Periodic Reporting for period 3 - HAIRMATE (Hybrid AIRcraft seating MAnufacturing & TEsting)
Período documentado: 2021-10-01 hasta 2022-11-30
The HAIRMATE project aims at manufacturing a next generation aircraft seating: comfortable, lightweight, fast to disassemble, easy to dismantle, cost efficient to produce, highly recyclable and reliable in structural integrity. The focus of the project is to design and manufacture moulds for manufacturing, as well as to validate and assess the structural robustness of the seat to pass the required impact tests regulations.
The HAIRMATE project is a direct continuation of the HAIRD project (GA 738076), that was developed from January to December 2017. The seat is designed with several approaches in mind. From the sustainability point of view, the eco-design optimizes the material usage and creates cheaper components for the airlines, while using new mono-material cushions, developed to improve the easy-recyclability and the cost production. The effort is focussed on the employment of new materials with high recyclability and low cost in the seating structure design. From the structural point of view, topological and geometrical optimization techniques were applied by means of computational tools, to ensure weight reduction without compromising the structural reliability. This approach was used in both structure and cushions, combined by a selection of very light materials in the market. The reduction of the weight directly impacts the fuel consumption of the aircraft, related to the CO2-emisions. A new mechanical system was also designed, allowing a fast assembly, dismantling and disassembly of the seat into the aircraft, shortening the maintenance cost and workforce. Finally, an assessment of the seating lifecycle was done to guarantee the new design improvement in terms of sustainability. A direct impact is expected in terms economic viability, novel attractive materials, cost reduction in maintenance and material usage, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The overall objectives of the seat are:
• Recyclability of at least 90% of the weight of the seating structure
• Comfortable and attractive design
• Weight reduction
• Sustainability (eco-design, easy-recycle materials, easy-dismantling, etc.)
• Fast disassembling
• Structural reliability
The HAIRMATE project is a direct continuation of the HAIRD project (GA 738076), that was developed from January to December 2017. The seat is designed with several approaches in mind. From the sustainability point of view, the eco-design optimizes the material usage and creates cheaper components for the airlines, while using new mono-material cushions, developed to improve the easy-recyclability and the cost production. The effort is focussed on the employment of new materials with high recyclability and low cost in the seating structure design. From the structural point of view, topological and geometrical optimization techniques were applied by means of computational tools, to ensure weight reduction without compromising the structural reliability. This approach was used in both structure and cushions, combined by a selection of very light materials in the market. The reduction of the weight directly impacts the fuel consumption of the aircraft, related to the CO2-emisions. A new mechanical system was also designed, allowing a fast assembly, dismantling and disassembly of the seat into the aircraft, shortening the maintenance cost and workforce. Finally, an assessment of the seating lifecycle was done to guarantee the new design improvement in terms of sustainability. A direct impact is expected in terms economic viability, novel attractive materials, cost reduction in maintenance and material usage, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The overall objectives of the seat are:
• Recyclability of at least 90% of the weight of the seating structure
• Comfortable and attractive design
• Weight reduction
• Sustainability (eco-design, easy-recycle materials, easy-dismantling, etc.)
• Fast disassembling
• Structural reliability
The major part of the work carried out during the first reporting period has been achieved in WP1, as foreseen in the GA. Initially, an in-detail review of the original seat design has been carried out, considering the restrictions and limitations of the manufacturing process, such as the Sheet Moulding Compound (SMC) as well as Wet Compression Moulding (WCM) techniques. Additionally, comments and specifications have been detailed in order to produce co-moulding process, i.e. to produce parts with SMC and local prepreg reinforcement composite within the same manufacturing step. This feedback has led to several changes in the initial design: modifications in the geometry to satisfy minimum radii, surface orientations to guarantee demoulding angles, changes in production processes of the seatback structure (WCM and SMC to Vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding) and local reinforcement of components by adding structural ribs. From the mechanical assessment point of view, several layups for the WCM and local reinforcement parts have been considered, and the optimum one will be used in the final component.
The Life cycle assessment data is performed in the WP2. The initial efforts have been focussed on carrying the LCA data analysis and collection of mould production.
Initial testing activities have been performed on WP3. During the duration of the first periodic report, the main testing tasks have been focussed on characterizing the machinal properties of the materials. First, a large testing matrix has been defined, to specify all the needed material parameters to feed the numerical simulations. From the material point of view, a complete material characterization campaign has been specified for each material: SMC, WCM and prepreg. Additionally, the tests to characterize the adhesive joints for single and dissimilar materials have been defined. Secondly, the first material plates of SMC (Polyurethane matrix reinforced with short recycled carbon fibres) and WCM have been manufactured. Last, the first mechanical tests have been carried out to obtain the elastic and fracture properties of the WCM material.
On the other hand, several activities have been implemented to facilitate the dissemination and exploitation of the project results. The most prominent one has been the attendance, as a sponsor, to the 7th ECCOMAS Thematic conference on the mechanical response of composites, held in Girona on September of 2019. The latest activity was focussed on the communication the HAIRMATE project is finalist in INTERNATIONAL JEC AWARD.
Finally, HAIRMATE project has allowed the manufacture of two seat prototypes, one of which has obtained surprising results in the first real 16G resistance tests, superior to those obtained in the finite element (or FEM) simulations carried out. The final test result shows the seat is capable to resist 10,68G maintaining structural integrity. The results show the design and the technology developed can be adopted in for aircraft seat primary and secondary structures of the future.
The Life cycle assessment data is performed in the WP2. The initial efforts have been focussed on carrying the LCA data analysis and collection of mould production.
Initial testing activities have been performed on WP3. During the duration of the first periodic report, the main testing tasks have been focussed on characterizing the machinal properties of the materials. First, a large testing matrix has been defined, to specify all the needed material parameters to feed the numerical simulations. From the material point of view, a complete material characterization campaign has been specified for each material: SMC, WCM and prepreg. Additionally, the tests to characterize the adhesive joints for single and dissimilar materials have been defined. Secondly, the first material plates of SMC (Polyurethane matrix reinforced with short recycled carbon fibres) and WCM have been manufactured. Last, the first mechanical tests have been carried out to obtain the elastic and fracture properties of the WCM material.
On the other hand, several activities have been implemented to facilitate the dissemination and exploitation of the project results. The most prominent one has been the attendance, as a sponsor, to the 7th ECCOMAS Thematic conference on the mechanical response of composites, held in Girona on September of 2019. The latest activity was focussed on the communication the HAIRMATE project is finalist in INTERNATIONAL JEC AWARD.
Finally, HAIRMATE project has allowed the manufacture of two seat prototypes, one of which has obtained surprising results in the first real 16G resistance tests, superior to those obtained in the finite element (or FEM) simulations carried out. The final test result shows the seat is capable to resist 10,68G maintaining structural integrity. The results show the design and the technology developed can be adopted in for aircraft seat primary and secondary structures of the future.
The HAIRMATE project will bring the opportunity of having a carbon fiber aircraft seat prototype using manufacturing techniques such as the Sheet Moulding Compound (SMC) as well as Wet Compression Moulding (WCM).
The project aims to demonstrate that those techniques and materials are an alternative to current metal-based seats, achieving lighter seats which represents a more sustainable aircraft seat concept, considering that the reduction of the weight directly impacts the fuel consumption of the aircraft, related to the CO2-emisions.
As a result of the project, an innovative aircraft seat will be not only manufactured, but also tested under the crash test regulations applied in the aerospace industry.
The project aims to demonstrate that those techniques and materials are an alternative to current metal-based seats, achieving lighter seats which represents a more sustainable aircraft seat concept, considering that the reduction of the weight directly impacts the fuel consumption of the aircraft, related to the CO2-emisions.
As a result of the project, an innovative aircraft seat will be not only manufactured, but also tested under the crash test regulations applied in the aerospace industry.