Lightweight, Frangible Cables and Composite Ladders with Lightning Strike Protection

ABSTRACT: This Phase I SBIR program will focus on demonstrating the feasibility of developing a frangible nanocomposite ladder for ILS/GS towers. Non frangible, high mass metal components will be replaced with a FRP nanocomposite incorporated with NTL"s BuckyShield product. Frangible designs such as manufactured stress lines and jointed sections will be investigated to produce a low mass, rigid nanocomposite ladder that is frangible upon impact that meets FASG"s frangibility requirements. NTL"s BuckyShield product will provide lightning strike protection, grounding and EMI shielding that is composite compatible. The Phase I program will primary focus on demonstrating the feasibility of nanocomposite ladders and the cable shielding currently being developed in a MDA phase II program will be applied to frangible cabling in follow-on efforts. BENEFIT: NTL"s frangible nanocomposite ladder would replace the current non-frangible, one piece woven or solid metal ladders. This ladder would present less of a collision threat due to its low mass ladder and incorporated frangibility. The BuckyShield component would be low mass and organic along with the multifunctional benefits of lightning strike protection, grounding and EMI shielding without impairing the ladder frangibility. BuckyShield is composite compatible and doesn"t present the corrosion and CTE mismatch issues that metals do. BuckyShield would be combined with the composite ladder in a one step manufacturing process that could be scaled up. NTL"s frangible nanocomposite ladder could be used to replace non-frangible ladders at hundreds of commercial airports and military bases to provide FASG conforming, safer environments.