A Review of Recent Advances in Intelligent Damping and Composite Materials for Reducing Coupled Vibrations Induced by Electromagnetic Catapults in Carrier-based Aircraft
Hongbo Liu, Mengfei Feng, Xiaodong Yang, Ziqi HuoIntroduction:
Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) impose transient mechanical loading and a low-frequency electromagnetic environment that can affect carrier-based aircraft structures and onboard equipment. This review evaluates smart damping materials, hybrid composites, and architected metamaterials for vibration suppression under coupled mechanical, electromagnetic, and thermal constraints.
Methods:
A structured narrative review covered literature published mainly from January 2019 to 31 August 2026 in the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Wiley Online Library; Google Scholar and publisher pages were used to cross-check bibliographic details. Studies reporting traceable mechanisms or quantitative material/structural data were included; duplicate, unverifiable, unrelated, or nontechnical records were excluded, while earlier seminal studies were retained for constitutive theory or established methods.
Results:
Evidence supports material-specific rather than universal solutions. A public EMALS model reported 15 kA at 118 Hz, an average thrust of approximately 1.545 MN, and about 25 μT at 1.5 m above the motor, far below the several-hundredmillitesla range used in high-field MRE characterization. MFCs provide highbandwidth sensing and actuation, while SMA-CFRP hybrids, viscoelastic constrained- layer structures, and TPMS architectures provide complementary energy dissipation, load spreading, and wave attenuation.
Discussion:
MRE magnetic saturation, severe eddy-current heating, and universal superiority of any single material cannot be assumed; outcomes depend on location, field concentration, conductive geometry, excitation frequency, temperature, and bias fields.
Conclusion:
Practical EMALS vibration suppression is likely to combine sensing and actuation, passive dissipation, and load-bearing architected structures, supported by coupled electromagnetic-thermal-mechanical qualification using measured aircraftnode environments.