We have put together a tentative event schedule and technical program, but won’t release the final list until the call for papers has closed.

The Call for Papers was opened February 1, 2012, and completed papers will be due by September 10, 2012 (to include input from the conference).

Sponsors:

To learn more or reserve your space as a sponsor or exhibitor at Composite Conference 2012, call 800-895-9537 or info@compositeconference.com and we will email you customized sponsorship information and secure payment links along with information for exhibiting at the conference.

Funding for hydrogen storage research continues to roll in, such as the recent DOE funding reported in Composites Today. The DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells website also contains more info on research, funding, and resources such as databases and more.

DOE Hydrogen storage chart

Hydrogen has several strong points: it is lightweight and provides higher energy density than traditional gasoline.  Another clear advantages of hydrogen is the by-products of the combustion processes.  Gas produces pollutants while hydrogen’s combustion merely produces water.  One of the remaining problems currently slowing down hydrogen’s ability to saturate the energy market is that with hydrogen it is hard to store and transport in economical scales.

Currently storage methods do allow transport and delivery of hydrogen in tanks and pipeline systems but the expansion required for serious market penetration is enormous.  Hydrogen has such a low density that storage of compressed hydrogen is very difficult to maintain without compromising the energy efficiency saved.  In order to cut down on the efficiency losses, high-strength composites continue to provide the most economical option for the storage of hydrogen in all its applications.

Uses of composites in the transportation community are rapidly growing and are seen in trucks, cars, and other land transportation vehicles. Composites are selected for their low weight, high strength, and corrosion resistance.

Composites in Transportation is one of the topics of Composite Conference 2012 and will include presentations by ASME and leaders from the transportation industry. Registration is available now, so sign up soon!

Uses of composites in the aerospace community abound; composites form a critical component in a variety of aviation and spacebound operations. This article on the history of composites from 1996 provides an interesting overview of the evolution of composites from the 1950′s onwards. Composites are heavily used in aerospace applications due their low weight and high strength, providing a very economical solution for storage of gases and for high-strength structures.

Some further reading on how pervasive the composite industry has been for Boeing’s 787:

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/articles/qtr_4_06/article_04_2.html

NASA and the private space industry, along with leaders from the aviation industry will be participating at Composite Conference 2012. Register today!