Self Healing Planes

A case study from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) archives which looks at how ailing aircraft could heal themselves during flight thanks to a revolutionary new system. The technology, that mimics the healing processes found in nature, has been developed by aerospace engineers at Bristol University, with funding from EPSRC and DSTL. It could be available for commercial use within four years. If a tiny hole or crack appears in the aircraft – due to fatigue or a stone strike – epoxy resin ‘bleeds’ from embedded vessels near the crack to quickly seal it and restore integrity. The resin and hardener enable the composite material to recover up to 80 to 90per cent of its original strength – comfortably allowing a plane to function. Dr Ian Bond, the man who led the project, said: “This approach can deal with small-scale damage that’s not obvious to the naked eye but which might lead to serious failures in structural integrity if it escapes attention.” EPSRC is a part of the Research Councils UK (RCUK) partnership of research councils.