Research progress on aircraft lightweight design of ceramic matrix composites

Abstract

High Mach flight has put forward more stringent requirements for the material and structure design of new generation of high-speed vehicles. This paper reviews the application of ceramic matrix composites（CMCs） in the structural design of aircraft from the aspects of selection，application，and evaluation，and then the future development direction is put forward to provide reference for aircraft ceramic matrix composite structure design. The selection criteria and corresponding preparation methods of CMCs in different application scenarios are comprehensively reviewed，the typical applications of CMCs in aircraft structures are systematically introduced，and the evaluation criteria and ground test methods of the materials under near-service conditions are analyzed. To order to meet the future demands of aircraft，it is necessary to integrate computer-aided optimization technology and innovative preparation methods to enhance the temperature resistance and fatigue performance of CMCs. Developing highly reliable，long-life joining techniques and integrated design solutions will fully leverage the advantages of these materials. Additionally，in-situ characterization techniques under multi-physical field coupling need to be developed to obtain the performance evolution behaviour of CMCs in actual use，providing a reliable basis for the lightweight structural design of aircraft.

Keywords

• aircraft
• ceramic matrix composites
• thermal protection structure
• lightweight structure