Composite aircraft structures with dividers for shielding and protecting cables and wires

Abstract

Improved methods and devices for shielding electrical and electronic aircraft components and their associated cables and wires from cross-coupling and electrical and magnetic interference and dissipating excess heat from the electrical and electronic aircraft components and cables and wires. An aircraft structure formed primarily of composite materials includes an outer wall; an inner wall; and a plurality of spaced-apart dividers extending transversely from and integrally formed with the inner wall. The dividers define a series of spaced-apart channels that are each partially enclosed by adjacent pairs of the dividers. A layer of electrically conductive foil covers the dividers and the channels to create a current return network in the channels. Wires and cables may be placed in the channels between adjacent pairs of the dividers to reduce cross-coupling between the wires and cables and shield the wires and cables from electromagnetic fields.