1. Tracking impact of software for a REF case study: Experiences from the TexGen project
Louise Brown

2. What is REF?
Research Excellence Framework
Assessment of universities’ research
Funds distributed selectively on the basis of quality
The 4 UK HE funding bodies allocate around £2bn of research funding per year
Last REF was in 2014, next 2020/2021

3. Elements of Assessment
Quality of research outputs – 65%
The impact of research beyond academia – 20%
The research environment – 15%

4. Impact Case Studies
Nottingham REF Readiness Review 2016 and 2017
Identified potential projects for impact case studies
Underpinning research
Actual and potential impacts
Current evidence for these impacts
Additional evidence which would enhance the impacts (indication of extra resources required)

5. TexGen Geometric Textile Modelling Software
Fibre/Micro-Scale
Micro-scale FEA simulations or analytical methods determine yarn properties
Unit Cell/Meso-Scale
Generate textile geometry using TexGen GUI or script
3D wizard generates idealised 3D textiles
Refinement of orthogonal weave to simulate compaction
Generate mesh and input files for FEA or CFD to predict material properties
Automatically generate 2D and 2D sheared textiles
Composite material properties extracted from meso-scale predictions are used to model structural components
Component/Macro-Scale

6. TexGen Evolution – Underpinning Research
Development started in 1998 via EPSRC funded project
1998
V2 created by Martin Sherburn during 3rd year project
2002
2 PhD projects studying textile geometry and textile composite mechanics
2003
TexGen re-implemented as a platform-independent code following an open source model. Public release of v3
2006
Project development dormant
2009
EPSRC textile composites Platform Grant – Louise Brown started
2010
Various research collaborations supporting PhD students and postdocs + users worldwide
Louise Brown EPSRC RSE fellowship – Software for Textile Modelling and Simulation
2016

7. Evidence of TexGen Use
Total downloads since release in 2006 from 112 countries ( )
Downloads of current version, since release on

8. Publications using TexGen
>30 publications using TexGen so far in 2017

9. Google Analytics

10. Impact Tracker – Collecting Evidence

11. Resources Required to Gather Evidence
Person time needed to create a tracking facility where the software is hosted
Person time to profile from the forum who additional users may be
Person time needed to gather evidence of use by firms – evidence that composite reinforcement with textiles has been modelled and chosen as a result of TexGen and metric on time/cost saving

12. EPSRC Impact Acceleration Award - TexGen Survey
Version includes link to survey on TexGen usage. Dialog appears as exit first use of TexGen and after 30th use.
So far 34 full and 47 incomplete responses

13. Follow-on project
Additional funding paid for a PDRA for one month
Literature search
Contact partners from past projects
Follow up survey responses
Write article to widen awareness

14. Tracking Impact from Previous Projects
Voith Paper Fabrics GmbH
Jun 2008 – Feb Virtual Fabric Generator
Investigators: A C Long, M J Clifford
Evidence of continued use?
Need to maintain contact
Voith Press Image

15. Gathering Evidence from Survey Responses
Initial contact
Follow-up phone conversation
Confidentiality
Application
Impacts – what difference has using TexGen made?
Possible collaboration opportunities
People were very happy to talk
Appreciative of open source software
Very appreciative of help on forum

16. Impact is hard to quantify!
“TexGen has been the benchmark in our industry”
“TexGen has saved us a lot of time”
“The use of TexGen allows us to evaluate a large number of woven fabric patterns for manufacturability… …and have down selected to three patterns to go forward into manufacturing trials”
“Less physical tests need to be carried out so this has led to a reduction in waste. It is challenging to quantify this”

17. Current Project – Potential Impact

18. Outcomes / Lessons Learnt
Very hard to define concrete impacts
Be proactive in following up and maintaining contact
Unquantified impacts which have been identified can be tracked and built on
Ask for impact statements from collaborators
Identify potential impacts and work towards specific outcomes