Rolls-royce Corporation

Silvestre T Pinho

James Alex Finlayson

Lorenzo Mencattelli

Victor P A Medeau

MohammadErfan Kazemi

Soraia Pimenta

Emile S Greenhalgh

Paul Robinson

A kinetic energy absorptive composite article comprising a plurality of plies, and a method of manufacturing the kinetic energy absorptive composite article. Each ply comprises a plurality of substantially parallel fibers encapsulated within a resin. A plurality of localised weaknesses are comprised within the fibers of the kinetic energy absorptive composite article, the locations of the plurality of localised weaknesses forming a pre-defined pattern. The pre-defined pattern comprises a first sub-pattern and a second sub-pattern superposed upon the first sub-pattern. The first sub-pattern is configured so that a crack formed by an impact event propagates substantially along a predetermined fracture path to separate the kinetic energy absorptive composite article into at least a first portion and a second portion and the second sub-pattern is configured to set a threshold below which the crack does not propagate.

Kinetic energy absorptive composite article

A containment structure for a propulsion device, comprising a plurality of laminates arranged in a stack for absorbing projectile impact from the propulsion device, each laminate comprising a multi-ply composite of fibre reinforcement material and matrix material. The plurality of laminates comprises a plurality of primary laminates and a plurality of secondary laminates provided in an alternating arrangement along a stacking direction S of the containment structure. The primary laminates comprise a first fibre reinforcement material and the secondary laminates comprises a second fibre reinforcement material. The first fibre reinforcement material has a higher elongation to failure than the second fibre reinforcement material.

Containment structure

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London, United Kingdom

Silvestre T Pinho