Advanced Materials

Human Powered Aircraft

Group
Advanced Materials
Advanced materials
are used in aircraft
design to:
-Reduce weight
-Improve strength
-Design morphing
wings
-Create self-healing
structures
Examples of Advanced
Materials
Memory Polymers
Composites
Biocomposites
Thermoplastics
Alloys
Memory Polymers: Veriflex and
Veritex
Veriflex is a shape memory polymer resin which
modifies its shape in response to temperature
changes.
Veritex is a dynamic composite that utilizes
Veriflex resin as its matrix. When heated,
Veritex is pliable and maintains shape as it
cools, regaining structural stiffness. Once
reheated it returns to its original shape and can
be remolded without degrading.
Future polymers may respond to light, electric
fields and magnetic fields.
Composites

Composites are a combination of two

or more organic or inorganic
components one of which serves as a
matrix holding the materials together
and then other of which serves as
reinforcement in the form of fibers
Composites are lightweight and strong
but they are complex to manufacture,
expensive and hard to inspect for flaws
Thermoplastics

Thermoplastics are a new type of

materials that is replacing
thermosets such as epoxy,
bismaleimide, or polyimide, as the
matrix for composites
Thermoplastics are easier to produce
and are much more durable and
tougher than thermosets
Biocomposites
Biocomposites combine plant fibers with resins to
create natural based composite materials.
High tensile plant fibers including, kenaf, industrial
hemp, and flax, can be combined with traditional resins
to create an alternative to traditionally steel or
fiberglass applications.
Some advantages over traditional composites:
Reduced weight
Increased flexibility
Greater moldability
Less expensive
Sound insulation
Renewable resource
Self-healing properties
Alloys

Benefits of Alloys:
Decreased weight
Durable
Easy to manufacture and repair
Application to Morphing
Wings
Stronger, shape memory and self-healing
polymers are applicable to the design of
morphing wings
Lockheeds 14ft remote-control aircraft makes use
of Veriflex and Veritex polymers to change shape
and ensure a streamline profile as the wings morph.
Nextgen Aeronautics tested a wing that's structure
of aluminum lattices expanded and compressed
consequently stretching and shrinking the wings
silicone-rubber skin and causing the wing tips to
move forward and back, and changing the wing
span and chord.
Future development of Personal Air
Vehicles (PAV), calls for safer, easy to
fly planes.
Self-healing (often biocomposite)
materials can be utilized to reduce
maintenance.
An Aeronautic Vehicle Integrated Health
Management System is looking into self-
healing materials that will fill cracks in
the structure by breaking capsules and
releasing adhesive.
Aeronautical Integrated Vehicle
Health Monitoring System
(IVHM)
Detection of damaging events
Characterization of the damage
Prioritization of the seriousness of the
damage
Identification of the cause of the damage
Formulation of the response
Execution of the response
What is IVHM?

Intelligent sensing system

Detects and measures quantities and
uses this information to make forward
looking decisions
Uses thousands and perhaps millions of
different sensors used to measure
different quantities (stress, strain,
temperature, acoustics, etc)
How Does IVHM work?

Separates structures (skin, ribs,

components, etc...) into a series of
cells
Each cell is equipped with a group of
sensors
The sensors communicate with
neighboring cells as well as a central
computer.
Types of Sensors

Fiber Optic
Piezoelectric
Infrared imaging
Fiber Optic Sensors
Can measure strain, temperature and pressure
Specifically they can measure bond line integrity,
acoustic emissions, and corrosion
Uses Bragg grating to measure changes in light
signal
A change in stress moves the Bragg grating producing a
shift in the reflected wavelength
Fiber Optics are brittle so they must be embedded
into materials, this is very expensive and
complicates manufacturing and repair practices.
Piezoelectric Materials
Convert mechanical input into an electrical signal
(sensor) or convert and electrical pulse into a
mechanical action (actuator)
Can detect energies caused by impact events or
defect generation (cracks, delamination)
Arrays of sensors allow a pinpoint determination of
the damage location
Sensors have been able to detect cracks 0.005 inches
in length of six inches
Will be embedded or surface mounted. Less expensive
option
Infrared Imaging
Detects heat signatures in
order to detect leaks,
cracks, debonding,
corrosion, poor electrical
wiring and contacts, and to
assess overall thermal
profiles of components.
Most often used to detect
defects or damage in the
propulsion system.
Widely used, inexpensive
Joint Strike Fighter
Airframe Structures
Engine
Electronics
Mission Systems
Components
Hydraulics
Drive Shafts
Fuel system
Electrical system
Summary of IVHM
Rapidly growing field dependant on the
improvement and development of sensing
technologies.
It will enable less reliance on statistical based
scheduled maintenance and moves towards a
condition based maintenance which will greatly
reduce ownership costs
References
http://showcase.netins.net/web/creativecomposites/Biocomposites.html,
Creative Composites, Ltd., 19 September 2006
http://www.crgrp.net/veriflex.htm, CRG Industries, LLC., 19 September
2006
Flying off the Drawing Board, Jeff Wise, Popular Mechanics, volume 183
no. 7, July 2006
http://www.crgindustries.com/veritex.htm, CRG Industries, LLC, 19
September 2006
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Evolution_of_Technology/composit
es/Tech40.htm, U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, 23 September 2006
http://ammtiac.alionscience.com/pdf/2004MaterialEASE27.pdf#search=
%22Vehicle%20Integrated%20Health%20Monitoring%20System%22, The
AMPTIAC Quarterly, Volume 8, Number 3, Sensors and Sensing
Technologies for Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring Systems