Composite Design Department

The department Composite Design offers a closed development chain from the first sketch of composite structures, their sizing up to a design for an efficient production:

  • preliminary design: Herein, design concepts, an adequate selection of materials, hybridisation, and further aspects specific to fibre composites are being addressed.
  • sizing: design concepts are optimized and assessed by using low and high fidelity simulation tools, which also take into account probabilistically distributed material and manufacturing parameters.
  • detailed design: In the end the detailed design is realized under consideration of tolerance management, quality assurance and appropriate tool concepts.

Particular emphasis is placed on the design of multi-functional structures, which contain additional features like electrical conductivity, acoustic noise absorption, information transmission etc. besides their required structural mechanical properties.

"From requirements via concepts to multi-functional structures"

Competences

The department Composite Design proves itself as a strong link between research and industrial application in the following topics:

  • door surround structures in future aircraft
  • composite-driven design of airframe structures
  • CFRP-metal hybrid structures in aerospace applications
  • design considering relevant manufacturing aspects, e.g. spring-in effects
  • tools and facilities for efficient and economic CFRP-production
  • deployable structures in ultra-lightweight space applications
  • design of multi-functional lightweight terrestrial vehicles

The closed development chain and the design of multi-functional structures are subject of continuous common research work with our partners.

Contact

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Hühne

Head of Department Composite Design
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Institute of Lightweight Systems
Composite Design
Lilienthalplatz 7, 38108 Braunschweig