Composite Beams With Discontinuous Plies For Contour Fabrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The fabrication of composite components with non-uniform cross sections often results in wrinkling of unidirectional carbon fiber plies, leading to undesirable discontinuities in the outer contour, which has limited the widespread adoption of composite materials for components like support beams and frames in aerospace and other industries.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using unidirectional carbon fiber composite plies with fibers oriented differently to form both linear and non-linear profiles, where fibers parallel to the longitudinal axis are made discontinuous along the contoured edges, avoiding compression and subsequent wrinkling, and employing a sequencing lay-up technique to separate 0° plies from other oriented plies to create compound contours without bending fibers aligned with the axis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If unidirectional carbon fiber plies are used to fabricate components with non-uniform cross sections, then weight savings and structural performance are achieved, but wrinkling occurs during fabrication leading to discontinuities in the outer contour
Solution Approach 1:
The unidirectional plies are segmented into discrete sections along the longitudinal axis, with gaps positioned at locations corresponding to compound contours. This segmentation prevents the plies from wrinkling during forming while maintaining structural integrity through strategic placement of discontinuities that align with geometric transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The ply configuration is made non-uniform along the longitudinal axis, with discontinuities strategically positioned at specific locations corresponding to compound contours. This local variation in ply continuity allows the component to achieve complex geometric shapes without wrinkling, while maintaining full ply coverage in regions where structural support is needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If composite plies are used to form compound contours, then design flexibility and structural performance are improved, but the plies wrinkle during fabrication
Solution Approach 1:
The plies are divided into continuous and discontinuous sections, with discontinuities strategically positioned at compound contour locations. This segmentation allows the component to achieve complex geometric shapes while preventing the plies from wrinkling during the forming process, thereby maintaining fabrication quality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of attempting to form continuous plies into compound contours (which causes wrinkling), the invention inverts the approach by intentionally creating discontinuities at the compound contour locations. This inversion of the conventional continuous-ply approach allows the component to achieve the desired complex geometry without fabrication defects.
3Strength
If continuous unidirectional plies are used along the longitudinal axis, then structural strength is maintained, but wrinkling occurs at contoured sections
Solution Approach 1:
The ply configuration varies locally along the longitudinal axis, with continuous plies maintained in straight sections to preserve structural strength, and discontinuous plies positioned at compound contour locations to enable accurate formation of complex geometric shapes without wrinkling.
Data Source
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AI summary
Structural components are disclosed that are fabricated from unidirectional carbon fiber composite materials into compound contour profiles along a longitudinal axis thereof without wrinkling of composite material plies (152,153,156,157) oriented in various directions relative to the longitudinal axis. Methods of stacking, sequencing, and applying the material plies to fabricate the components are also disclosed.