Self-Healing Fabric for Aircraft Evacuation Inflatables
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft evacuation inflatables made of polymer-coated fabrics are prone to defects such as porosity and microcracks due to tensile and shear stresses, leading to functional and field failures, with labor-intensive defect detection and repair processes that can further weaken the material.
Innovation Solution
A self-healing fabric for aircraft evacuation inflatables is developed, comprising a fabric layer with an interior and exterior thermoplastic polymeric layer, each containing a healing agent encapsulated within shells or hollow fibers, which forms a vascular network to autonomously repair damages by polymerization upon stress, enhancing material integrity and ease of detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If polymer coated fabric is used for evacuation inflatables, then the fabric provides basic structural integrity, but it develops defects such as porosity, pinholes, coating peel off, and microcracks due to tensile and shear stresses during manufacturing and service
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates healing agents into the fabric layers before the defects occur. These healing agents are pre-positioned within the fabric structure, ready to activate and repair microcracks and other defects as they form during manufacturing or service, preventing them from progressing into functional failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric is designed with self-healing capability through the incorporation of healing agents that automatically repair defects without external intervention. When microcracks or porosity develop, the healing agents are released and fill the defects, allowing the fabric to self-repair and maintain its integrity without requiring manual detection or repair.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If defects in polymer coated fabric are detected and repaired manually, then defect detection is possible, but the process is labor intensive and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric automatically detects and repairs its own defects through the self-healing mechanism. When defects occur, the healing agents are released and fill the defects without requiring external detection or manual repair processes, eliminating labor-intensive inspection and repair activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the detection and repair functions from manual processes and integrates them into the fabric itself through the self-healing mechanism. The healing agents are embedded within the fabric structure, allowing the fabric to autonomously identify and repair defects without external intervention.
3Ease of repair
If manual repair of defects in polymer coated fabric is performed, then defects can be corrected, but the repairs can weaken the material properties of the fabric
Solution Approach 1:
The fabric performs self-repair through embedded healing agents that are chemically compatible with the fabric matrix. When defects occur, the healing agents are released and polymerize to fill the defects, restoring the material properties without the need for external repair materials that could weaken the fabric.
Solution Approach 2:
The healing agents are designed to change their physical or chemical state in response to the defect, transitioning from a dormant state to an active repair state. This parameter change allows the healing agents to flow into and fill the defects, then solidify to restore the fabric's structural integrity without compromising material properties.
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 self-healing fabric significantly reduces the likelihood of functional and field failures, simplifies damage detection and repair, and maintains the material's integrity by autonomously repairing damages, making aircraft evacuation systems more reliable.
Implementation Method 1
which forms a vascular network to autonomously repair damages by polymerization upon stress
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~4A
Figure 4B
AI summary
A self-healing fabric (120) for an inflatable of an evacuation system may comprise a fabric layer (122), an interior thermoplastic polymeric layer (124) formed over a first side of the fabric layer, and an exterior thermoplastic polymeric layer (126) formed over a second side of the fabric layer. The interior thermoplastic polymeric layer (124) may include a first healing agent. The exterior thermoplastic polymeric layer (126) may include a second healing agent.