Case Studies

Ultra-lightweight Solar Plane : The Winner of JEC Innovation Award

June 4, 2021:

This week Toray Carbon Magic, a subsidiary of Toray Industries, has been announced as the winner of the prestigious JEC Innovation Award in the Aerospace category with their carbon fiber composite solar plane. The Innovation Awards are recognized to select the worlds most innovative composite solutions.

This project has been developed in collaboration with Tokai University which has great records of The World Solar Challenge, in cooperation with the Sky Perfect JSAT and Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization. Thus, this is the result of the industry-academia and government collaboration.

The success of this project was made possible because of its design and its manufacturing of the full-composite aircraft, resulting in an ultra-lightweight, highly stiff structure that includes a16-meter wingspan. In addition, due to the mechanical properties of the advanced composite materials, the solar plane framework is resistant to fatigue and environmental conditions, ensuring optimal performance at high altitudes for prolonged periods. The objective of this project, which is still in development, is to provide energy-efficient relay stations for broad and wide telecommunication networks.

At the Toray Group, we consider sustainability to be the most important global issue of the 21st century. We will continue to provide innovative technologies and advanced materials to help address global issues.

Reference: The 2021 JEC Innovation Award ：www.jeccomposites.com