Due to the obvious advantages of lightweight, carbon fiber products have been applied in many lightweight fields. Nowadays, there are many application cases in rail transit, and Boshi has also produced many components for high-speed trains. This article follows the editor to take a look at which high-speed train components carbon fiber materials can be used for production and manufacturing.
1. Use on the front hood of the vehicle
The traditional locomotive front hood is made of glass fiber resin based composite material with an average thickness of about 8mm, while carbon fiber composite material is made by laminating carbon fiber prepreg with a layer thickness of only 2mm. In order to enhance the thermal insulation and noise isolation performance of materials, carbon fiber foam sandwich materials can be used for production. The inner and outer skins are made of carbon fiber boards. A layer of 2mm foam is added inside. Its strength is higher than that of traditional materials, but its quality is only 2/3 of that of traditional materials, which can play a certain role in reducing the energy consumption of locomotive operation.
Due to the year-round operation of locomotives, there is a high demand for the service life of the vehicles, typically around 30 years. At the same time, there are also high requirements for the weather resistance and corrosion resistance of the materials. Carbon fiber composite materials have a very stable chemical composition and strong corrosion resistance. In acidic, alkaline, and salt environments, they can maintain excellent performance while maintaining a long working time. In addition, due to the high hardness and lightness of carbon fiber materials, high-speed airflow will not have any impact on them during high-speed operation of locomotives.
2. Application of Carbon Fiber Composite Materials in Vehicle Bodies
The traditional roof is made of cold-formed steel with a large cross-section. In the top space of the vehicle, there are usually many devices arranged, such as air conditioning and large batteries. If their stiffness is insufficient, not only will vibration occur, but structural damage is also likely to occur, and driving safety cannot be guaranteed. In addition, the roof material also has high requirements for corrosion resistance. As the roof often comes into contact with rainwater, if the corrosion resistance of the roof material is not strong, it is easy to cause perforation of the material structure, which not only affects the airtightness of the vehicle, but also leads to rainwater leakage into the cabin. At present, the application of carbon fiber composite materials in vehicle bodies is mainly focused on the upper structure of vehicles, which can effectively improve the above situation.
Using multiple carbon fiber I-shaped materials with the same cross-section to make longitudinal beams for load-bearing, in order to effectively improve the strength of each section connection, some transverse fibers can be arranged at the section connection. This can ensure that the performance of the roof is basically the same as that of traditional steel roofs, but its stiffness is much higher than that of roofs made of traditional materials. The stability during driving becomes stronger, while the weight is only about half of that of traditional roofs, effectively reducing the overall weight of the locomotive and lowering the energy consumption of locomotive operation. In order to test the stiffness of its roof, researchers conducted a hanging load test experiment, and the results showed that under a roof load of 4t, the deflection of the roof was only about 2mm, which fully meets the stiffness requirements of the roof. In addition, due to the excellent corrosion resistance of carbon fiber composite materials, they can maintain their original material properties even under prolonged rain, effectively improving the reliability of vehicle use.
3. Use on load-bearing components inside the vehicle
The internal space of rail vehicles contains many load-bearing components, such as window handles, writing board brackets, door handles, sliding door guides, etc. These load-bearing components were mostly made of metal materials in the past, which not only had high quality, but also experienced wear and corrosion during use. Not only does it affect the appearance, but it can also have a serious impact on the service life.
By using carbon fiber composite materials instead of traditional metal materials to make various styles of load-bearing parts, we can design the interior of these load-bearing parts in a hollow form, which can significantly reduce weight. Moreover, due to its higher strength than metal, the hollow design structure will not affect the performance of these load-bearing parts. Due to its stronger corrosion resistance, it can maintain a relatively good appearance after long-term use, effectively improving the service life and appearance of these load-bearing parts. The unique patterns on the surface of carbon fiber composite products have strong aesthetics, and some decorative parts inside the cabin can also be replaced with carbon fiber composite materials, which not only achieves aesthetic effects but also reduces the overall quality of the vehicle.
With the continuous application of high-performance carbon fiber products, carbon fiber products can be seen in more and more industries. If you have customization needs for carbon fiber products, you can consult our technical or sales team, and we can provide drawings and samples for processing.