Airbus Operations Sl

Airbus Espana, S.l.

José Ignacio López-Reina Torrijos

Luis Manuel Descalzo Fernández

Juan Carlos De La Fuente De Ana

Valentín García Martínez

Raúl Fernández Recio

Luis Manuel C/O Airbus Operations SL Descalzo Fernández

Protection of elements () of composite material protected at its points of complex geometry, such as various edges and corners, against electric discharges to which they are potentially exposed, said elements () being obtained by applying a cycle of temperature and pressure to a composite material arranged in a mold () designed in such a way that, once the geometry of the element () is known, the mold () includes free spaces () intended for the accumulation of resin from the process of manufacture of said element (), and said resin will form the dielectric protection of the various edges or corners of the element () as it builds up, forming layers () that are disposed around the free edges of the element (), thus endowing these surfaces of various edges or corners with dielectric protection of electrical insulation that prevents possible discharges and expulsion of hot particles in the case of electric discharge on said element (). The invention also relates to a process of manufacture of an element () of composite material as such.

Protection of elements in composite material

A device () for the installation of a conducting component () on a structure () made from composite material, the inside of this structure () comprising a substance which can be ignited, which comprises an installation element () onto which the conducting component () is positioned, a conducting insert element (), by means of which the installation element () is joined to the composite material structure () by its internal part, a conducting layer () arranged on the external part of the installation element () and a conducting fixing element () which joins the structure () and the installation element () to the insert element () and the conducting layer () so that the device () defines a low impedance current path through the conducting layer () and the insert element () through which the energy is dissipated from an atmospheric discharge to the component () or to the structure (), the interior face of the structure () remaining isolated.

Device for installing conducting components in structures

The present invention relates to a method for evaluating the effect of an electric discharge on an aircraft structure through the evaluation of the damage caused by the effect of the thermal heating generated by the mentioned discharge on the structure, including the steps of: applying an electric discharge on the material of the aircraft structure using an intensity generator; distributing in an electric mesh with resistive electric elements the material of the aircraft structure; calculating the intensities running through the electric mesh of the material of the aircraft structure from the intensity introduced in the generators; calculating with the previous intensities the heat which is dissipated in each of the elements of the electric mesh of the material of the aircraft structure; calculating the distribution of temperatures in each of the elements of the electric mesh of the material of the aircraft structure; determining the elements of the electric mesh of the material of the aircraft structure which, due to the effect of the distribution of temperatures, experience a change of state and evaporate; and determining the damage caused to the material of the aircraft structure due to the effect of the electric discharge

Method for evaluating the effect of an electric discharge on a composite material

Lightning strike protection system for aircraft fuel tanks made of low electrical conductivity composite material. The system comprises an electrical conductive thin wire mesh () that covers the whole external surface of the tank outer skin (I) made of composite and a thick wire metallic mesh () overlapping the mesh () at a minimum distance of 50 mm to both sides of a row of fasteners (III) joining the said outer skin (I) to one internal part (II) of either composite or metallic material. Both metallic meshes () maintain electrical contact by their installation/assembly and by means of metallic countersunk head washers () connected to bonding points and set to the gap existing between the fastener (III) and the outer skin (I). The corresponding fabrication process is also described.

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Madrid, Spain

José Ignacio López-Reina Torrijos