Blog Post: Protecting Aircraft Composites from Lightning Strike Damage

Aircraft bodies are made using carbon fibre composites that are strong and lightweight. Unfortunately, carbon fibre is not conductive, so it does not protect aircraft from lightning strikes. To combat this problem, an expanded metal foil layer is added to the structure to disperse high current and heat resulting from lightning strikes. During flight cycles, thermal fluctuation is experienced, which can eventually lead to the formation of unwanted cracks in composite structures. In this blog post, we discuss how simulation can be used to investigate design variations and their effect on stress and displacement.