Composite Repair Patch With Pressure-Sensitive Tape Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for repairing abnormalities in composite structures, such as buckling and disbonded layers in solid laminates and sandwich panels, are time-consuming and require specialized equipment, making it difficult to rapidly restore design strength, especially in challenging environments.
Innovation Solution
A structural reinforcement system comprising a patch with embedded fiber reinforcement in a matrix material, adhesive, and a pressure-sensitive tape is applied over the abnormality, covering an extended area to enhance structural strength, utilizing a customizable and efficient repair process that includes abrading and heating to ensure bonding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional repair methods are used for abnormalities in composite structures, then the repair can restore structural strength, but the repair process is time-consuming and requires specialized equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patch is pre-saturated with adhesive in a controlled manufacturing environment, eliminating the need for on-site adhesive mixing and application equipment. The patch arrives ready-to-apply, with the adhesive already impregnated into the fiber reinforcement layers, enabling rapid field repair without specialized equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive-saturated patch acts as an intermediary component that transfers and distributes loads around the abnormality. The patch with embedded adhesive serves as a pre-prepared mediator that simplifies the repair process by combining multiple functions (structural reinforcement and bonding) into a single applicability-ready component.
2Strength
If conventional repair methods are used for abnormalities in composite structures, then the repair can restore structural strength, but specialized equipment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive application function is extracted from the field repair process and transferred to the manufacturing process. By pre-saturating the patch with adhesive during manufacturing, the complex adhesive application equipment is eliminated from the field repair scenario, leaving only simple mechanical fastening requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patch is self-prepared with adhesive saturation during manufacturing, making it a self-service component that requires no additional equipment or materials at the repair site. The patch arrives in a ready-to-install state, eliminating the need for specialized adhesive application equipment during field repair.
3Strength
If a patch with adhesive is applied over the abnormality, then structural strength is restored, but the patch must be securely bonded to the composite structure
Solution Approach 1:
The structural reinforcement function and the bonding function are merged into a single integrated patch component. The adhesive is impregnated within the patch structure itself, combining the reinforcement plies and bonding agent into one unified element that simultaneously provides both structural strength and secure attachment to the composite structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patch utilizes composite material construction with fiber reinforcement embedded in a matrix material, where the adhesive is distributed throughout the composite structure. This composite approach ensures reliable bonding by integrating the adhesive within the material architecture rather than applying it as a separate layer.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively restores or exceeds the structural strength of the composite structure by providing a repair strength equal to or greater than the design tolerance, facilitating quick and efficient repairs in various environments.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure-sensitive tape comprising a metallic material and a tape adhesive, fixed to the metallic material, wherein the pressure-sensitive tape is fixed to and covers an entirety of the second side of the patch
Implementation Method 2
The structural reinforcement further comprises a patch adhesive comprising an adhesive material that is coupled on the first side of the plurality of plies
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are a repair apparatus, system, and method for structurally reinforcing an abnormal composite structural member. The repair is suited for reinforcing a cured composite structure that defines a strength tolerance and has an abnormality that reduces the structural strength relative to the strength tolerance of the cured composite. The structural reinforcement repairs the abnormality in the cured composite and provides the repair strength so that the repaired composite has a structural strength that meets or exceeds the strength tolerance. The structural reinforcement has a composite patch that is coupled to the cured composite over the abnormality and is covered by pressure-sensitive tape.