Automated Fiber Placement for Rotor Blade Spar Formation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for manufacturing composite rotor blade spars, such as filament winding and prepreg lay-up, are time and labor intensive, costly, and difficult to execute, leading to challenges in achieving uniform fiber compaction and quality, especially in complex shapes like elliptical profiles.

Innovation Solution

The method involves continuously machine-wrapping bias plies at an angle and interweaving unidirectional plies around a mandrel to form a rotor blade spar, using preimpregnated fibers in an epoxy matrix, which allows for efficient structural formation with reduced labor and material costs while maintaining high quality standards.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If conventional filament winding or prepreg lay-up methods are used to manufacture composite rotor blade spars, then the spar structure can be formed with fiber reinforced resin matrix composite materials, but the manufacturing process becomes time and labor intensive, costly, and difficult to execute

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrength to weight ratioVSAvoidmanufacturing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical lay-up processes with an automated fiber placement system that uses computer-controlled mechanisms to deposit preimpregnated tows onto a mandrel. This automation substitutes human labor and manual manipulation with mechanized systems, dramatically improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining the structural integrity and strength-to-weight ratio of the composite spar

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the manufacturing parameters by using preimpregnated tows with controlled resin content and moisture levels, and by implementing automated placement with precise tension and positioning control. These parameter changes enable consistent, high-quality fiber placement that maintains structural performance while reducing manufacturing time and labor requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If conventional filament winding or prepreg lay-up methods are used to manufacture composite rotor blade spars, then the spar structure can be formed, but the manufacturing cost increases due to labor intensity and material handling requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrength to weight ratioVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The automated fiber placement system replaces costly manual labor with computer-controlled automation, reducing labor costs while maintaining structural quality. The system automatically handles preimpregnated tows, eliminating the need for meticulous manual storage and handling of expensive prepreg materials

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses disposable preimpregnated tows that are discarded after single-use placement, eliminating the need for expensive, meticulous storage and handling infrastructure required for reusable prepreg materials. This approach reduces manufacturing infrastructure costs while maintaining product quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Shape

If conventional methods are used to form composite spars, then the spar can be manufactured, but achieving uniform fiber compaction and quality is difficult, especially in complex shapes like elliptical profiles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomplex cross-sectional profileVSAvoidfiber compaction uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The automated fiber placement system uses computer-controlled mechanisms to precisely deposit and compact fibers uniformly across complex shapes. The automated system maintains consistent tow tension and placement positioning, achieving uniform fiber compaction that is difficult to achieve manually in complex elliptical or airfoil-shaped cross-sections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The automated fiber placement system incorporates feedback control through computerized positioning and tension management, continuously monitoring and adjusting fiber placement parameters to maintain uniform compaction density across the entire spar structure, especially in complex geometric regions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10406763B2Rotor blade spar formation with automated fiber placement

Publication Date: 2019.09.10 SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORP

AI summary

A blade element is provided and includes courses of bias plies continuously machine-wrapped about leading and trailing edges at an angle relative to a long axis of the blade axis and unidirectional plies interwoven in parallel with the long axis between adjacent courses of the bias plies on upper and lower surfaces to promote respective tangential geometries of the bias plies at the leading and trailing edges, the unidirectional plies not extending into the leading and trailing edges.