Yogan Naidu University of KwaZulu Natal

Composites in Aircraft Structures

Composite material: two or more materials that are integrated to form a new material

Learjet 85

Boeing Dreamliner

Motivation

ACARE Guidelines halving CO2 emissions in half Decrease empty weight ratio (Me/Mto)

Increase useful load capacity

Thinner wings without structural penalties Higher AR wings can be built

Project Aims

To research and study the materials commonly used for aerospace structures and the composite materials that may be used to replace them To study the ways in which composite materials have been applied in already existing aircraft structures To design a Medium Sized UAV Structure for ISR missions whose structure can be built using composite materials To optimize the wing structure of the UAV with Hypersizer for minimum weight To compare the weight savings that exist between metallic and composite wing structures

Materials

CFRP
High tensile strength

Low density (compared to aerospace grade aluminium)

Fatigue Immunity

+/- 45 plies for shear loading

0 and 90 plies for direct loading (span- and chord-wise loading)

Wing Loads

Software

Hypersizer
Optimize the fibre layup and orientations
Achieve a minimum weight optimization Optimize wing using unidirectional carbon fibres and Nomex

honeycomb stiffeners

MSC SimXpert
Perform FEA
Set up initial mesh Provide FE Model for optimization procedure

Aircraft layout
High AR Wings
High L/D value (approx 22) Single, rear mounted piston engine Mission Time 10 hours Altitude 25 000 feet

Interchangeable Payload (Up to 100kgs)

Take-off Weight - 406kgs

Conventional Layout

Wing Geometry
Geometry Wing Area Aspect Ratio (AR) Wing Span Wing Sweep Wing thickness Ratio Max CL Root chord length Tip chord length Value 6 m2 15 9.5 m n/a 12% 1.67 0.63 m 0.30 m

Catia Model

Preliminary Results

Meshed Wing Surface

Translational Displacements

Ply Directions

Von Mises Stress Tensor

Conclusions

Composites are the forefront of aircraft structures technology Next generation UAVs and civil aircraft are all being designed with composites Legislative and economic benefits Wing design for a MALE UAV Preliminary FEA underway Structural Optimization and verification still to be completed

Acknowledgements
Prof. Sarp Adali BSc Eng (METechU), PhD (Cornell), FASME, FRSSAF Sugar Millers Chair of Mechanical Design

References

[1] T. Edwards, "Composite materials revolutionise aerospace engineering," INGENIA, September 2008 [2] T. Edwards, "Composite materials development under the NGCW research program." [3] R. Phillips, "Electrostatic discharge in carbon fibre aircraft " 2010. [4] W. F. Smith and J. Hashemi, Foundations of Material Science and Engineering 4th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2006. [5] C. Reed, "The outlook for unmanned aircraft," High Performance Composites, May 2009 2009. [6] E. Guizzo, "Winner Carbon Takeoff," IEEE Spectrum January 2006 2006.