Applications of Carbon Nanotubes in the Field of Aviation

A REVIEW PAPER

PRESENTED BY R.S.SUVINEETH II YEAR BTECH AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING C.M.ENGINEERING COLLEGE Email id:suv_rs@yahoo.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION HIGHLIGHT POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE ELEVATORS SPACECRAFT WEIGHT ISSUES SETTING THE PRECEDENT SETBACKS AS OF NOW CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY 01 02 05 06 14 15 16 16 17 18

ABSTRACT

This paper introduces us with yet another major development in the field of aviation The Impact of Nanotechnology in Materials on Aviation .The major development in nanotechnology, "The Nanotubes are expected to serve as the most promising devices in the world of nanotechnology which may begin to enhance aircraft characteristics. This very fact is supported in this paper, wherein; the applications of nanotubes in the field of aviation are quoted and explained. Also the structure of nanotubes and their properties, which account for their versatility, are discussed in brief. The major portion of the paper deals with the application of carbon nanotubes for advances in aircraft materials carried by innovations in nanotechnology.

INTRODUCTION
Definition:
By definition a carbon nanotube popularly known as CNT is a fullerene having a cylindrical or toroidal configuration.

What are Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)?

Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical carbon molecules with novel properties that make them potentially useful in a wide variety of applications. They exhibit extraordinary strength and unique electrical properties, and are efficient conductors of heat. CNTs can in principle play the same role as silicon does in electronic circuits, but at a molecular scale where silicon and other standard semiconductors cease to work.

Structure of carbon Nanotubes (CNTs):

Carbon nanotubes are an exciting allotrope of carbon, and are considered to belong to the fullerene family. It consists of a graphitic sheet rolled over it, forming a single graphene cylinder exclusively made of carbon atoms. Its extremities are closed by two half fullerenes. Each nanotube is a single molecule made up of a hexagonal array of covalently bonded carbon atoms, the strongest existing liaison. The electronic properties of the resulting nanotube depend on the direction in which the sheet was rolled up. Some nanotubes are metals with high electrical conductivity, while others are semiconductors with relatively large band gaps.

CNT majorly comes in two species: 1. Single walled nanotubes (SWNT) 2. Multi walled nanotubes (MWNT)

Single Wall nanotubes (SWNTs) :

They consist of one cylinder. These are essentially single layers of pure carbon atoms rolled into a seamless tube capped at each end by half-spherical fullerene structures. They measure1 nm in diameter and all of their atoms form a single covalently bound network. Depending on diameter and helicity, SWNTs behave as either one-dimensional metals or as semiconductors.

Multi Wall nanotubes (MWNTs) :

These comprise several (7 to 20 usually) concentric graphene cylinders. These are more complex because of interactions between adjacent layers making them both ballistic and diffusive conductors. Since MWNT consists of several concentrically arranged single-wall nanotubes, they cannot behave as one dimensional conductors. By combining different nanotubes, and supplementing them with gate electrodes, there is the potential to make a wide variety of electronic 5

devices, ranging from quantum wires to FETs. The electrical current that could be passed through a MWNT corresponds to a current density of 107 amps per sq cm. If nanotubes were classical resistors, the power dissipated by such a current would heat the nanotube so much that it would vaporize. The fact that this does not happen suggests that the electrons in nanotubes are strongly decoupled from the lattice. If adjacent carbon layers interact as in graphite, electrons would not be confined to one layer. Experiments say that the inner layers only provide mechanical support, although this might change if we were able to make electrical contact with all layers.

Image of MWNT (40-60nm)

Properties:
a) Electrical conductivity: Best conductor of electricity on a nanometer scale level. b) Thermal conductivity: It is comparable to diamond along the tube axis. c) Mechanical: Carbon nanotubes are the stiffest, strongest, and toughest fiber that can ever exist. d) Molecular perfection: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are almost essentially free of defects. e) Self assembly:-Strong Vander Waals attraction leads to spontaneous roping of the nanotubes.

Image revealing the hexagonal structure of the nanotubes

Carbon Nanotubes are a true example of nanotechnology, embodying a unique combination of electrical, thermal, and structural properties. Their molecular perfection and high aspect ratio promise not only to transform existing technologies but also to enable new ones. It opens incredible applications in materials, chemical processing, electronics, biology, medicine, transportation, and energy management and may come to have a major role in the field of aviation.

HIGHLIGHT
For an idea on how effective the polymers which have been reinforced with these nanotubes would be the following data has been compiled

Looking beyond current advanced aircraft materials such as those used in the B-2 Stealth Bomber Material High Carbon Steel Titanium (Ti-55A) Aluminum 2024 Density(g/cc) 7.6 4.5 2.8 7 Modulus(Gpa) 207 83 70 Strength(M pa) 676 241 468

Carbon Fiber RP Carbon Nanotube RP

2.7 1.2

140 147

2505 15220

To Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Polymer (CNRP) composites for airframes 50% lighter and 6x stronger than current carbon fiber composites A few possible effects on aircraft performance include reduction of wake vortex circulation, takeoff velocity, and braking times.

Carbon nanotube via Scanning Electron Microscope

POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS
There are endless applications for carbon nano tubes due to their strength and abilities to conduct electricity. In fact due to their lightweight, strength, transparency and ability to hold a charge the uses are truly endless indeed.

Airframes, Aircraft wings, Windscreens, Cowlings, Valves in an engine and a host lot of other parts integral to an aircraft can be made of lighter carbon nanotube reinforced polymer (CNRP) composite material. Nanotubes can also be used to detect and repair cracks in aircraft wings and other Structures.

Airframes:
Until the19th century, Pioneering aviators such as George Cayley and Otto Lillienthal used cotton covered flying surfaces for their manned glider designs. The Wright brothers also used cotton to cover their Wright Flyer made of wood. Weak fabric covered structure allowed wing warping, an early form of roll control... Since the days of the Wright Brothers, man's fascination with flying has brought on many changes due to increased technology and necessity. Construction of new materials has been developed and still new changes are being sought. Let's look at some of the changes. In the early years of aviation, planes were made of fabric and low weight wood, due to their availability. Wire, struts and braces were used for structural strength. The fabric was a closely weaved fabric like linen. As the travel speeds increased, so did the need for better, stronger materials in aircraft construction. Laminated wood and monocoque construction were first used in the 1930's. Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin. When aircraft were made of fabric, they were hard to maintain since they deteriorated when left outside, due to the elements.

Montgolfier balloon

Brothers paper-lined

silk

The 1903 Wright Flyer was constructed of spruce and ash covered with muslin

During the 19th century , Some early aircraft designers began to apply sheet metal or plywood to highly stressed parts of the internal frames; this skin did provide strength in shear and compression and could therefore be considered as early examples of monocoque elements but the aircraft still relied primarily on their internal frames. In 1919 to 1934 they began the construction of all metal planes with aluminum surfaces and others used a construction of metal monocoque. As 9

manufacturing skills got better, building lighter planes became easier. However, metal corrodes and is subject to fatigue. New procedures were needed in order to

1P-51Mustang of WW-II

protect against this. Many early developments were spurred by military needs during World War I . The air wars of World War I were mainly fought with fabric covered biplanes that were vulnerable to fire due to the flammable properties of the covering and dope. With the development of modern synthetic materials following World War II, cotton fabrics were completely replaced in civil aircraft applications by Polyethylene terephthalate. Postwar commercial airframe design focused on larger capacities, on turboprop engines, and then on jet (turbojet, later turbofan) engines. The generally higher speeds and stresses of turboprops and jets were major challenges. Newly developed aluminum alloys with copper, magnesium and zinc were critical to these designs. . Aluminum alloys and new metals like titanium and molybdenum were used for the extra strength as well as for thermal resistance. Speeds increased to Mach 3, so techniques to avoid the effects of heat caused by aerodynamics were introduced. Advanced alloys use carbon, silicon carbide, ceramics, titanium as well as aluminum. The new high quality aluminum is stronger than the carbon fiber reinforce plastic that has been used in aircraft wings and can reduce weight up to another 20 percent. Aircraft wings built with this special aluminum fiber combination can protect them against metal fatigue. This material can be a contribution to making energy efficient aircrafts. It could provide a reduced maintenance and fuel cost of billions of dollars. The new aluminum materials allow for the possibility of carefree structures. Carefree, meaning less sensitivity to fatigue, hail, and corrosion, resulting in much lower maintenance cost. Fibre-reinforced polymer composite materials are fast gaining ground as preferred materials for construction of aircraft and spacecraft. In particular, their use as primary structural materials in recent years in several technology-demonstrator front-line

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aerospace projects world-wide has provided confidence leading to their acceptance as prime materials for aerospace vehicles.

A380

We've come a long way since that first airplane. As, we continue to develop ways to travel faster and further. Stressed skin, aluminum semi-monocoque or composite construction has been the norm for aircraft these days, but what's next? Carbon nanotube materials, possibly. At Awahnee Tech, they are claiming that Single-Walled Nanotubes are "100 times stronger and 6 times lighter than steel". Think how very little of this material would be needed to make an incredibly strong airframe. Imagine a quick calculation of how much a Piper Cherokee, for example, might weigh if this material were used instead of aluminum and weigh 50% less too!! From the nanotechnology section of Physorg.com, they talk about the fatigue resistance of nanotubes. Apparently a structure was subjected to over 500,000 compressions and the nanotube 11

block retained its original shape and mechanical properties. 500,000 take-offs and landing with no wear. Doesnt it sound good enough?

Windshields:

Transparent materials commonly used in the construction of windshields and windows are glass, polymethyl-methacrylate (acrylic), polycarbonate, and interlayer materials. The characteristics of these materials require special engineering solutions for aircraft windshield and window panel designs. Typical designs of windshields and cockpit side windows are laminated multi-plied constructions, consisting of at least two structural plies, facing plies, adhesive interlayers, and protective coatings, embedded electro-conductive heater films or wires, and mounting structure. Typically the structural plies are made from thermally or chemically toughened glass, or transparent polymeric materials such as polymethyl-methacrylate (acrylic) and polycarbonate. 12

These plies may be protected from abrasion, mechanical, and environmental damage by use of facing plies and/or protective coatings. The facing and structural plies are laminated together with adhesive interlayer material of poly-vinyl butyral (PVB), polyurethane, or silicone. Cabin window designs are typically multi-paned construction consisting of two structural panes (a main load bearing pane and a fail-safe pane), inner facing panes, protective coatings, and mounting structure. Generally, the two structural panes are made from polymethyl-methacrylate and separated by an air gap. However, there are some cabin window designs that have laminated structural panes. The designs with the structural panes separated by an air gap usually are such that the fail-safe pane is not loaded unless the main pane has failed.

Transparent plastic materials used in aircraft canopies, windshields, and other similar transparent enclosures may be divided into two major classes or groups. These plastics are classified according to their reaction to heat. The two classes are Thermoplastic and Thermosetting.

Thermoplastic materials will soften when heated and harden when cooled. These materials can be heated until soft, and then formed into the desired shape. When cooled, they will retain this shape. The same piece of plastic can be reheated and reshaped any number of times without changing the chemical composition of the material. Thermosetting plastics harden upon heating, and reheating has no softening effect. These plastics cannot be reshaped after once being fully cured by the application of heat. In order to keep window areas free of ice, frost, etc., window anti-icing, deicing, defogging, and de-misting systems are used. The systems vary according to the type of aircraft and its manufacturer. Some windshields are built with double panels having a space between, which will allow the circulation of heated air between the surfaces to control icing and fogging. Others use windshield wipers and anti-icing fluid, which is sprayed on. If windscreens were made out of carbon nano tubes, bird strikes on the canopy or windshield would be irrelevant, as it is much stronger than Plexiglas and not brittle like regular glass, but equally as transparent.

Cowlings:
The cowling is a type of aerodynamic fairing used to streamline radial engines for use on airplanes and developed by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics . The cowling enhances speed through drag reduction. The cowling constitutes a symmetric, circular airfoil. The 13

NACA cowling directs cool air to flow onto the center of the motor, where it is routed across the motor's hottest parts, i.e. the cylinders and even more importantly, the cylinder heads. Furthermore, turbulence after the air passes the free-standing cylinders is greatly reduced. The sum of all these effects reduces drag by as much as 60%.The test conclusions resulted in almost every radialengined aircraft being equipped with this cowling, starting in 1932.

NACA cowling on a Curtis AT-5A at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory

It is hard to inspect all parts of the aircraft, for instance the engine compartment, as it is covered up with the cowling made up of metals, it would be wise to make the aircraft cowlings out of transparent Carbon Nano Tube construction.

Valve Covers:
Engine valve covers currently made of magnesium or aluminum or plastic show variable properties in different conditions which result in the fuel mileage as well as the engine performance. If transparent valve covers were used there would be engines showing longer life and better lubrication equates to less friction, which means better fuel mileage. Since valve covers are already on every reciprocating aircraft engine, it would be easy to replace all those valve covers with carbon nano tube covers to increase longevity of the motor, insure proper lubrication and increase performance and fuel economy. This also means less pollution in our air for all the Global Warming Alarmists out there.

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To Detect and Repair Cracks in Aircraft Wings, Other Structures:

Adding even a small amount of carbon nano tubes can go a long way toward enhancing the strength, integrity, and safety of plastic materials widely used in engineering applications, according to a new study. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a simple new technique for identifying and repairing small, potentially dangerous cracks in high-performance aircraft wings and many other structures made from polymer composites. By infusing a polymer with electrically conductive carbon nano tubes, and then monitoring the structures electrical resistance, the researchers were able to pinpoint the location and length of a stress-induced crack in a composite structure. Once a crack is located, engineers can then send a short electrical charge to the area in order to heat up the carbon nano tubes and in turn melt an embedded healing agent that will flow into and seal the crack with a 70 percent recovery in strength. Real-time detection and repair of fatigue-induced damage will greatly enhance the performance, reliability, and safety of structural components in a variety of engineering systems. The majority of failures in any engineered structure are generally due to fatigue-induced micro cracks that spread to dangerous proportions and eventually jeopardize the structures integrity. The system should help increase the lifetime, safety, and cost effectiveness of polymer structures, which are commonly used in place of metal when weight is a factor. There is also evidence that carbon nano tubes play a passive role in suppressing the rate at which micro cracks grow in polymeric structures. The research is team is now working to optimize the system, scale it up to larger structures, and develop new information technology to better collect and analyze the electrical resistance data created from the embedded grid and embedded carbon nano tubes.

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In this image, carbon nano tubes are randomly dispersed in an epoxy resin, which can be molded into different structures. By infusing the polymer with electrically conductive carbon nano tubes and monitoring the electrical resistance at different points in the structure and length of even the tiniest stress-induced crack can be determined.

If wings were made out of carbon nano tubes you could insure the structural integrity of the wings and save thousands of dollars on Annual Inspections and improve visibility from high-wing, low-wing type midair collisions of private aircraft. Definite safety prevention issues.

POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE ELEVATORS

A space elevator would extend 22,000 miles above the Earth to a station, and then another 40,000 miles to a weighted structure for stability. And a space elevator - if it ever becomes reality - will be quite long. NASA needs about 144,000 miles of nanotube to build one. In theory, a cable would extend 22,000 miles above the Earth to a station, which is the distance at which satellites remain in geostationary orbit. Due to the competing forces of the Earth's gravity and outward centrifugal pull, the elevator station would remain at that distance like a satellite. Then the cable would extend another 40,000 miles into space to a weighted structure for stability. An elevator car would be attached to the nanotube cable and powered into space along the track. NASA and its partner, the Spaceward Foundation, hope that a space elevator could serve as a cost-effective and relatively clean mode of space transportation. NASA's current shuttle fleet is set to retire in 2010, and the organization doesn't have enough funds to replace it until 2014 at the 16

earliest. To fill the gap, NASA is hiring out shuttles to provide transportation to the International Space Station from private companies. So NASA could use a space elevator, the sooner the better. Space elevators could lift material at just one-fifth the cost of a rocket, since most of a rocket's energy is used simply to escape Earth's gravity. Not only could a space elevator offer research expeditions for astronauts, the technology could also expand the possibilities for space tourism and even space colonization. "The biggest problem has always been finding a material that is strong enough and lightweight enough to stretch tens of thousands of miles into space. This isn't going to happen probably for the next decade at least, but in theory this is now possible. The advances in materials for the tether are very exciting."

SPACECRAFT WEIGHT ISSUES

For all the challenges posed by the microgravity conditions of space, weight is actually one of the more significant problems NASA faces in the development of the next generation of U.S. space vehicles. For the Agencys Constellation Program, engineers at NASA centers are designing and testing new vessels as safe, practical, and cost-effective means of space travel following the eventual retirement of the space shuttle. Program components like the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, intended to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and the Moon, must be designed to specific weight requirements to manage fuel consumption and match launch rocket capabilities; Orions gross liftoff weight target is about 63,789 pounds. Future space vehicles will require even greater attention to lightweight construction to help conserve fuel for long-range missions to Mars and beyond. In order to reduce spacecraft weight without sacrificing structural integrity, NASA is pursuing the development of materials that promise to revolutionize not only spacecraft construction, but also a host of potential applications on Earth. Single-walled carbon nanotubes are one material of particular interest. These tubular, single-layer carbon molecules100,000 of them braided together would be no thicker than a human hairdisplay a range of remarkable characteristics. Possessing greater tensile strength than steel at a fraction of the weight, the

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nanotubes are efficient heat conductors with metallic or semiconductor electrical properties depending on their diameter and chirality (the pattern of each nanotubes hexagonal lattice structure ). All of these properties make the nanotubes an appealing material for spacecraft construction, with the potential for nanotube composites to reduce spacecraft weight by 50 percent or more. The nanotubes may also feature in a number of other space exploration applications, including life support, energy storage, and sensor technologies.

SETTING THE PRECEDENT

In April 2008, Unidym, Inc. Announces the First Flight of an Aircraft Using Carbon Nanotubes for Increased Fuselage Strength. Unidym, Inc., a majority-owned subsidiary of Arrowhead Research Corporation, announced today the first flight of an aircraft incorporating Unidyms carbon nanotubes into its airframe for increased strength and flexibility to combat the effects of aerodynamic stress and engine vibration. On April 11th Avalon Aviations Giles G-200 aircraft flew with Unidyms carbon nanotubes incorporated into its carbon fiber composite engine cowling. The Giles G-200 is a high performance, single engine fully aerobatic carbon composite aircraft thus, setting the precedent for the aviation industry to follow suit.

SETBACKS AS OF NOW

One of the significant challenges involved with taking advantage of single-walled nanotube technology lies in how the nanotubes are made. Typical manufacturing methods are expensive, are not amenable to large scale production, and can be inefficient, resulting in samples containing as low as 1015 percent nanotubes. Costly and time-consuming separation procedures are needed to sort out nanotubes of the desired diameter, length, and chirality. In addition, nanotube samples can be tainted with residual catalyst impurities and common byproducts like amorphous carbon and graphite nanofibers. Thus, affordable, largely pure nanotube supplies with tailored properties for research and commercial efforts have been lacking.

CONCLUSION

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In the future carbon nano tube construction will be easy and all light aircraft will have some nano tube parts. Additionally those who do not want transparency in their aircraft in certain parts could opt for opaque parts, which when hit with a certain frequency from an airframe inspection maintenance engineer; would set the machine to make it transparent for them to have a look and see without having to take them off and re-install simply to check and see if everything is okay. Transparent carbon nano tubes for aircraft parts will be commonplace by the next century according to leading aviation experts. Composite is great, but the combination will be even greater. Think on this.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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1. The International Nano Science Community blogs.

2. Nanotechnology News 3. Wikipedia 4. Polymer Composites, Nano Letters (2006). 5. Nanoparticle networks reduce the flammability of polymer nanocomposites, Nature Materials 4 (2005). 6. http://www.cnanotech.com/pages/store/6-0_online_store.html 7. Mechanical Reinforcement of Polymers Using Carbon Nanotubes, Advanced 8. Materials 18, 689-706 (2006). 9. Ultralong single-wall carbon nanotubes, Nature Materials 3,(2004). 10. Super-tough carbon-nanotube fibres, Nature 423, 703 (2003). 11. Strong, Transparent, Multifunctional, Carbon Nanotube Sheets, Science 12. Improvement of Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Carbon Nanotube 13. Composites through Chemical Functionalization, Chemistry of Materials 14. Reinforcement of single-walled carbon nanotube bundles by intertube bridging, (2004). 15. Processing of carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum composite, Journal of Materials Research, September 1998. 16. Extraordinary Strengthening Effect of Carbon Nanotubes in Metal-Matrix 17. Nanocomposites Processed by Molecular-Level Mixing,Advanced Materials 17, (2005). 18. Cool Aviation Blogger 19. Encyclopedia Britannica 20. expertpages.com 21. infoplease.com 22. answers.com 23. Federal Aviation Administration, Acceptable Methods, Techniques and Practices-Aircraft Inspection and Repair, AC43.13.1A, Change 3. U.S Department of Transportation, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 1988. 24. Taylor, John W.R. The Lore of Flight, London: Universal Books Ltd., 1990. ISBN 0-9509620-15 25. http://www.nano.org.uk/nano/nanotubes.php.
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26. http://composite.about.com/od/aboutcarbon/a/What-Are-Carbon-

Nanotubes.htm 27.B. D. Agarwal and L. J. Broutman, Analysis and Performance of Fiber Composites, 2nd ed: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1990. 28.R. Dagani, Nanotube Strands Are Centimeters Long, in Chemical & Engineering News, vol. 80, 2002, pp. 11. 29. L. R. Jenkinson, P. Simpkin, and D. Rhodes, Civil Jet Aircraft Design. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann, 1999. 30. D. P. Raymer, Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach, 3rd ed. Reston: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1999. 31. P. G. Saffman, Vortex Dynamics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

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