Resin Injection Regulator with Movable Wall for Composite Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional resin injection systems for turbine engine composite parts face challenges in maintaining pressure without gas infiltration, leading to flaws in the parts and inefficient production due to resin polymerization in the injection circuit, which restricts production speed and complicates cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A resin injection regulator with a movable wall mechanism that separates resin from pressurized gas, using a pressurized fluid to maintain pressure within the injection circuit, ensuring consistent resin supply and preventing gas infiltration, while allowing the injection cylinder to be disconnected for cleaning and reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If an injection cylinder is used to maintain pressure in the injection circuit, then pressure is maintained to ensure high-quality parts, but production speed is reduced due to downtime required for cylinder replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The injection circuit is divided into separate functional zones: a resin storage chamber connected to the mold, and a pressurization chamber connected to the resin storage chamber. This segmentation allows the resin storage chamber to remain isolated from the pressurization system, enabling continuous operation without cylinder replacement downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
A movable wall separates the resin storage chamber from the pressurization chamber, acting as an intermediary that transmits pressure from the pressurized gas to the resin while preventing direct contact between gas and resin. This intermediary mechanism maintains pressure continuously without requiring cylinder downtime.
2Manufacturing precision
If the injection cylinder remains connected to maintain pressure, then pressure is maintained to prevent gas release, but resin polymerization occurs inside the circuit making cleaning difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The injection circuit is segmented into a resin storage chamber and a pressurization chamber separated by a movable wall. This allows the resin storage chamber to be isolated from the pressurization system, enabling complete drainage and cleaning of the resin chamber without affecting the pressurization chamber, thus solving the cleaning difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin storage chamber can be completely drained and removed from the pressurization system by opening a valve that disconnects the resin chamber from the pressurization chamber. This extraction of resin from the pressurization system enables thorough cleaning of the resin chamber without compromising the pressurization function.
3Manufacturing precision
If pressurized gas is used to maintain pressure in the circuit, then pressure is maintained to prevent resin polymerization, but gas infiltration occurs causing flaws in the part
Solution Approach 1:
A movable wall acts as an intermediary between the pressurization chamber containing pressurized gas and the resin storage chamber. This intermediary transmits pressure from the gas to the resin while physically preventing gas infiltration into the resin, thus maintaining part quality without gas-related flaws.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin storage chamber is extracted from the pressurized gas environment by separating it with a movable wall. The resin remains in a separate chamber that is pressurized indirectly through the movable wall mechanism, preventing direct contact between pressurized gas and resin while maintaining necessary pressure.
4Ease of manufacture
If the injection circuit is isolated to allow cleaning, then cleaning can be performed, but pressure transmission from the injection cylinder is lost causing flaws in the part
Solution Approach 1:
The movable wall continues to transmit pressure from the pressurization chamber to the resin storage chamber even when the resin chamber is isolated for cleaning. This continuous pressure transmission ensures that pressure is maintained on the resin during polymerization without requiring the injection cylinder to remain connected, thus enabling cleaning while maintaining part quality.
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
This solution effectively maintains pressure in the injection circuit, prevents gas infiltration, and provides additional resin capacity to counter resin reduction during polymerization, enhancing production quality and speed by allowing the injection cylinder to be reused and simplifying the cleaning process.
Implementation Method 1
said movable wall means being designed to be urged by the pressurised fluid with which the second cavity is supplied in order to exert a pressure on the resin contained in the first cavity by isolating said resin from said fluid
Implementation Method 2
it is necessary to maintain the pressure of the resin until the polymerisation of the part is complete in order to prevent releases of gas from compromising the integrity of the resin
Implementation Method 3
During polymerisation, under the effect of heat, the injected resin passes successively from the liquid state to the gel state and lastly to the solid state
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a resin injection regulator for a resin injection circuit in a mould for producing a composite part, in particular a turbine engine composite part, characterised in that it comprises at least one vessel which is connected to said circuit and inside of which a movable wall means can be moved in a sealed manner, said movable wall means defining in said vessel a first cavity which forms a container for accumulation of resin and is designed to be connected to at least one part of said circuit, and a second cavity which is designed to be connected to a source of pressurised fluid, said movable wall means being designed to be urged by the pressurised fluid with which the second cavity is supplied in order to exert a pressure on the resin contained in the first cavity by isolating said resin from said fluid.