A flexible insulation material may be configured to substantially reduce the amount of radiation transmitted therethrough by incorporating a reflective mat of high temperature fibers that withstand temperatures of at least 500 C. The flexible insulation may be stored and used over temperatures ranging from 270 C. to 5000 C. The mat may have optical properties to produce a transmittance of no more than 5% over a range of temperature from 500 C. to 5000 vC. The mat may include high temperature fibers such as carbon and/or silicon carbide and these fibers may be coupled by a binder in a non-woven fabric. The flexible insulation material may be configured in the Flexible Thermal Protection System of a deployable aerodynamic decelerator or a Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator and may be durably flexible.

A filtering film includes a porous substrate and a membrane disposed on the porous substrate. The membrane includes a plurality of fibers of one or more bio-degradable materials. The fibers have an average diameter of about 50 nm to about 3 m. The one or more bio-degradable materials has a melt flow index of at least 5 g/10 min at 210 C. at a load of 2.16 kg.

A composite carbon fiber laminate, including a first carbon fiber woven fabric layer, including one or more first voids defined between fabric strands of the first carbon fiber woven fabric layer; a second carbon fiber woven fabric layer, including one or more second voids defined between fabric strands of the second carbon fiber woven fabric layer; a core fabric layer; a first reflective layer positioned between the first carbon fiber woven fabric layer and the core fabric layer; and a second reflective fabric layer positioned between the second carbon fiber woven fabric layer and the core fabric layer, wherein the first reflective layer reflects light that is incident upon the first carbon fiber woven fabric layer at the one or more first voids.

A composite carbon fiber laminate, including a first carbon fiber woven fabric layer, including one or more first voids defined between fabric strands of the first carbon fiber woven fabric layer; a second carbon fiber woven fabric layer, including one or more second voids defined between fabric strands of the second carbon fiber woven fabric layer; a core fabric layer; a first reflective layer positioned between the first carbon fiber woven fabric layer and the core fabric layer; and a second reflective fabric layer positioned between the second carbon fiber woven fabric layer and the core fabric layer, wherein the first reflective layer reflects light that is incident upon the first carbon fiber woven fabric layer at the one or more first voids.

The present invention relates to a spar cap for a wind turbine blade and a method for manufacturing said spar cap. The spar cap comprises: a plurality of reinforcing fibre layers comprising unidirectionally oriented reinforcement fibres, wherein the plurality of reinforcing fibre layers are arranged such that the spar cap tapers in thickness towards a first longitudinal end, and a number of first fibre skin layers arranged on a first surface of the plurality of reinforcing fibre layers, and a number of second fibre skin layers arranged on a second surface of the plurality of reinforcing fibre layers, such that the plurality of reinforcing fibre layers are arranged between the number of first fibre skin layers and the number of second fibre skin layers. The number of first fibre skin layers and the number of second fibre skin layers extend beyond the plurality of reinforcing fibre layers towards the first longitudinal end of the spar cap, and the first longitudinal end of the spar cap is serrated along a transverse direction, forming a first serrated section.

A system and method for manufacturing a hybrid composite laminate system. The method includes positioning a plurality of non-natural fiber layers comprising at least one of: glass fibers and carbon fibers, preparing at least one natural fiber layer, and positioning the at least one natural fiber layer adjacent to, and in contact with at least one of the plurality of non-natural fiber layers. The method also includes increasing a first structural damping coefficient of the hybrid composite laminate system to be more than a second structural damping coefficient of a reference composite laminate without the natural fiber layer.