Elastic Rotor Bearings from Resilin?

[[email protected]]

Researchers have managed to decipher the formula for making the insect
protein resilin:

http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/292388/Flea+power.htm

Resilin is reputed to give fleas their great jumping power, as well as
wing-flapping ability in flies and mosquitoes, among other things.

How well would resilin's superior elastic properties scale up for much
larger flying machines?

As an example, what about the idea of using resilin in making elastic
rotor bearings for simplified rotorheads on helicopter-gyroplanes?
Would it be useful or worthwhile to use resilin for this high-end
application?

Could resilin be used in inflatable structures for balloons or blimps?
Or even inflatable wings? What about parachutes?

Comments?

[Orval Fairbairn]

In article om>,
wrote:

> Researchers have managed to decipher the formula for making the insect
> protein resilin:
>
> http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/292388/Flea+power.htm
>
> Resilin is reputed to give fleas their great jumping power, as well as
> wing-flapping ability in flies and mosquitoes, among other things.
>
> How well would resilin's superior elastic properties scale up for much
> larger flying machines?
>
> As an example, what about the idea of using resilin in making elastic
> rotor bearings for simplified rotorheads on helicopter-gyroplanes?
> Would it be useful or worthwhile to use resilin for this high-end
> application?
>
> Could resilin be used in inflatable structures for balloons or blimps?
> Or even inflatable wings? What about parachutes?
>
> Comments?

We would need more information on:

1. tensile and compression strength

2. elasticity of the material

3. Effects in (1) and (2) due to aging and ultraviolet exposure

4. Effects of heat and potential solvents on the material.

I am sure that there are other considerations, but the above are basics.

[[email protected]]

These articles quote resilience of 97% compared to 80% for synthetic
rubber:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resilin

http://www.future.org.au/news_2005/august/insect.html

Other articles mention resilin being used in insect exo-skeletal shells
or beetle wings, possibly allowing such structures to store energy:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10983820&dopt=Abstract

http://www.livescience.com/technology/051012_insect_rubber.html

I couldn't find anything about the UV resistance properties, although
perhaps some additive or modifier could be used to give UV resistance.
Couldn't find anything on tensile strength, either. Does anyone else
know?

With such a high mechanical efficiency, I'd wonder if one couldn't
perhaps even make flapping wing joints out of it. But what do you all
say -- what might be the best way to make use of this material for
mechanical airborn propulsion purposes?

[Orval Fairbairn]

In article . com>,
wrote:

> These articles quote resilience of 97% compared to 80% for synthetic
> rubber:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resilin
>
> http://www.future.org.au/news_2005/august/insect.html
>
> Other articles mention resilin being used in insect exo-skeletal shells
> or beetle wings, possibly allowing such structures to store energy:
>
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids
> =10983820&dopt=Abstract
>
> http://www.livescience.com/technology/051012_insect_rubber.html
>
> I couldn't find anything about the UV resistance properties, although
> perhaps some additive or modifier could be used to give UV resistance.
> Couldn't find anything on tensile strength, either. Does anyone else
> know?
>
> With such a high mechanical efficiency, I'd wonder if one couldn't
> perhaps even make flapping wing joints out of it. But what do you all
> say -- what might be the best way to make use of this material for
> mechanical airborn propulsion purposes?

As I posted earlier, it sounds interesting, but I am not going to build
something that depends on it until I can evaluate its mechanical
properties and how they stand up to the effects of aging, UV, heat,
cold, the usual solvents, fuels and lubricants found in aviation.

Until we have that information, resilin will be a potential, but
unproven, material. I would suggest that it be tried on model airplanes,
etc., to get a feel for its real-world properties.

[Nick Lappos]

Your post makes an assumption that the elastomer somehow contributes to the
energy used in a rotor, so that more elastic efficiency somehow makes a
better rotorcraft. Not true. Compared to the centrifugal forces that pass
through the bearing, its tiny spring forces are unmeasurable. Unlike an
insect's wings, the flexing of the bearings in a rotorhub is a tiny fraction
of the energy consumption, so any substance used in a bearing must be judged
by its durability, reliability and strength.

Gotta know its shear strength, durability and so on. Frankly, of all the
technologies we need to improve, the elastomers are some of the most durable
and resilient.


> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Researchers have managed to decipher the formula for making the insect
> protein resilin:
>
> http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/292388/Flea+power.htm
>
> Resilin is reputed to give fleas their great jumping power, as well as
> wing-flapping ability in flies and mosquitoes, among other things.
>
> How well would resilin's superior elastic properties scale up for much
> larger flying machines?
>
> As an example, what about the idea of using resilin in making elastic
> rotor bearings for simplified rotorheads on helicopter-gyroplanes?
> Would it be useful or worthwhile to use resilin for this high-end
> application?
>
> Could resilin be used in inflatable structures for balloons or blimps?
> Or even inflatable wings? What about parachutes?
>
> Comments?
>