A state-of-the-art review on lightweight composite hydraulic cylinders: design, manufacturing and applications

IF 7.8 2区材料科学 Q1 MATERIALS SCIENCE, COMPOSITES

Composite Structures Pub Date : 2026-09-01 Epub Date: 2026-08-28 DOI:10.1016/j.compstruct.2026.120820

Tian-Wei Liu, Yao-Xing Shang, Yao Li, Yi-Wei Wang, Xing-Yu Liu, Tian Yu, Zong-Xia Jiao

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Hydraulic cylinders act as pivotal actuators in high-end equipment covering aerospace, robotics and construction machinery. Traditional metal hydraulic cylinders have reached a weight-reduction limit, failing to meet escalating lightweight design demands. Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRP), with exceptional specific strength, superior corrosion resistance and high design flexibility, is the optimal candidate for lightweight hydraulic cylinders. This paper comprehensively reviews the research progress, core technologies and engineering applications of CFRP hydraulic cylinders, and analyzes critical technical bottlenecks including bending resistance, sealing friction pair adaptation, oil passage design, detachability and seepage prevention. Based on pressure vessel classification standards, five major structural types and eight subtypes are standardized, with their distinct features and applicable scenarios clarified. The work further details design optimization methods, forming processes and core enabling technologies including dissimilar material joining and anti-leakage solutions. Typical cross-field engineering cases are summarized to verify practical feasibility. Finally, existing challenges in design theory, joining and sealing, process precision and testing systems are concluded, and future directions including multi-field coupled modeling, metal-liner-free fabrication and intelligent integration are prospected, providing a systematic reference for the technical innovation and industrial application of CFRP hydraulic cylinders.

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轻型复合液压缸的最新进展：设计、制造和应用

液压缸是航空航天、机器人和工程机械等高端设备的关键执行机构。传统的金属液压缸已经达到了减重的极限，无法满足日益增长的轻量化设计要求。碳纤维增强塑料（CFRP）具有优异的比强度、优异的耐腐蚀性和高设计灵活性，是轻型液压缸的最佳候选材料。本文全面综述了CFRP液压缸的研究进展、核心技术和工程应用，分析了抗弯曲、密封摩擦副适配、油路设计、可拆卸性、防渗等关键技术瓶颈。根据压力容器分类标准，对压力容器的5大结构类型和8个子类型进行了标准化，明确了其各自的特点和适用场景。该工作进一步详细介绍了设计优化方法、成形工艺和核心使能技术，包括不同材料连接和防泄漏解决方案。总结了典型的跨领域工程实例，验证了其实际可行性。最后，总结了CFRP液压缸在设计理论、连接密封、工艺精度和测试系统等方面存在的挑战，并展望了多场耦合建模、无金属衬垫制造和智能集成等未来发展方向，为CFRP液压缸的技术创新和工业应用提供了系统参考。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Composite Structures 工程技术-材料科学：复合

CiteScore

12.00

自引率

12.70%

发文量

1246

审稿时长

78 days

期刊介绍： The past few decades have seen outstanding advances in the use of composite materials in structural applications. There can be little doubt that, within engineering circles, composites have revolutionised traditional design concepts and made possible an unparalleled range of new and exciting possibilities as viable materials for construction. Composite Structures, an International Journal, disseminates knowledge between users, manufacturers, designers and researchers involved in structures or structural components manufactured using composite materials. The journal publishes papers which contribute to knowledge in the use of composite materials in engineering structures. Papers deal with design, research and development studies, experimental investigations, theoretical analysis and fabrication techniques relevant to the application of composites in load-bearing components for assemblies, ranging from individual components such as plates and shells to complete composite structures.