3 ms·

This is the most interesting question I've seen in a while. While I'm confident that material choices could provide some protection based on decades of spacefl

This is the most interesting question I've seen in a while. While I'm confident that material choices could provide some protection based on decades of spaceflight engineering and research into lightweight radiation protection methods. However it's the kind of hidden issue I can honestly imagine no one thinking about until it's far too late, which could make it a significant Achilles heel in terms of practical operation of these planes by airlines.

godelski 9y ago
So I actually do some work in this area, hence me asking the question. The conventional method is aluminum. New methods include UHMWPE (polyethylene, same stuff grocery bags are made of) and Kevlar. There's doping methods to help some of these materials, but it can be really complicated. Carbon Fiber, what they are using, isn't really that great for shielding. I've personally run simulations on this, and untreated CF isn't that great of a shield. So my question is, are they treating their CF? Are they using dopants? What resins are they using? What altitudes will they be flying at? These things matter very much.
- sapphire_tomb 9y ago
  Don't they have to use a fine copper grid over the surface of any carbon fibre used in aircraft? Otherwise you get a lightning strike on the wing, and it explodes? Does that help shielding from radiation too?
  - godelski 9y ago
    I asked some colleagues and they said no. CF is conductive btw. And at that high of a voltage... But my intuition would say that Cu adding to CF would not improve its shielding qualities. Especially if it is a mesh. No mesh is going to make the shielding characteristics better because the particles are at such a high frequency.
    - sapphire_tomb 9y ago
      Not claiming this is 100% factual, but this YouTube video suggests the mesh thing is real : https://youtu.be/m37z5R2rJ5E https://youtu.be/m37z5R2rJ5E And I've seen similar on UK documentaries as well.

godelski 9y ago

So I actually do some work in this area, hence me asking the question. The conventional method is aluminum. New methods include UHMWPE (polyethylene, same stuff grocery bags are made of) and Kevlar. There's doping methods to help some of these materials, but it can be really complicated. Carbon Fiber, what they are using, isn't really that great for shielding. I've personally run simulations on this, and untreated CF isn't that great of a shield. So my question is, are they treating their CF? Are they using dopants? What resins are they using? What altitudes will they be flying at? These things matter very much.

sapphire_tomb 9y ago
Don't they have to use a fine copper grid over the surface of any carbon fibre used in aircraft? Otherwise you get a lightning strike on the wing, and it explodes? Does that help shielding from radiation too?
- godelski 9y ago
  I asked some colleagues and they said no. CF is conductive btw. And at that high of a voltage... But my intuition would say that Cu adding to CF would not improve its shielding qualities. Especially if it is a mesh. No mesh is going to make the shielding characteristics better because the particles are at such a high frequency.
  - sapphire_tomb 9y ago
    Not claiming this is 100% factual, but this YouTube video suggests the mesh thing is real : https://youtu.be/m37z5R2rJ5E https://youtu.be/m37z5R2rJ5E And I've seen similar on UK documentaries as well.