Composite Repair Design System for In-Situ Aircraft Component Restoration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for repairing composite material structures, such as aircraft airframes, require extensive resources and time, often necessitating removal and replacement, leading to increased downtime and support costs due to limited repair capabilities in operational settings.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that generates a three-dimensional model of the damaged component, determines a feasible repair structure configuration, and provides a step-by-step procedure for forming the repair structure using a computer system with modules for engineered surface generation, parametric repair modeling, tool design, and analytic evaluation, allowing for in-situ repairs with limited resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If extensive composite manufacturing and engineering capability are available, then repair quality and reliability are improved, but device complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital 3D copy of the damaged component and its damage characteristics, then uses this digital model to plan and simulate the repair process virtually before execution. This allows complex repair strategies to be developed and validated without requiring physical prototypes or extensive trial-and-error in the field.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary repair planning, simulation, and resource identification before the actual repair takes place. By pre-calculating repair strategies, identifying required resources, and validating feasibility in the digital environment, the system enables simpler on-site execution with reduced resource requirements.
2Reliability
If damaged component is removed and replaced, then structural integrity is restored, but loss of time and operational availability increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of replacing the entire damaged component, the system applies repair structures localized to the specific damaged areas. The 3D modeling identifies precise damage locations and extents, enabling targeted repairs that restore structural integrity only where needed, saving time compared to full component replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system inverts the traditional approach by attempting repair before considering replacement. By using digital modeling to evaluate repair feasibility and generate repair procedures, the system enables in-situ repairs that avoid the time-consuming removal and replacement process while still achieving structural integrity.
3Ease of operation
If traditional repair procedures are used with limited resources, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity and repair capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a digital 3D modeling and simulation intermediary between the damaged component and the physical repair process. This intermediary enables complex repair planning and resource identification without requiring complex physical setups, maintaining operational simplicity while enhancing repair capability through virtual analysis and procedure generation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of determining how to repair a damaged composite component includes generating a three-dimensional model of the damaged component, determining a configuration of a repair structure to be applied to the damaged component using the generated three-dimensional model and general design data for the component prior to being damaged, determining an operational feasibility of the determined repair structure using application specific information related to the damaged component and generating a repair procedure for forming the repair structure when the determined operational feasibility indicates that the damaged component can be successfully repaired.