可乐-
The lighter drive 更轻便的驾驶理念
Electric cars made from carbon fibre will be safer and go farther
电瓶汽车+碳纤维材料=安全，耐用
They look safe in thereMARK WEBBER has a lot to thank tiny strands of carbon for. When his Formula 1 car cartwheeled in a spectacular 306kph (190mph) crash at the recent Valencia Grand Prix, what helped him to escape unscathed was the immensely strong carbon-fibre “tub” that racing drivers now sit in. Carbon fibre is an expensive alternative to making things in steel or aluminium, but besides being extremely strong it is also very light. It is found in high-performance parts, like aircraft wings, bits of supercars and the frames of pricey mountain bikes. But if work by Germany"s BMW proves successful, it could also become the material of choice to mass-produce electric cars.
6月，F1瓦伦西亚大奖赛发生了惊人一幕：以每小时306公里（190英里）行驶在赛道上的马克u2022韦伯发生了严重的翻车事故。奇迹的是，韦伯本人毫发无 伤。奥妙之处就在于当下流行于F1的——碳纤维底座。虽然与铁，铝相比，它的造价较高，但是抗压及轻便性都远远好于铁和铝。目前，炭纤维材料还大多使用在 高精度领域，如飞机机翼，F1赛车，或是私人山地车等。不过这一传统观念可能会被宝马公司打破，一旦试验成功，那么碳纤维就可以率先广泛应用在电动汽车领 域。
The Bavarian carmaker plans to launch a new plug-in electric car in 2013. It will be one of the first designed from scratch to use an electric motor rather than being converted from an existing model. Reducing the weight of this four-seater car, known as the Megacity concept, will be crucial to improving its performance and range. So BMW is planning to use no steel at all. The Megacity will be built as two modules: an aluminium chassis will contain the electric drive-system and battery, and a body made almost entirely of carbon fibre will be fitted onto it.
德国汽车制造商正计划将在2013年推出一款电瓶可拆卸式环保车。这并不是从现有车型改装而来，而是设计师卧薪尝胆的一次全新尝试。更轻便的4人坐驾，完 全符合现代城市环保理念，这款“无铁”车型的设计，彰显出了它的与众不同与理念上的更新换代。但是这样一个设想目前还处在起步阶段，或许成功的那天，汽车 铝制底盘上充电驾驶装置与设备，及全身碳纤维的设计工艺，能够更好的诠释大城市的环保概念。
Carbon fibre is 30% lighter than aluminium and 50% lighter than steel. The fibres are extremely tear-resistant. When woven into a lattice structure and impregnated with resin they can produce a part that is stronger than steel. The trouble is the process is labour-intensive and slow, not least because components may have to be cured for hours under pressure in massive ovens called autoclaves. For carmakers, used to stamping out steel body-parts in a few seconds, this has ruled out carbon fibre for high-volume production. BMW, however, aims to change that.
碳纤维比铝轻便30%，是铁的50%。同时，由于纤维具有极强的抗断裂性，再融入树脂形成晶体结构后，那么它的强度就要超过铁。但是这道工序属于劳动密集 型，效率相对较低，以前车用铁制品的切割仅需要几秒钟时间就能完成，而现在则需要在高压炉内高温锻造几个小时，因此，大量生产碳纤维的可能性不高。不过， 宝马公司目前也正在试图改变这一情况。
Its production line starts with a so-called precursor: a fibre spun from a polymer. This is carbonised by heating it in multiple stages to leave individual carbon fibres just seven microns (0.007 millimetres) thick. Around 50,000 of these fibres are bundled together into a yarn which is then made into a fabric. This can be cut and handled like a textile. Strips of fabric are then overlaid to align their fibres in such a way to maximise their load-bearing characteristics as required—in effect tailoring components like a bespoke suit.
现在，宝马生产线守开先河，将聚合体加工成纤维状，这个碳化过程需要在高温下进行几道工序，最后产生的碳纤维厚度只有7微米（0.007毫米）。然后，大 概将5000根这样的纤维拧成一股就成了纤维织物，再将这样的纤维根据它的陌生能力将它切割成最合适的尺寸，实际上，这个步骤与量体裁衣有异曲同工之妙。
Along come the robots 自动机将助一臂之力
BMW uses molds, heat and pressure to produce contours in the fabric. Resin is then injected into the molds to bond the fibres together. How the resin flows through the fibres is crucial; it has to be done quickly and leave no area untreated before it starts to cure. A release agent in the resin migrates to the surface to prevent the component sticking in the mold. The whole process, which can be handled by robots, is completed in minutes.
然后，再利用模具与高温将纤维织物打造成型。首先，将树脂注入模具粘合纤维，这里有两个细节非常关键，一是动作要快不能拖泥带水，二是在没有粘合之前确保 模具内的树脂流向均匀。树脂中混有的隔离剂此时发挥功效，避免了纤维与模具发生粘连。整道工序，在自动仪器的协助下，仅需几分钟便可完成。
The resulting carbon-fibre parts are bonded together to construct the body of the car. Besides their lightness, BMW"s experimental vehicles have exceeded expectations in crash tests, says the company. During front- and rear-impact-tests the aluminium chassis crumples to absorb energy, but leaves the rigid carbon-fibre passenger compartment intact. Even extreme side-impacts protected the crash dummies and the battery (automatically switched off when the airbags trigger). In many cases crash damage is reparable by cutting out broken sections of carbon fibre and bonding in new ones.
此时的碳纤维就可以应用于汽车制造。宝马公司声称：除了超轻便的特性之外，碳纤维的抗挤压能力也令人惊叹。在对车头车尾抗冲击测试中发现，一方面是铝制底 盘受到挤压而变形，缓冲了部分能量，而坚硬的碳纤维能够保证车身安然无恙。即使是侧面来的强力冲击，也能够有效保护车厢内假人模型及电瓶毫发无伤（当然， 气囊装置启动电瓶能够自动断电）。即便是车身有所受损，也不用担心，切割掉受损部分再粘合上新部件，完全可以让车体恢复原状。
At some point, however, carbon-fibre cars will be scrapped. Steel and aluminium is easy to recycle, but carbon fibre is tricky. Carmakers are working with aerospace firms on ways to do it. BMW has pioneered a process to reuse offcuts by breaking them up with heat to turn them back into raw material. This can be used to make composites with about half the strength of new carbon fibre.
铝的回收再利用技术已经非常成熟，但是从某角度来说，碳纤维这方面的技术还有待研究。目前，制造商正和宇宙空间机构合作，试图填补这一空白。眼下，处理碳 纤维“边脚料”最先进的方法还是来自宝马公司，他们通过高温分解，能够使之退回成未加工状态。通过此种方法生产出的复合材料也具有碳纤维一半的硬度。
Another advantage of a carbon-fibre body is that it will not corrode. So, apart from the battery wearing out in ten years or so, electric cars could last for decades (electric motors need little servicing). This will make it even harder for car designers to persuade those driving electrically to trade in their rustless, tough-as-old-boots vehicles for a new model.
碳纤维的另一优势在于不易腐蚀，如果不考虑电瓶10年左右的使用寿命，这种碳纤维电瓶汽车可以使用长达几十年（当然马达还是需要检修的）。与结实耐穿的靴 子让人不忍丢弃一样，当设计理念再有突飞猛进的发展时，如何让使用者放弃碳纤维电瓶汽车，设计者可要好好动一番脑筋喽。
英文附带汉语拼音，希望对你有所帮助。
分享好知识！