Cold-Sprayed Composite Circuits for Chafe-Resistant Wiring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for integrating electrical circuits in aerospace vehicles face challenges in building sufficient thickness and robustness, leading to issues with wire chafing, damage, and complex wire bundles, which affect safety and service life.
Innovation Solution
A cold spray process is used to form a metallic coating on a polymer composite layer, creating a conductive circuit that is partially encapsulated, with non-continuous segments, using metal particles projected onto a polymer surface to form a metallic coating that adheres well and maintains conductivity even under deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional wire bundles are used for electrical connections in aerospace vehicles, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but the wiring becomes complex and vulnerable to damage from chafing and environmental fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the electrical circuit traces directly into the composite structure by depositing conductive materials onto the composite surface during manufacturing. This integration eliminates separate wire bundles and their associated complexity while improving reliability by making the electrical connections an inherent part of the structural component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the electrical connection function from traditional wire bundles and embeds it directly into the composite structure. By taking out the wiring system and integrating it at the material level, the solution reduces vulnerability to chafing and environmental damage while maintaining electrical connectivity.
2Strength
If existing deposition techniques are used to create conductive circuits on composites, then electrical conductivity is achieved, but sufficient thickness and robustness cannot be built
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary surface preparation and deposition parameter optimization before the actual conductive material deposition. By pre-treating the composite surface and establishing optimal deposition conditions in advance, the process achieves both sufficient coating thickness and manufacturing precision without compromising either parameter.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the deposition process, including controlling gas stream temperature, pressure, and particle velocity, to achieve optimal coating thickness. By dynamically adjusting these parameters during deposition, the system builds sufficient robustness while maintaining precise thickness control.
3Reliability
If wire bundles are used to maintain precise connections throughout the aircraft, then electrical connectivity is maintained, but damage from chafing and environmental conditions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests the electrical circuit traces within the composite structure itself, embedding the conductive pathways inside or as part of the composite material. This nesting protects the electrical connections from external harmful factors like chafing and environmental fluctuations while maintaining connection integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate protective layer or encapsulation that shields the conductive traces from environmental damage. This intermediary element acts as a barrier between the electrical connections and harmful external factors, preventing chafing and improving reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process enhances the integrity of wire bundles, reduces wire chafing, and improves safety by providing more robust electrical connections that maintain conductivity under flexion, reducing the need for multiple wires and enhancing structural health monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
A cold spray process is used to form a metallic coating on a polymer composite layer, creating a conductive circuit that is partially encapsulated
Implementation Method 2
an electrochemical insulating layer on the at least one surface
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a cold spray metal process for providing an electrical connection within a multilayered composite article. The present disclosure relates to a cold sprayed metal coated article or a structural component having a polymeric composite material having at least one surface, a thermoplastic electrochemical insulating layer on the at least one surface, an electrical circuit may include a cold sprayed metal coating present on at least a portion of a surface of the electrochemical insulating layer, and at least one additional layer, the at least one additional layer encapsulating at least a portion of the cold sprayed metal between the additional layer and the electrochemical insulating layer. The structural component may include a cold sprayed metal coating having one or more non-continuous segments, where the one or more non-continuous segments are not in lateral contact with one another.