Dr Chris Triantafyllou

Teaching Associate

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Personal statement

Dr Chris Triantafyllou obtained his PhD in aerospace materials from the University of Glasgow, specialising in the cold-dwell fatigue response of titanium alloys and investigating the effects of microtexture on the mechanical properties of critical aerospace components. His research employed a coupled experimental-computational approach and contributed to a growing body of research in this area by utilising advanced experimental techniques. As a Teaching Associate in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Dr Triantafyllou is involved in the development and delivery of modules related to materials science, design, and manufacturing. He encourages practical, research-driven and industry-relevant learning and actively works to establish and maintain collaborations with companies across Scotland for research and student projects. Previously, Dr. Triantafyllou has led two external educational initiatives aimed at enhancing the aerospace engineering learning experience. These initiatives included modernising syllabus content for principles of jet propulsion, as well as integrating interdisciplinary design and build projects with multiple sub-systems as an applied learning tool for undergraduate students.

Expertise

Back to staff profile

Prize And Awards

Whittle Reactionaries Prize: Recipient; 3/6/2018

More prizes and awards

Publications

Back to staff profile

Publications

Quantifying the effect of macrozones on the cold-dwell fatigue response of UD-rolled Ti-6Al-4V using high-energy X-ray diffraction: Triantafyllou Chris, Pagan Darren, McBride Andrew; Materials Science and Engineering: A Vol 834 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2021.142498

More publications

Research

Back to staff profile

Professional Activities

Maximising Student Feedback Impact: an AI-driven textual analysis tool: Contributor; 19/6/2025

More professional activities

Projects

Design and Development of a Thermal Cycle Testing Rig for Encapsulated Low-Temperature PCMs in Submerged Conditions: Triantafyllou, Chris (Principal Investigator); This project focused on the design and development of an experimental rig for evaluating the thermal response of low-temperature phase change materials (PCMs) encapsulated in steel. The primary objective was to measure the time for the PCM to reach the intended temperature and estimate liquefaction.

The rig design involved the integration of a custom-made closed-loop thermal circuit, consisting of both digital and analog temperature sensors, and robust data logging via serial communication. The project addressed both hardware and instrumentation aspects, with the aim of enabling reliable characterisation of PCM behaviour for applications such as thermal energy storage in small-scale installations. The resulting setup provides a foundational platform for further studies into PCM performance and thermal regulation under real-world constraints.; 01-Jan-2025 - 01-Jan-2025
Design and Delivery of Personal Development Workshops for Engineering Undergraduates: Enhancing Employability, Academic Confidence, and Student-Staff Engagement: Triantafyllou, Chris (Principal Investigator); This project involves the design, coordination, and delivery of a four-part Personal Development Workshop (PDW) series tailored to second-year engineering students. Aimed at supporting overarching student development, the workshops were structured to address both academic and non-academic needs, with a strong focus on employability, self-management, and student-staff engagement.

Based on student feedback and departmental goals, the PDW themes were:

- Academic Success Toolkit
- Landing Internships & Building Employability
- Personal Development & Wellbeing
- Career Planning & Hidden Pathways

The workshop series was designed to be interactive and student-centered, incorporating activities such as peer-led CV reviews, live Q&A panels with staff and alumni, academic skill-building exercises, and reflection-based wellbeing tasks. A strong emphasis was placed on practical, transferable skills and early career awareness. For this project, I oversaw the early development of the workshop content and structure, and managed a team of two interns who developed supporting materials and engagement activities. This collaborative approach enabled the co-creation of student resources with direct input from the students themselves.; 03-Jan-2025 - 27-Jan-2026
Influence of Infill Density and Orientation on the Tensile and Viscoelastic Response of Additively Manufactured PLA: Triantafyllou, Chris (Principal Investigator); This is a collaborative project with the University of Glasgow and investigates the mechanical behaviour of polylactic acid (PLA) specimens manufactured via fused deposition modeling (FDM), focusing on how infill density and infill orientation influence their tensile and time-dependent viscoelastic responses. Specimens were fabricated with infill densities of 25%, 50%, and 100%, and with orientations of 90°/0° and 45°/–45°, designed to alter the internal shear load distribution during tensile deformation.

A comprehensive experimental campaign was conducted, including quasi-static tensile tests, strain rate sensitivity evaluations, and stress relaxation experiments. The aim is to assess both the immediate mechanical performance and the viscoelastic behaviour of the material under in-service loading conditions. The influence of internal structure on stiffness, strength, and time-dependent deformation was quantified. The project will inform material parameters for non-homogeneous geometries in computational investigations using Abaqus.; 01-Jan-2024 - 19-Jan-2025