Crashworthy fuselage, tail designs for H2 aircraft using thermoplastic composites
SNAPSHOT: NLR works in Airbus-led Clean Aviation project to demonstrate hydrogen tank integration, double-hinged rudder designs, induction welding and faster NDI.
Source | FASTER-H2 video, DLR Institute of Structures and Design
FASTER-H2 (Fuselage, Rear Fuselage and Empennage with Cabin and Cargo Architecture Solution validation and Technologies for H2 integration) is a Clean Aviation project led by Airbus (Toulouse, France) with multiple European partners including the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and the French Aerospace Lab ONERA.
Running from 2023-2026, the project aimed to demonstrate a crashworthy integrated fuselage and empennage configuration for H2 aircraft to technology readiness level (TRL) 4.
NLR completed research on the following key technologies:
- Using acoustic emission to detect microcracking in composite liquid H2 tanks at extremely low temperatures (20 Kelvin/253°C).
- Developing double-hinged rudder (DHR) designs to improve fuel efficiency while maintaining aeroelastic stability.
- Applying induction welding to thick thermoplastic composites (TPC).
- Advancing faster nondestructive inspection (NDI) methods for these materials.
Results demonstrated the effectiveness of fiber optic AE sensors in detecting microcrack formation even at cryogenic temperatures.
The DHR concept was found to maintain aeroelastic stability through an external mechanism and spanwise splits, enhancing its effectiveness. Furthermore, 7.4-millimeter-thick TPC intercostals were successfully joined to a skin using induction welding, achieving high strength at the coupon level and validating model predictions.
Lastly, infrared thermography proved effective in detecting defects in large-scale, carbon fiber-reinforced TPC fuselage skins up to 4.5 millimeters deep, achieving TRL 4.
Read more on NLR’s FASTER-H2 web page and in CW news and articles about composites for LH2.
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