- Author
- Kalelkar, A. S. | Fiksel, J. | Raj, P. P. K. | Rosenfield, D. B.
- Title
- Assessment of the Risks Presented by the Use of Carbon Fiber Composites in Commercial Aviation. Volume 1. Final Report. Volume 2. Supporting Appendices.
- Coporate
- Little, (Arthur D.) Inc., Cambridge, MA
- Sponsor
- NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
- Report
- NASA-CR-158989, January 1979, 188 p.
- Distribution
- Available from Defense Technical Information Center LIMITED DISTRIBUTION to authorized U.S. Government agencies
- Contract
- NAS1-15380
- Keywords
- commercial aviation | commercial aircraft | risk assessment | carbon | fibers | composite materials | aircraft carriers | aircraft accidents | risk analysis | penetration | simulation | airports
- Identifiers
- markets for carbon fiber composites; probabilistic analysis of air carrier accidents; carbon fiber release conditions; carbon fiber dispersion models used for risk analysis calculations; building penetration analysis; equipment vulnerability analysis; estimation of economic losses; monte carlo simulation of single accident airport risk profile; synthesis of national risk profile
- Abstract
- Carbon fiber (CF) composites are being used to an increasing extent in commercial aircraft, due to their excellent structural properties. Since carbon fibers are highly conductive, a potential risk has been identified in the event that an aircraft with CF composite structures is involved in an accidental fire. If carbon fibers are released from the fire, they could disperse in the atmosphere and eventually cause damaging short circuits in electronic equipment at remote locations. This phenomenon could conceivably result in economic losses ranging from repair of failed equipment to interruption of business operations, and could effect many segments of society. The purpose of this study was to assess the risks presented to the nation as a whole by the use ofCF composites in commercial aircraft, in terms of the potential economic losses from air carrier accidents.