A methodology to measure in-plane permeability of fibrous media using a transient one dimensional air flow is developed. The method, based on the measurement of gas pressure at the boundaries throughout the transient flow, is convenient, clean and fast, avoids usage of a gas flow meter and offers a way to study the gas transport within fibrous media. The gas transport through fibrous porous media is described by several models to comply with different flow regimes. The permeability, only depending on the fibrous structure, is determined by inverse method, fitting the simulation results to the experimental data obtained using rising or dropping pressure methods. The results of viscous permeability Kv of Glass/Carbon Twill Woven fabrics (viscous permeability Kv ranging from 10-11 to 10-10 m2) measured using gas match well the permeability measured with liquid compression and injection techniques from previous works. The deviation from Darcy's law caused by gas sliding effect on low permeability Carbon Uni-Directional fabrics (Kv from 10-14 to 10-12 m2) is analyzed and a related parameter of fabric material shows a dependence in permeability, with a similar trend as the Klinkenberg sliding parameter in soils and rocks.The experimental errors due to dimensions, thermal effect, pressure variation, sample handling, and trapped gas at boundaries are analyzed. It comes out that the sensitivities of pressure sensors and trapped gas volumes at the boundaries have the most important effects. A design for 2D measurement using gas to obtain 2D permeability tensor in one single test is proposed to avoid the issues of trapped gas at boundaries. Simulated experiments show that the measurements based on pressure measured at three proposed locations could provide robust and accurate results for fabrics of anisotropic permeability ratios (K1/K2) ranging from 0.1 to 10, with various principal permeability direction orientations.

While the computer programing becomes a fundamental skill in the last century, it has been globally acknowledged that there is a decline in number of graduates in disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Many scholars have been addressing this lack of interest and studied student engagement with STEM through variety of engagement programs and activities. In this master thesis as an exploratory qualitative study, technology and programing are blended together in a workshop hosting students of age 12-13 towards the development of their enthusiasm and engagement with STEM. During the activity, students used Makey Makey toolkit and Scartch programming language by application of textiles as soft material to investigate how this combination impact the engagement, and in what ways soft materials influence it. The study results in the light of Flow theory showed that four attributes of attention, motivation, engagement and social interaction pursued in the workshop. Textiles, as a mediator by expanding the flow state boundaries make the activity softer to encourage students being engaged in it, particularly from a gender perspective.

Une méthodologie pour mesurer la perméabilité plane d’un milieu fibreux par un flux d’air transitoire est développée. Le procédé, basé sur la mesure de pression d’un gaz aux bornes du système, au cours d’un écoulement transitoire, est pratique, propre et rapide, et permet d'éviter l'utilisation d'un débitmètre de gaz et offre la possibilité d'étudier le transport d’un gaz à l'intérieur du milieu fibreux.Le transport du gaz dans un milieu poreux fibreux est décrit par plusieurs modèles suivant les différents régimes d'écoulement. La perméabilité, dépendant uniquement de l’architecture fibreuse, est déterminée par une méthode inverse, en ajustant les résultats de la simulation aux données expérimentales obtenues par une hausse ou une chute de la pression. Les résultats pour la perméabilité visqueuse Kv des tissus sergés des verre/carbone (Kv allant de 10-11 à 10-10 m2) mesurée à l'aide d’un gaz corrèlent bien à la perméabilité mesurée avec des techniques d'injection ou compression utilisant un liquide. L'écart avec la loi de Darcy causé par le glissement du gaz sur les tissus à faible perméabilité (tissus unidirectionnels de carbone: Kv de 10-14 à 10-12 m2) est analysé et un paramètre lié au tissu montre une dépendance avec la perméabilité, avec une tendance similaire au paramètre de Klinkenberg utilisé pour les sols et les roches.Les erreurs expérimentales dues à des dimensions, à l’effet thermique, à la variation de pression, à la manipulation des échantillons, et à du gaz emprisonné sur les bords sont analysés. Il en ressort que la sensibilité des capteurs de pression et des volumes de gaz piégés sur les bords sont les facteurs les plus importants.La mise en place d’une méthode permettant une mesure directe de la perméabilité à l’aide d’un gaz du tenseur 2D de perméabilité est proposée pour les problèmes de gaz piégés sur les bords. Les expériences simulées montrent que les mesures basées sur la pression mesurée à trois positions pourraient fournir des résultats fiables et précis pour des tissus avec des rapports d’anisotropie perméabilité (K1/K2) allant de 0,1 à 10, et avec des orientations principales quelconques. / A methodology to measure in-plane permeability of fibrous media using a transient one dimensional air flow is developed. The method, based on the measurement of gas pressure at the boundaries throughout the transient flow, is convenient, clean and fast, avoids usage of a gas flow meter and offers a way to study the gas transport within fibrous media. The gas transport through fibrous porous media is described by several models to comply with different flow regimes. The permeability, only depending on the fibrous structure, is determined by inverse method, fitting the simulation results to the experimental data obtained using rising or dropping pressure methods. The results of viscous permeability Kv of Glass/Carbon Twill Woven fabrics (viscous permeability Kv ranging from 10-11 to 10-10 m2) measured using gas match well the permeability measured with liquid compression and injection techniques from previous works. The deviation from Darcy's law caused by gas sliding effect on low permeability Carbon Uni-Directional fabrics (Kv from 10-14 to 10-12 m2) is analyzed and a related parameter of fabric material shows a dependence in permeability, with a similar trend as the Klinkenberg sliding parameter in soils and rocks.The experimental errors due to dimensions, thermal effect, pressure variation, sample handling, and trapped gas at boundaries are analyzed. It comes out that the sensitivities of pressure sensors and trapped gas volumes at the boundaries have the most important effects. A design for 2D measurement using gas to obtain 2D permeability tensor in one single test is proposed to avoid the issues of trapped gas at boundaries. Simulated experiments show that the measurements based on pressure measured at three proposed locations could provide robust and accurate results for fabrics of anisotropic permeability ratios (K1/K2) ranging from 0.1 to 10, with various principal permeability direction orientations.

The present research aims to develop a novel technique for creation of composite riot helmet shells with reinforcing fibre continuity for better protection against low velocity impacts. In this research an innovative, simple and effective method of making a single-piece continuously textile reinforced helmet shell by vacuum bagging has been established and discussed. This technique also includes the development of solid collapsible moulding apparatus from non-woven fibres. Angle-interlock fabric due to its good mouldability, low shear rigidity and ease of production is used in this research. Several wrinkle-free single- piece composite helmet shells have been manufactured. Low-velocity impact test on the continuously reinforced helmet shells has been carried out. For this purpose an in-house helmet shell testing facility has been developed. Test rig has been designed in such a way that the impact test can be carried out at different locations at the riot helmet shell. Low-velocity impact test has been successfully conducted on the developed test rig. The practical experimentation and analysis revealed that the helmet shell performance against impact is dependent on the impact location. The helmet shell top surface has better impact protection as compared to helmet shell side and back location. Moreover, the helmet shell side is the most at risk location for the wearer. Finite Element models were created and simulated in Abaqus software to investigate the impact performance of single-piece helmet shells at different impact locations. Models parts have been designed in Rhinoceros software. Simulated results are validated by the experimental result which shows that the helmet top position is the safest position against an impact when it is compared to helmet back and helmet side positions.