Modular Portable Heating Modules for Composite Cure
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing process of composite aerospace structures is bottlenecked by the lengthy application and cure time of sealants and adhesives, which is exacerbated by the impracticality of using large ovens for large components, leading to uneven heating with portable heat sources like heat guns or infrared lamps, compromising the quality of the end product.
Innovation Solution
A modular accelerated cure system that uses portable heating modules with temperature control, allowing for controlled elevated temperature curing of sealants, adhesives, and coatings, reducing cure time while ensuring even heat distribution and product quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If large ovens are used to heat large components for curing, then the cure time can be reduced, but the size and cost of the equipment become impractical for serial production
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the heating function into multiple portable heating modules that can be independently positioned and applied to different sections of the workpiece. Each module is a self-contained unit with its own heating element and temperature control, allowing the curing process to be segmented across multiple small units rather than requiring one large oven.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical heating system of traditional ovens with portable heating modules that use electrical heating elements. This substitution allows for more flexible and localized heating application, eliminating the need for large-scale mechanical oven structures while achieving the same curing effect.
2Ease of operation
If portable heat sources like heat guns or infrared lamps are used, then the equipment becomes portable and easy to position, but the heating becomes uneven and difficult to certify for quality assurance
Solution Approach 1:
Each heating module is equipped with temperature sensors that continuously monitor the temperature of the workpiece. This feedback is sent to a controller that automatically adjusts the power output of the heating element to maintain the desired temperature profile, ensuring uniform heating despite the portable nature of the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating modules are designed with dynamic temperature control capabilities, allowing the heating parameters to be adjusted in real-time based on the workpiece conditions. The system can adapt its heating rate and temperature distribution dynamically to achieve uniform curing across the entire workpiece surface.
3Ease of manufacture
If room temperature curing is used for sealants and adhesives, then the process is simple and requires no special equipment, but the total cure time becomes many hours and creates a manufacturing bottleneck
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the temperature parameter of the curing process from room temperature to elevated controlled temperatures. By increasing the temperature within manufacturer-specified limits, the chemical reaction rate of the sealants and adhesives is accelerated, reducing cure time from many hours to a fraction of that time while maintaining material performance.
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 modular system significantly reduces the cure time of sealants and adhesives from 23 hours to 5.75 hours, improving manufacturing efficiency and ensuring better adhesion and durability of protective coatings, while being ergonomic, cost-effective, and adaptable to various component shapes and sizes.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element disposed in the heating module
Implementation Method 2
a temperature sensor disposed in the heating module; a thermocouple disposed in at least one of the upper part or the lower part of the chamber
Implementation Method 3
provide a heat transfer from the heating module to the work piece
Implementation Method 4
heating the chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A modular accelerated cure system, for which the modules are of a size and weight to each be easily portable by one person, may be configured to fit a variety of parts, e.g., carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) components, such as found in the manufacture of composite aerospace structures. The system may be used to accelerate the cure of materials that allow elevated temperature cures, e.g., sealants, primers, coatings, paints, adhesives, and protective coatings, by increasing the ambient temperature surrounding a part, or a portion of the part, within each module in a controlled manner. The system is modular in that a number of modules may be fitted together to operate in unison and also may be adapted to fit parts of a variety of contours, shapes, and sizes. Temperature within each module may be controlled using a heat controller that receives a temperature indication from each module.