Energy-Absorbing Beam Member

NASA’s Langley Research Center has developed a novel design for a lightweight energy absorbing (EA) composite subfloor structure. The technology’s primary application is to increase occupant survivability in the event of an aircraft crash. Current airframe subfloors unpredictably buckle, splay, and collapse under crash loads. This technology exploits the inherent stability associated with a conusoidal geometry and material combination of carbon and aramid fibers to allow the structure to bend and fold in a controlled manner at a particular load level.