Application of Composites

in
Aerospace
 What We NEED ?

 Fuel Economy

 Light weight

 High Performance

 More Payload

 Low cost
 Solution Is

COMPOSITES !
Use of Composites
 Primary
Structure Components
 Mainly used
Composites in Aircraft

Different composites mainly used in Aerospace

1.Glass / Epoxy, Kevlar/ Epoxy

2.Carbon / Epoxy

3.Boron / Epoxy
 Glass/Epoxy, Kevlar

These are used in storage room doors, landing gear trap

doors, karmans, radomes, front cauls, leading edges, floors,
and passenger compartments.

Pluses:
Very good fatigue resistance

Minuses:
High elastic elongation
Maximum operating temperature around 800C
Non conducting material
 Carbon / Epoxy
This is used in wing box, horizontal stabilizers, fuselage, ailerons,
wings, spoilers (air brakes) vertical stabilizers.

Pluses:
High rupture resistance
Very good fatigue strength
Very good heat and electricity conductor
High operating temperature (limited by the resin)
No dilatation until 6000C
Smaller specific mass than that of glass/epoxy

Minuses:
More delicate fabrication
Impact resistance two or three times less than that of glass/epoxy
Material sensitive to lightning
 Boron / Epoxy
This is used for vertical stabilizer boxes and horizontal
stabilizer boxes.
Pluses:
High rupture resistance
High rigidity
Very good compatibility with epoxy resins
Good fatigue resistance

Minuses:
Higher density than previous composites
Delicate fabrication and forming
High cost
 Architecture of Composite
Parts in Aircraft
1. Sandwich Design
Sandwich with transverse honeycomb:
• Sandwich panels
-- low density, honeycomb core
-- benefit: light weight, large bending stiffness
face sheet
adhesive layer
honeycomb

Adapted from Fig. 16.18,

Callister 7e. (Fig. 16.18 is
from Engineered Materials
Handbook, Vol. 1, Composites, ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 1987.)
Finished Sandwich
components
 Specific Strength

Aluminium

Steel

Titanium

Glass / Epoxy

Boron / Epoxy

Carbon / Epoxy
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tensile Strenght / Density (in X 10**6)

 Specific Modulus

Aluminium

Steel

Titanium

Glass / Epoxy

Boron / Epoxy

Carbon / Epoxy
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Elastic Modulus / Density (in X 10**8)

 Analysis of the
Performance
Payload 68 tons, range 8300 km.
This study gives the following significant results:-

For an aircraft made using conventional metallic construction:

 Total mass at take-off: 243 tons
 Mass of the structure: 175 tons

 For an aircraft made using “maximum” composite construction:

 Total mass at take-off: 164 tons
 Mass of the structure: 96 tons.

A reduction of 1 kg mass leads to the reduction of fuel consumption

of around 120 liters per year.
 Evolution of Composites
in Aircraft
Future

Innovative

Traditional NANOCOMPOSITE

High strength

CONVENTIONAL COMPOSITE Not Brittle

High strength Lowest weight

Brittle

Lower weight

METAL ALLOYS

High strength

High weight
Use of Composites in
Military Aircraft
60
49
50
40 32 29
30
20
10 2
0
Alluminum Titanimu Composites other
31 29
30
21
20
10
10
0
Alluminum Titanimu Composites other
50
39
40
30 24 21
20 16
10
0
Alluminum Titanimu Composites other
 Commercial Transport
Aircraft
The Boeing 787 has 50% of its primary structure made of composites.
 Direct Comparison on
C-17
 Redesign of C-17 Horizontal Stabilizer

Historically constructed of Aluminum

Redesigned using PMCs resulted in:

20% Reduction in weight
69% Reduction in tooling
81% Reduction in fasteners
48% Net cost reduction

Reduction in fasteners reduces sources of corrosion

Boeing 7E7 - 787
 Boeing - 787

First of its kind to use composite structures for

wings, fuselage, and nose cone.
 Increased resistance to hoop stress in the fuselage
allowing the cabin pressure increases.

 Lower altitude pressure = Increased comfort

for passengers.
Boeing – 787 Fuselage
 Boeing – 787 Fuselage

• Increased fuselage
strength allows for the
largest windows
available on a
commercial aircraft,
which benefits
passenger’s experience.
Boeing – 787
Nose/Cockpit
 Things to Consider !

“With all these great benefits why are

aircraft manufactures not using
composites more?”
 Things to Consider !

• “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it”

– Metals (especially Aluminum) have been tested
extensively and have detailed models for their
behavior.

• Airlines financial problems reduce the amount

of money available for R&D
 Environmental Factors

 Lightning Strikes
 Ice on Wings
 Water penetration
Micro cracking
 Extreme temperatures
 Modeling of Composites

 Modeling of PMCs requires extensive

knowledge of:
 Matrix Polymer
 Fiber inclusions
 Fiber Lay-up

 In some cases PMCs are not used because

the over designed part does not result in any
design advantage
 Future !

So, what Does the Future Hold ?

 Future of Composites in
Aircrafts
 Nanocomposites

 Carbon Nanotubes
Benefits:
High Yield Strength / Elastic Modulus
High Electrical Conductivity
Low Co-efficient Thermal Expansion

 Polymer CNT composites can have the potential to vastly

increases in mechanical properties at very low weight
percentages.
 Future of Composites in
Aircrafts

 Due to the small size of CNTs, (~1nm in diameter)

 High surface area of interaction between CNT and polymer
creates strong bonds between inclusion and polymer
 Inclusion at small weight percentages gives no change in
opacity.

Allows for clear sections of the fuselage, without

having to cut sections for windows, eliminating an area
of the aircraft with high stress concentrations
 Any
Questions or Comments
Composites in Aircraft
 Boeing 777

Production Primary and Secondary structure for the Boeing 777, an

example of 1990s commercial application of composites.
 Things to Consider !

 In environmental conditions differing greatly

from the ambient the inherently complex
material response of PMCs over time and the
resulting evolution of their structural and
functional properties have limited their
effectiveness.
 Challenges exist in modeling the complexities
of PMCs and testing and quality assurance
costs can limit the benefit of using a composite
 Current
Aircraft Structures