambil, Nithin K., Chen, B. R., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Process-Induced Residual Stress in a Single Carbon Fiber Semicrystalline Polypropylene Thin Flim”, Composite Part A, Submitted, July 2023
- Chen, Branndon R., Parambil, N.K., Deitzel, J.M., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Micro-Mechanical Investigation of Process-Induced Fiber Waviness in Thermoplastic Composites” ASC Conference, University of Massachusetts, https://www.asc-composites.org/ascc2023 , Sept. 17-20, 2023
- Cender, Thomas, Simacek, P., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., Advani, S.G., “Experimental Characterization of Extensional Viscosity of Aligned Discontinuous Fiber Composites”, FPCM-15 (15th International Conference on Flow Processes in Composite Materials), https://www.purdue.edu/cmsc/fpcm/, June 27-29, 2023
- Legenstein, Alex, Fuessel, L., Cender, T., Heider, D., Tierney, J., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Stretch-Steering of Aligned Discontinuous Fiber Tapes on Higly Curved Paths Using Automated Fiber Placement”, SAMPE 2023, https://www.sampeamerica.org/ , April 17-20, 2023
- Ganesh, Raja, Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Dynamic 3D effects of single fiber tensile break within unidirectional composites including resin plasticity, residual stress, interfacial debonding and sliding friction”,https://doi.org/10.1177/00219983231199168 , Journal of Composite Materials, Submitted, August 2023
- Ganesh, Raja, AbuObaid, A., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Novel Continuous Fiber Bending Experiment to Determine Size- and Spatial- Distributions of Surface Defects in Glass Fibers”, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2023.110146, Composite Science and Technology, Volume 241, August 2023, 110146
- Ganesh, Raja, AbuObaid, A., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Experimental Determination of Bimodal Strength Distribution of S-Glass Fibers”, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2023.110559, Composites Part B, Volume 254, April 2023, 110559
- Tetteh, Obed, Kubota, M., Mensah, P., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., Li, G., “Evaluation of the Interfacial Shear Strength, and Self-Healing of a New IM7 Single Fiber Reinforced Multifunctional Vitrimer Composite”, ASME 2023 October 2023
- 2023 ImaginAviation Poster – 2023-UD-CCM-ULI-Poster-Contact-Info-and-Videos-ImaginAviation.pdf
- Parambil, Nithin K., Chen, B.R., Deitzel, J.M., Gillepsie, Jr., J.W., “Predicting Crystallization-Dependent Residual Stress Development in Thermoplastic Composites”, SPE ACCE Conference, University of Massachusetts, https://speautomotive.com/acce-conference, Sept. 7-9, 2022
- “Highly-Aligned Discontinuous Fiber Composites (TuFF): Progress and Challenges”, SAMPE 2022 Featured Speaker: Shridhar Yarlagadda.
- “Composite Manufacturing Technologies for Aerospace Performance at Automotive Production Rates:, NASA ULI Tech Talk Series-April 2022 Featured Speaker: John W. Gillespie, Jr.
- Parambil, Nithin K., Chen, B., Deitzel, J., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “A Methodology for Predicting Processing Induced Thermal Residual Stress in Thermoplastic Composite at the Microscale”, Composites Part B, volume 231, 109562, 2021.
- Simacek P., Advani S. G., Gillespie Jr. J. W., “Modeling Short Fiber Deformation in Dilute Suspension: Fiber Deposition”, Composites Science and Technology, volume 218, 109149, 2021.
- Fidlow, H., Cender, T. “Extentional Viscosity of Thermoplastic TuFF Composite in Stretch Forming Processes”, SAMPE 2022, Charlotte, NC, May 23-26, 2022.
- Cender, Thomas A., Fidlow, H., Yarlagadda, S., Heider, D., Simacek, P., Advani, S.G., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Forming Limits of TuFF Composites in Stretch”, SAMPE 2022, Charlotte, NC, May 23-26, 2022.
- Chen, Branndon R., Prakash, K., Yarlagadda, S., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Fatigue Performance of Thermoplastic TuFF Composites”, SAMPE 2022, Charlotte, NC, May 23-26, 2022.
- Fussel, Lukas, Cender, T.A., Austermann, V., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., Heider, D., “Tow Steering of Stretchable TuFF Thermoplastic Tape with Laser Tape Placement”, SAMPE 2022, Charlotte, NC, May 23-26, 2022.
- Abu-Obaid, Ahmad, Ganesh, R., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., “Investigation of Size and Spatial Distribution of Defects in S2 Glass Fibers Using Continuous Bending Test Method”, SAMPE 2022, Charlotte, NC, May 23-26, 2022.
- Parambil, Nithin K., Chen, B.R., Deitzel, J.M., Gillespie, Jr., J.W., Vo, L.T., Sarosi, P., “Predicting Processing Induced Residual-Stresses in Carbon-Fiber-Thermoplastic Micro-Composites”, ASC Conference, Virtual Event, Sept. 19-22, 2021.
- Chen, Branndon R., N.K. Parambil, J. Deitzel, J.W. Gillespie, Jr., L.T. Vo, P. Sarosi, “Interfacial Shear Strength (IFSS) and Absorbed Energy versus Temperature in Carbon Fiber-Thermoplastic Composites via Single Fiber Pullout Testing,” ASC 2020, https://asc2020nyc/ September 14-17, 2020.
- Yarlagadda, Shridhar, Deitzel, J.M., Heider, D., Tierney, J. and Gillespie, Jr., J. W.,“Tailorable Universal Feedstock for Forming (TuFF): Overview and Performance:, SAMPE 2019, Charlotte, NC.
- Heider, Dirk, Tierney, J., Henchir, M., Gargitter, V., Yarlagadda, S., Gillespie Jr., J. W., Sun, J., Sietins, J., and Knorr, D.,“Microstructural Evaluation of Aligned, Short Fiber TuFF Material”, SAMPE 2019, Charlotte, NC.
- Yarlagadda, Shridhar, Advani, S., Deitzel, J., Heider, D., Molligan, D., Roseman, D., Simacek, P., Tierney, J., and Gillespie, Jr., J. W., “Formability of TuFF Composite Blanks”, SAMPE 2019, Charlotte, NC
- Heider, D., Tierney, J., Deitzel, J., Kubota, M., Thiravong, J., Gargitter, V., Burris, W., Morris, J., Shevchenko, N., Yarlagadda, S., and Gillespie, Jr., J. W., “Closed Loop Recycling of CFRP into Highly Aligned High Performance Short Fiber Composites Using The TuFF Process”, SAMPE 2019, Charlotte, NC.
May 3, 2024
imaginAviation 2024 Univeristy Poster Session Awards
Congratulations to the awardees for imaginAviation 2024! To view all posters, visit NASA imaginAviation.
Team Awards:
- First Team to Register: Hybrid Quadplane Search and Rescue Missions, North Carolina A&T State University, USRC
- Best Summary Video: Carbon Fiber Composites (CFC) Recycling Technology Enabled by the TuFF Technology, University of Delaware, ULI
- First Place Poster: Secure and Safe Assured Autonomy, North Carolina A&T State University, ULI
- Second Place Poster: Hybrid Quadplane Search and Rescue Missions, North Carolina A&T State University, USRC
- Third Place Poster: Carbon Fiber Composites (CFC) Recycling Technology Enabled by the TuFF Technology, University of Delaware, ULI
Individual Awards:
- First Place Poster: Urban Air Mobility Fatigue Prediction, Aaron Crawford, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Second Place Poster: Cooling Effectiveness and Flow Characterization of Additively Manufactured Turbine Blades with Drilled Film Cooling Holes, Nicholas Gailey, Pennsylvania State University
- Third Place Poster (tie): Energy-Aware Portal Siting for Regional Air Mobility, Katherine Vasiloff, University of Tennessee
- Third Place Poster (tie): Using CFD to Develop an Inlet Profile Simulator for High-Pressure Turbine Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer Studies, Chad Schaeffer, Pennsylvania State University
- Fifth Place Poster: RealWindDroneSim (RWDS), Bohan Zhang, Saint Louis University
April 18, 2024
NASA SCIENCE CHIEF NICKY FOX TO SPEAK AT UD
Nicola “Nicky” Fox, the head of NASA’s Science Directorate and an expert in heliophysics — sun-related physics — will visit the University of Delaware’s corner of the universe.
During her visit, Fox will present “NASA’s Vision for Powerful Science,” a public talk from her perspective as the director of about 100 scientific missions at the world’s largest space agency. The presentation begins at 1:30 p.m. in UD’s Mitchell Hall. All are invited. The program also will be livestreamed to allow for broader public access.
March 8, 2024
Congratulations to 2023 ULI Summer Intern Iveena Mukherjee on her selection as one of only two outstanding young leaders to represent Delaware as a delegate to the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) to be held in Washington, D.C. March 2 – 9, 2024. Iveena will also receive a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship. Iveea is photographed below with Senator Chris Coons and Senator Tom Carper.
November 27, 2023
- CalCompetes grant supports Joby facility expansion, job growth
$9.8 million will grown the eVTOL aircraft manufacturer’s footprint in Marina, California, support 690 new state jobs and accelerate early manufacturing to support initial commercial operations, targeted for 2025.
October 25, 2023 – Third Annual Review Highlights
- 212 registrants
- Tours and demos
- Executive Advisory Council commented – “World Class Research”
- Deep Draw/Stretch Forming Part Demonstrations
- New Constitutive model for Tuff thermoset implemented in Aniform for forming simulations
- Fatigue performance of TuFF 3mm IM7/LM-PAEK cross-ply laminates demonstrated (no microcracking 2M cycles @ 0.9% tensile strain (R=0.1)
- Origins of fiber waviness during processing visualized using single fiber model composites
- Process improvements in TuFF alignment mechanisms lead to improvements in fiber preform quality for thin ply preforms.
- TuFF Fiber steering demonstrated feasibility of reducing minimum steering radius by 1-2 orders of magnitude defect free
- Sole ULI invited by NASA to participate in NASA DC Day on the Hill on November 15, 2023
Third Annual Review, October 25, 2023
The Third Annual Review of the NASA University Leadership Initiative Composite Manufacturing Technologies for Aerospace Performance at Automotive Production Rates program will be held at the University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials on October 25, 2023, starting at 8:00am (EST). This is an open meeting; attendees may attend in-person or via Teams.
A team led by the University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials (UD-CCM) is addressing technology barriers and education/workforce training needs in composites manufacturing that provides aerospace performance at high production rates for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and commercial air platforms. Our approach for manufacturing of complex geometry composite parts uses our highly aligned short fiber technology (called TuFF or Tailorable universal Feedstock for Forming) that can be stretch formed while retaining continuous fiber equivalent properties and aerospace quality.
Overview talks on UAM Technology needs and TuFF processing, microstructure, material formats and material properties as well as our extensive outreach activities will be presented. Technical sessions will provide updates on mechanics of aligned short fiber composites, forming of aligned short fiber composites and part process development. Lab tours of UD-CCM (Newark site) are planned for in-person attendees.
September 19, 2023
Located in the “birthplace of aviation,” Joby’s 2025 facility, led by state and local support, will deliver up to 500 aircraft per year with potential to reinforce further growth.
June 28, 2023
Joby Marks Production Launch, Receives Permit to Fly First Aircraft Built on Production Line
June 26, 2023
Three recent UD engineering graduates translated their space research into outreach for pre-k students at the UD Early Learning Center
May 2, 2023
April 12, 2023
Topic: Leading Advanced Turbine Research for Hybrid Electric Propulsion Systems
Presenting Speakers and their Affiliation:
• Karen Thole, Penn State
• Jon Gladin, Georgia Tech
• Ben Emerson, Georgia Tech
Summary of the Talk:
The electrification of aircraft propulsion has attracted the attention of the aerospace industry in recent years due to its potential benefits in reducing energy, carbon emissions, noise, maintenance cost, and cash operating cost. A significant number of research, technology, and product development efforts are underway to explore and exploit these perceived benefits. The realization and magnitude of these benefits depend on aircraft size, mission, fuel costs, architectural configuration, technology capability of the primary electrical components (i.e., energy storage devices, electric machines, and power conversion devices), and the electrical grid carbon intensity. One feasible solution to reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from commercial aviation is to use hybrid-electric propulsion (HEP), which is particularly well-suited for single-aisle medium- and short-haul aircraft. The objective of this research is to optimize the turbine design for HEP aircraft to meet the turbine efficiencies equal to that of large cores and reduce the energy consumption of the turbine by 8-12% over the entire flight envelope. This presentation will address the challenges of optimizing hybrid electric propulsion congruent with the combustor and turbine components.
March 6, 2023
Alumna and aerospace engineer Erin Rezich shares her journey
February 23, 2023
In the second stage of the type certification process, a company identifies the ways in which it will demonstrate it has met the regulatory intent of the safety rules (“Means of Compliance”) that were defined during the first stage of the process (“Certification Basis”).
February 14, 2022
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced it has begun final assembly of what is believed to be the world’s first company-conforming electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
January 5, 2023
The University Student Research Challenge (USRC) (solicitation NNH21ZEA001N-USRC2) seeks to challenge students to propose new ideas/concepts that are relevant to NASA Aeronautics. USRC will provide students, from accredited U.S. colleges or universities, with grants of up to $80,000 for their projects and with the challenge of raising cost share funds through a crowdfunding campaign. The process of creating and implementing a crowdfunding campaign acts as a teaching accelerator – requiring students to act like entrepreneurs and raise awareness about their research among the public. The solicitation goal can be accomplished through project ideas such as advancing the design, developing technology or capabilities in support of aviation, by demonstrating a novel concept, or enabling advancement of aeronautics-related technologies. Notices of Intent (NOIs) are not required for this solicitation. Three-page proposals for the next USRC cycle are due February 23, 2023. Proposals can also be submitted later and evaluated in the second and third cycles.
December 23, 2022
December 19, 2022
December 12, 2022
July 3, 2022
March 4, 2022
- TuFF Material Q&A Session with Taka Kubota & Steve Crimaldi at NASA’s IMAGINAVIATION.
- Read more on the Nasa ULI transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program
March 1, 2022
February 10, 2021
February 9, 2021
- Joby Agrees to eVTOL Certification Requirements with FAA
- Joby Aviation accelerates eVTOL aircraft certification
- Joby Aviation Generates First Revenue, Takes Key Step Towards Certifying Aircraft
January 26, 2021
December 10, 2020
December 8, 2020
October 13, 2020
NASA ImaginAviation Watch Party: February 28, 2024
We were excited to host the ImaginAviation Watch Party, organized by the NASA Aeronautics Research Institute (NARI). The event highlighted innovation and collaboration in aviation under the theme “Welcoming Our Newest Thought Leaders.”
This was UD-CCM’s second year hosting, featuring STEM outreach activities, facility tours, and an overview of NASA ULI research on composite manufacturing for aerospace performance at automotive production rates.
We thank The College School (7th-8th grade) and the First State Military Academy freshman science class for joining us.
Education, Workforce Training & Outreach
UD-CCM has advanced education and workforce development through the NASA University Leadership Initiative (ULI):
- Engaged 2,500+ K-12 students (60% Underrepresented Minorities (URM))
- More than 450 individuals registered for presentations and seminars co-sponsored by our University Leadership Initiative (ULI)
- Reached 3,000+ participants through NASA ImaginAviation and Tech Talk series
- Supported faculty, students, and postdocs across research and outreach activities
Key Impact Highlights
- 14 PI/Co-PIs supported (14% URM)
- 18 funded students/postdocs + 61 additional participants
- Student cohort: 21% URM, 17% female
Southern University Outreach
Through the TuFF ULI project and CREST Center programs, outreach included:
- Engagement with 1,000+ middle school students across Louisiana schools
- East Baton Rough
- Istrouma Middle School
- Scotlandville Middle Pre Engineering Academy
- Westdale Middle School
- Woodlawn Middle School
- REU research experiences, lab training, and professional development
- Student participation in national conferences and internships at UD-CCM
Diversity Data
- 81 students engaged Male: 67 (83%), Female: 14 (17%), ULI Funded: 18, ULI Unfunded: 61, Graduate: 21, Undergraduate: 58, URM: 13 (21%), Postdocs: 2
- Other Support Staff: 14- Male: 7 (50%), Female: 7 (50%)
- 14 PIs/Co-PIs and 14 support staff involved: 14 Male: 14 (100%), Female: 0 (0%), URM: 2 (14%)
- 2 universities and 3 industry partners