The aerospace field is one of the most important application fields of carbon fiber and one of the fields that can best reflect its application value.
Application of carbon fiber in the field of civil aviation
Since the application of carbon fiber in the aircraft field in the 1970s, European Airbus has continuously developed carbon fiber composite material technology, and the application rate of carbon fiber composite materials in Airbus civil aircraft has also continued to increase.
Taking the Airbus A350XWB aircraft as an example, the application ratio of carbon fiber composite materials in structural materials has reached 53%, and the proportion of metal alloys is 33%; among them, titanium alloys are mainly used in high-load frames, landing gears and other structures. CFRP can be used in aircraft Wings, central wing box and keel beam skin panels and other structures.
According to Airbus estimates, in the next 20 years, the demand for civil aircraft is the highest in the single aisle aircraft, with an estimated demand of 20,242 aircraft; and looking at the global market, the main demand is concentrated in the Asian market.
The main development trends in the field of carbon fiber composite materials for civil aircraft include: complete integrated structure, fully automated system installation, automated fiber placement, etc. By using CFRP, the engine and the rear of the aircraft can be perfectly integrated.
The carbon fiber composite materials for civil aircraft also have an urgent need for advanced technologies, such as low-cost processing technology, rapid solidification molding technology, accurate waste control technology, and green recyclable technology.
In addition to conducting cutting-edge application research on carbon fiber composite materials for civil aircraft, Airbus has conducted a lot of exploration and research in the following defense military aircraft, aerospace satellites and other structures.
Application of carbon fiber in the field of near space drones
Aiming at the research on the hotspot aircraft in the space-based solar drone in recent years, you can read "Inventory of Solar-powered Drones in the Near Space" for airborne drones. With the support of the British Ministry of Defense project, Airbus successfully developed Zephyr Solar-powered UAV with a flying height of 70,000 feet (21,336 meters), the aircraft uses ultra-lightweight carbon fiber structure.
In 2003, the concept of Zephyr near space solar drone was proposed.
In 2005, two prototype Zephyrs with a wingspan of 12 meters flew to a maximum altitude of 27,000 feet. The flight time was 4.5 hours and 6 hours.
In 2010, the wingspan of the Zephyr prototype unmanned aerial vehicle was increased to 18 meters. The flight test began on July 9, 2010 and stayed at an altitude of 21,561 meters for 14 nights (336 hours and 22 minutes).
In July 2018, the wingspan of Zephyr S HAPS drone reached 25 meters, and the flight time was increased to 25 days.
It is reported that after the successful development of the Airbus Zephyr drone, it will serve as a high-tech aircraft in the British army in the future to monitor ground targets around the world.
From the development history of Zephyr UAV, it can be seen that as the wingspan of the airborne UAV increases, its flight cycle in the airborne environment also increases. The increase in the wingspan of unmanned aerial vehicles puts forward higher requirements on the performance of its carbon fiber composite materials, because high wingspan represents that structural materials require higher stiffness, so high-strength high-mode carbon fiber composite materials must be used to meet the requirements.
Carbon fiber application in the field of electric aircraft
Airbus has successfully launched two versions of E-FAN and E-FAN 2.0 electric aircraft. The main difference between the versions is the number of passengers. For example, the 2.0 version represents a two-seater aircraft. The following figure shows the E-FAN 2.0 electric aircraft.
The E-FAN2.0 electric aircraft is a two-seater aircraft with a very compact structure and a wingspan of 31 feet. Due to the use of a full carbon fiber composite structure, the net weight of the fuselage is only 1100 pounds. Airbus is currently developing the four-seat E-Fan 4.0. The development course of Airbus's electric aircraft is shown in the figure below.
Since 2016, Airbus has partnered with Rolls-Royce and Siemens to jointly develop the E-Fan X hybrid electric technology verification machine, which is expected to fly for the first time in 2020.
In the field of electric aircraft, in addition to Airbus, some foreign manufacturers have entered the field. For example, Zunum Airlines, which is supported by Boeing and JetBlue Airways, has been researching 10- to 50-seater hybrid electric aircraft since 2013. In October 2017, the development of 12-seater aircraft began, and it is planned to fly in 2020.
It is estimated that due to low operating costs, more and more airlines will step into the field of electric aircraft in the future, and carbon fiber, which is a key structural material for electric aircraft, is bound to play a pivotal role.