Structurally Efficient Composite Concepts for Future Military Air Vehicles

"The objective of the proposed research is to develop an advanced methodology for designing and manufacturing novel composite materials for future military air vehicles. The proposed new methodology, referred to as function-oriented material design (FOMD),will provide an effective tool for the design, in an optimal way, of structurally efficient composites such as that with an optimally shaped cellularity or an optimal arrangement for woven or braided composites. With the design tool developed in thisprogram, new materials will be optimally designed to meet directly the requirements for advanced structural performance and weight reduction. For example, materials in the main structures and the secondary structures of an air vehicle will be optimallydesigned with respect to their specific performance requirements. Hence optimal design will be achieved in terms of both global performance and local performance. The methodology developed in this program will find important applications in developingfuture military air vehicles and enhance the performance of current military air vehicles in many different ways including significantly increasing the strength, stiffness, and durability of emerging composite structures. It will also improve vibration andsound characteristics, buckling stability, and impact resistance for advanced structures in future military air vehicles. This program will also result in lightweight and high performance s