Composites have a long history in aviation dating back to the Wright Brothers' wood and cloth glider and airplane. Modern aircraft increasingly use composites to reduce weight and lower fuel costs. Issues in developing new composite aircraft include designing for the material and speeding manufacture. Research aims to enable rapid, low-cost composite production and assembly to support the growing aerospace industry.

2. the history (and future?) of composites in aviation Richard Day

3. "it should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice. It's not very factual on motorcycles, either."

4. outline introduction to composites development of aircraft today’s issues conclusions

5. an introduction to composites

6. A combination of materials designed to result in a material with better overall properties than the starting materials composite

7. Composites may contain: Monofilaments Whiskers/Staple Fibres Particulates

8. fibres

9. common textile structures

10. prepreg

11. development of aircraft

12. Wright brothers glider 1900

13. Wright brothers, Kitty Hawk, NC, 17th December 1903

14. Wright brothers technology Wood and cloth Wing warping for control (three axis control) Engine made in their bicycle shop Spruce frame –but wood is a composite containing cellulose fibres in a lignin and hemi cellulose matrix Muslin for surfaces- textile structure of cotton fibres

15. control http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/dynamics/yaw/axes.jpg

16. wood fibres (=paper) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PaperAutofluorescence.jpg

17. Bristol Boxkite, British and Colonial Airplane Company 1910 Sir George White First electric tram service in Bristol, then London Manufacture of buses 1908

18. One (UK Edition) November 2010

20. monocoque construction

21. cantilevered single wing

22. variable pitch propeller

23. reliable engine

24. trim tabs

25. autopilot

26. de-icing

27. retractable landing gear

28. faster than the fighter in service at the time! (Boeing P12 open cockpit biplane)

30. Boeing 707 First flight December 20, 1957 Aluminium skin 2024-T3 2% glass fibre composites

31. aluminium alloys Naming convention xxxx-yy xxxx is material type yy tells you about manufacture (which afters structure, hence properties) 1000 series- more or less pure aluminium 2000 series- copper (duralumin) 3000 series- manganese 4000 series- silicon 5000 series- magnesium 6000 series- magnesium and silicon 7000 series- zinc 8000 series- lithium 2,6,7000 series can be precipitation hardened- one metal in another to improve the properties

32. alloys and hardening Defects can make metals stronger Metals contain a number of defects which include dislocations Precipitates (another material) within the metal can hinder progress of defects- hence the material is stronger than either alone. A composite??

33. Boeing 737 - 1967 © Dylan Ashe

34. A320- Feb 1987 http://freeairlineindustry.blogspot.com/2010/12/airbus-a320-pictures.html composite empennages and control surfaces.

35. Boeing 777 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:United_Airlines_B777-200_N780UA.jpg

37. Helicopter composite content

38. today’s issues

39. composite design

40. Composite design Many designs are based on existing designs for metallic structures. Hybrid ‘black metal’ designs Need designs which make use of composites fully Need to be able to rapidly manufacture structures

41. Honda jet - 2003

42. driving forces for adoption of composites aviation

44. http://www.acare4europe.org/html/documentation.asp

45. aviation- fuel consumption / CO2 Aerodynamics Weight Engines To reduce CO2 emission by 50 % need to reduce fuel burn by 50 %. Engines expected to give ~20 %. Adoption of composites gives lower weight, but also could help aerodynamics SR= specific range L=lift D=drag SFC=specific fuel consumption T=ambient temperature mg=weight

48. Air traffic management- choice of flight path (e.g. stay higher longer is more efficient). Single European Sky could lead to 12% reduction in fuel burn

49. Eliminate unnecessary weight

50. electronic flight bag

51. engine compressor washing-greater efficiency, this reduces fuel by 4 million gallons per year for American Airlines, other airlines (e.g. Virgin) do the same. Jet A £1.4/gallon->£5.6m saving

52. aeroplane washing-a typical dirty plane carries >300 kg dirt

53. American Airlines do not completely fill water tank as experience shows they do not need all the water- this saves £1.4m in fuel pa

54. Review fuel load- dispatcher could change the forecast amount of fuel due to captain’s preference, gut feeling, to avoid call from flight crew, doesn’t believe the model used to predict fuel load…

55. Maintenance can affect fuel burn, hence CO2 emissions – e.g. if APU needs to be left on it costs 1 gallon (£1.40) per minute to run

57. ‘Spruce goose’ 2nd November 1947

58. crude oil price

59. “buy to fly ratio” The weight of metal bought compared to the weight in the final component. Extreme values are 1.5:1 for fan blades 22:1 for structural parts Composites can be moulded to shape with lower waste

60. Fired engineer calls 787's plastic fuselage unsafe A former senior aerospace engineer at Boeing's Phantom Works research unit, fired last year under disputed circumstances, is going public with concerns that the new 787 Dreamliner is unsafe. Forty-six-year veteran Vince Weldon contends that in a crash landing that would be survivable in a metal airplane, the new jet's innovative composite plastic materials will shatter too easily and burn with toxic fumes. Seattle Times 18th September 2007

61. driving forces for adoption of composites motor sport

62. applications – motor sport Jan Manuel Fangio 1911-??

63. applications – motor sport Jan Manuel Fangio 1911-95

64. motor sport- F1 driver deaths in the past 30 years

65. motor sport - composites Step change in F1 technology with the introduction of composites in 1981 by McLaren. The other teams followed- now all F1 cars are largely carbon – epoxy

67. Kovalainen has no memory of crash "I have a slight headache and a stiff neck, but apart from that I am feeling well and in good spirits"

69. Manufacturing processes for aerospace composites

70. autoclaving – the ‘gold standard’ Complex processing & high capital and operating costs Poor gas to solid heat transfer Limited temperature ramp rates resulting in slow cure cycles Limited to Aerospace and high-performance automotive industries Long delivery times for autoclaves But… low void content and good properties!

71. Demand Boeing 787, A350 currently being designed and tested are twin aisle, long distance planes for which demand is lower than single aisle short range aircraft. Short range need builds at ~rate 40 manufacturing techniques need to be revolutionised

72. How can we speed up manufacture of composite components? Improve heat transfer

73. Deep fat frying of composites

74. Quickstep Overview

75. Microwaving of composites

79. Uniform Microwave Heating ? Simulated Electric Field in Microwave RTM Applicator 2 GHz 5 GHz

80. microwave curing

81. Research into composites manufacture, assembly and evaluation M.Sc. Composites

83. Official opening 7th October 2010

86. Lancaster Bolton Manchester Liverpool Glyndŵr UNIVERSITY CONSORTIUM

88. vision statement “Glyndŵr University aims to become indispensable as a significant, relevant and expert partner in regional and national economic and social development”.

89. themes Rapid manufacture, assembly and recycling of composite structures Assessment of the fitness for purpose of the structures Close coordination with industry and its requirements

90. To enable the manufacturing industry in West Wales and the Valleys to grow by adopting more advanced technologies, and at the same time improve its sustainability by reducing its environmental impact etc. This will be achieved by a partnership of Universities throughout Wales that will harness the engineering expertise within them for the benefit of the economic prosperity of the Convergence Region.

91. carbon fibre demand for carbon fibre will grow aircraft wind power industrial automotive other transport applications

92. Map of the UK showing carbon fibre factories with products suitable for aviation

93. Conclusions Most aircraft have had some form of composite in the structure The amount of composite present is likely to increase Beware tram/bicycle/car/bus makers – they could be next years competition as manufacturers and large scale users of carbon fibre

94. No CDs were harmed in making this presentation

95. No CDs were harmed in making this presentation