Lightning strike protection
First Claim
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1. An aircraft component having an external surface and comprising:
- a. a lightning strike protection surface film disposed on or proximate to the external surface and including a preform comprising;
a substrate having a first areal weight density; and
a plurality of spaced carbon nanotubes grown on the substrate, the nanotubes having a second areal weight density, wherein the nanotubes decrease a surface resistance of the preform;
wherein the sum of the first areal weight density and the second weight density is less than about 500 grams per square meter; and
wherein the surface resistance is less than about 1 ohm/square.
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Abstract
An aircraft component having an external surface includes an improved lightning strike protection surface film disposed on or proximate to the external surface. The surface film includes a preform that includes a substrate having a first areal weight density and a plurality of spaced carbon nanotubes grown on the substrate, the nanotubes having a second areal weight density. The sum of the first areal weight density and the second areal weight density is less than about 500 grams per square meter, and the preform has a surface resistance less than about 1 ohm/square.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An aircraft component having an external surface and comprising:
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a. a lightning strike protection surface film disposed on or proximate to the external surface and including a preform comprising; a substrate having a first areal weight density; and a plurality of spaced carbon nanotubes grown on the substrate, the nanotubes having a second areal weight density, wherein the nanotubes decrease a surface resistance of the preform; wherein the sum of the first areal weight density and the second weight density is less than about 500 grams per square meter; and wherein the surface resistance is less than about 1 ohm/square. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A lightning strike protection surface film comprising:
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a substrate having a first areal weight density and a plurality of spaced carbon nanotubes grown on the substrate, the nanotubes having a second areal weight density, wherein the nanotubes decrease a surface resistance of the surface film; wherein the sum of the first areal weight density and the second areal weight density is less than about 500 grams per square meter, and the nanotubes are substantially uniformly distributed on the fibers and have a length between about 1 and 100 microns. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of producing an aircraft component with lightning strike protection, the method comprising:
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providing an aircraft structure having an outer surface portion; forming a lightning strike protection surface film by providing a substrate having a first areal weight density and growing on the substrate a plurality of spaced carbon nanotubes, the nanotubes having a second areal weight density, wherein the nanotubes decrease a surface resistance of the substrate; bonding the lightning strike protection surface film to the outer surface portion to form an external surface portion; and selecting the composition and areal weight density of the substrate and controlling the areal weight density of the carbon nanotubes such that the sum of the first areal weight density and the second areal weight density is less than about 500 grams per square meter and such that the surface resistivity is less than about 1 ohm/square. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A composite aircraft component comprising:
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a polymeric material; at least one layer comprising a woven or non-woven substrate and a plurality of carbon nanotubes grown on the substrate, wherein at least 75 percent of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are located within 5 microns of another nanotube in the plurality of nanotubes, such that the plurality of carbon nanotubes provide a conductive path through the polymeric material; and wherein the substrate provides structural reinforcement to the polymeric material and wherein the carbon nanotubes provide lightning strike protection to an outer surface of the composite aircraft component; and
wherein the substrate and the plurality of carbon nanotubes have a combined areal density that is less than about 500 grams per square meter. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification