Hits:

Indexed by:期刊论文

Date of Publication:2018-01-01

Journal:SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Included Journals:SCIE

Volume:24

Issue:8

Page Number:820-829

ISSN No.:2374-4731

Abstract:Aircraft can acquire large amounts of moisture during routine flights. Once moisture is trapped in aircraft walls, the resulting expenses are not just in extra fuel consumption, but also in corrosion repair and additional maintenance. To date, however, there is a lack of concrete data on temporal moisture accumulation and its distribution within aircraft walls. This investigation constructed reduced-scale mockups of an aircraft section for measurement of accumulated moisture during flights. The mockup models were placed in a psychrometric altitude chamber to mimic short-haul, medium-haul, and long-haul flights. For simulation of different flight conditions, the mockups varied in terms of shell material (aluminum alloy or composite plastic), insulation blankets (wrapped in water-resistant bags or not), and operating season (summer or winter). The moisture accumulation within insulation layers and on the inner skin of the shell after each flight was weighed on a digital precision balance. The results show that the bags used to wrap the insulation blankets effectively minimize moisture migration and accumulation. Moisture accumulation during flights in the winter season is much greater than in the summer season. The composite shell can minimize moisture gain, especially during the winter.