Developing in orbit manufacturing methods for sustainable composites for space applications

随着航天工业的发展，可持续性日益成为航天工业关注的问题。然而，由于质量和环境的限制，空间应用的严格性能要求构成了一个重大挑战。目前的航天器是使用不可回收的材料制造的，在寿命结束时要么被淘汰，要么被注销。这一解决办法对于地球轨道飞行任务来说是令人满意的;然而，对于长期或无限期的飞行任务来说，就地使用/再利用现有材料可能成为强制性的。一种成功的方法可以解锁创建大型高效结构的能力，而不会受到与原始材料的发射和制造相关的惩罚。虽然这个博士学位的范围主要集中在空间应用，这种方法也可能对复合材料的陆地可持续性产生重大影响，目前广泛用于航空航天和风能领域。拟议的概念将WrapToR制造方法的结构效率与HiPerDiF对齐过程实现的不连续纤维复合材料的可回收性和性能相结合。到目前为止，还没有一个小组证明了一个系统，同时能够比较的结构效率和可回收性。为了发展这一概念，该项目旨在解决以下挑战：1。确定和开发适合于空间应用和制造的不连续纤维热塑性复合材料。2.开发一种能够将对齐的HiPerDiF胶带和热塑性塑料固结成可用长丝原料的方法。3.修改WrapToR工艺，使其与热塑性输入材料兼容。

Sustainability is becoming an increasing concern for the space industry as it grows. However, the strict performance requirements of the space application arising from mass and environmental constraints pose a significant challenge. Current spacecraft are made using non-recyclable materials and are either demised or written off at their end-of-life. This solution has been satisfactory for earth-orbiting missions; however, in-situ use/reuse of existing material may become obligatory for long-duration or indefinite missions.This project aims to develop and investigate an in-orbit manufacturing method as a potential alternative to the current paradigm. A successful method could unlock the ability to create large, efficient structures without the penalties associated with the launch and manufacture of virgin material. While the scope of this PhD is primarily focused on space applications, such a method could also have significant implications for the terrestrial sustainability of composites, which are currently widely used in the aerospace and wind energy sectors.The proposed concept combines the WrapToR manufacturing method's structural efficiency with discontinuous fibre composite's recyclability and performance enabled by the HiPerDiF alignment process. To date, no group has demonstrated a system simultaneously capable of comparable structural efficiency and recyclability. To develop this concept, the project aims to tackle the following challenges: 1. Identify and develop a discontinuous fibre thermoplastic composite suitable for space application and manufacturing. 2. Develop a method capable of consolidating aligned HiPerDiF tapes and thermoplastic into a usable filament feedstock. 3. Modify the WrapToR process to be compatible with a thermoplastic input material.