The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (FhG), the largest organization for applied research in Europe, undertakes applied research of direct utility to private and public enterprise and of wide benefit to society. FhG maintains roughly 80 research units, including 68 Fraunhofer Institutes, at over 40 different locations throughout Germany. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft participates with its institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (Fraunhofer LBF) in Darmstadt.
The Fraunhofer LBF is one of the most traditional institutes of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Founded over 75 years ago as laboratory for structural durability, the institute extended its competences over the last 15 years towards numerical and experimental lightweight design, smart structures, system reliability and plastics. Additional market segments beyond the traditional vehicle and mechanical engineering branches of industry were opened up as well. With a team of about 400 employees the Fraunhofer LBF offer services along the entire value added chain starting with the material and its processing up to the finished component, the complex system, its qualification with regard to safety and reliability, and performance from product design to verification. Particularly in the area of plastics, the institute provides support at an early stage of the value added chain with polymer synthesis and in-depth material characterization.
Main tasks in the project:
In the DOMUS-project, the role of Fraunhofer LBF is mainly on material and process development for cabin thermal insulation solutions and low thermal inertia components. By developing new additives the properties of phase change materials (PCM) and insulating materials will be improved with respect to heat storage, processability, flame retardency. Furthermore properties like reflection, dissipation, absorption will be improved using novel additives. Besides, the processability and mechanical strength of natural fibre composites will be targeted.
Website:
www.fraunhofer.de
