Lightweight Copper/Aluminum Composites - Next Generation Conductors for the Aerospace Market

摘要

Weight reduction is a never-ending challenge on an aircraft and the latest generation of fuel efficient airplanes has placed even more pressure on manufacturers to reduce weight. Unfortunately, in the realm of aerospace cables, there has been precious little improvement in weight reduction over the past decade, and what has occurred has been primarily due to insulation system improvements. The electrical conductors used in these cables have not changed significantly during that time. This paper will explore a new conductor construction that, utilizing both copper and aluminum strands, has the potential for reducing cable weight without significantly impacting resistance and, more importantly, without changing the methods with which said conductors are terminated.