Application Predication of Higher-Performance Composites in Rotorcraft Structures
CHEN Guangchang1,2, WU Mingzhong2, CHEN Puhui2
1. State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China;
2. China Helicopter Research and Development Institute, Jingdezheng 333001, China
Fiber-reinforced composite materials are increasingly used in the rotorcraft structures to reduce weight and improve efficiency. The rotorcraft industry is constantly in need of higher-performance materials that offer improved mechanical strength and stiffness at a lower weight. This work introduces the composite materials typical application cases and development trends of foreign rotorcraft structures and summarizes the state-of-the-art of civil rotorcraft composite structures, also presents the future technical requirements of higher-performance composites. The overview shows that there exist technical gaps for rotorcraft composite applications between the civil and western. The conclusion shows that higher-performance structural composites, advanced functional composites, structural and functional integrated composite materials, low-cost composite integrated technologies and high-confidence virtual validation technologies of composites will be the future focus.