Measuring In-Flight Behavior of Reinforced Plastics

Beyond theoretical estimates, little is known about the actual behavior of carbon fiber reinforced plastic components during aircraft flights. Now, a project of the Fraunhofer Institute in Darmstadt, Germany, could change that. Researchers there have begun measuring with nanometer resolution just how much CFRP deforms during flight.

The project uses fiber optic technology to assist in its measurement, since it is more accurate than conventional metallic strain gauges, the institute says. The tests measured deformation of CFRP used to make an upper fuselage structure from the cockpit to the wings — one of the most heavily stressed components during flight — on a medium range, 70-passenger aircraft. Early test flights show the system to be accurate enough to identify each flight maneuver based on a unique CFRP deformation, Fraunhofer says.

The research is part of the European Commission’s Clean Sky initiative, which has an overall mission of developing technologies to improve the environmental, noise, and fuel consumption performance of airplanes. The objective of its project, Fraunhofer says, is to help manufacturers design lighter CFRP aircraft components that last longer and to avoid the practice of oversizing parts as a safety margin.