Ali Daraji joined Coventry University in 2017.  He is a senior lecturer in mechanical engineering with more than fifteen years of overseas academic and industrial experience. He is associate to Research Institute for Clean Growth and Future Mobility/ Centre for manufacturing and materials / Structural Integrity Group. He was awarded a PhD in mechanical engineering/ smart structures from Newcastle University and two years post doctorate research experience in smart composite structures at Lancaster University. His research interests in smart materials, composite and smart structures covers optimisation of active vibration control of flexible structures, piezoelectric energy harvesting and active structural health monitoring using finite element modelling, simulation and experimental work. He worked two years as a research associate at Lancaster University for the project entitled Energy Harvesting Powered Wireless Monitoring Based on Integrated Smart Composite Structures and Energy Architecture system. This project was a collaborative project between Lancaster, Exeter and Central Lancashire Universities, and in partnership with BAE Systems, DSTL and other SME in the Northwest.  He has played a leading role in this project in optimising piezoelectric energy harvesting for composite aircraft wings bonded with discrete macrofibre composite sensors using Ansys package workbench, APDL, Matlab, Simulink and experimental methods. He joined Newcastle University and was awarded a PhD in mechanical engineering in Nov2013. His PhD research is entitled Active Vibration Control of Flexible Structures by Optimally Placed Piezoelectric Sensors and Actuators. After that, he joined University of Technology in Baghdad as a lecturer at Electromechanical Department for two years. 

He was awarded a first-class/first rank BSc and first-class MSc in mechanical engineering/ dynamic structures. He worked as a lecturer directly after graduation in 1988 for more than fifteen years at the University of Technology, at the same time, he worked as a consultant, leading engineering and technician teams and conducted a number of industrial projects between the University and companies in the engineering industry. 

I accept Master by Research and PhD study in the field of smart structures covering active vibration control, piezoelectric energy harvesting and structural health monitoring.

Teaching:

• M49MAE: Stress and Dynamic Analysis II/ MEng Fourth-year, lead the Dynamic Analysis part, lectures, coursework and tutorials. 
• 5034MAA: Analytical Modelling/ Second-year, Module leader, lead lectures and tutorials. 
• 5035MAE: Solid Mechanics and Dynamics/ Second-year, lead tutorials in solid mechanics and dynamics. 
• 326MAE: Stress and Dynamic Analysis I/ Third year, lead tutorials stress and dynamic analysis 
• 340MAE: Extended Stress and Dynamic Analysis/Third-year lead tutorials in stress and dynamic.  
• Coordinator of the CAE software. 

MSc and PhD Supervision:

• DoS for the PhD project entitled Optimisation of Piezoelectric Energy harvesting Within Allowable Strain for a Flexible Structure.
• Co-supervise PhD student for the project entitled energy harvesting from dynamic strain in pavement road.  
• Co-supervisor PhD student for the project entitled health monitoring of wind turbine blades. 
• supervision of BSc, MSc and MEng students for research projects in in smart structures including active vibration control, energy harvesting and structural health monitoring.

Funded Project:

I’m working on a European funded international project related to aerospace structural health monitoring to make flight safer for people.  

Ali Daraji is interseted in modelling of passive and smart structures using finite element, ANSYS simulation and experimental methods to investigate: 

1. Active vibration control of flexible structures by optimally placed of discrete piezoelectric sensors and actuators using genetic algorithms. 

2. Optimisation of energy harvesting from structural vibration.

3. Cracks and damage detection in concrete, composite and steel structures using ultrasonic waves and wave propagation.

4. Optimal placement of discrete piezoeelectric sensors and actuators using genetic algorithms and developed methodologies for active vibration control, energy harvesting and structure health monitoring. 

Selected published papers 

• Daraji, A. H., J. M. Hale, and J. Ye, Optimisation of energy harvesting for stiffened composite shells with application to the aircraft wing at structural flight frequency. Thin-Walled Structures Journal, 2021, 161, 107392
• Daraji, A. H., J. M. Hale, and J. Ye, New methodology for optimal placement of piezoelectric sensor/actuator pairs for active vibration control of flexible structures. Journal of Vibration and Acoustic transactions of the ASME, 2018, v.140(1),01105-13
• Daraji, A. H., J. M. Hale, and J. Ye, Active Vibration control of a doubly curved composite shell stiffened by beams bonded with macro fibre composite sensor/actuator pairs. Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control Transaction of the ASME, 2018, 140(12), 121009.
• Daraji, A. H., J. M. Hale, and J. Ye, New methodology for optimal placement of piezoelectric sensor/actuator pairs for active vibration control of flexible structures. Journal of Vibration and Acoustic transaction of the ASME. 2017,140(1), 011015.
• Daraji, A. H. and J. M. Hale, Reduction of structural weight, costs and complexity of control system in active vibration reduction of flexible structures. Journal of Smart Materials and Structures. 2014,v.23, 115018.
• Daraji, A. H. and J. M. Hale, Active vibration control by optimally placed piezoelectric sensors and actuators with application to stiffened plate by beams. Journal of Smart Materials and Structures, 2014, v.23, 115018.

 The following link includes Ali Daraji PhD thesis.

https://theses.ncl.ac.uk/dspace/handle/10443/2484

 The following link shows a movie of a PhD rig and experiment for vibration control.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ITlzOYQb6M

 The following link shows a movies of optimal placement of sensors and actuators using genetic algorithms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDUP5oHuChE

PhD in mechanical engineering