Smart Heating Blanket for Composite Structures
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heating blankets for composite structures fail to provide uniform heat distribution, especially when dealing with heat sinks, leading to inadequate adhesive curing due to overheating or underheating, and are often cumbersome and prone to contamination.
Innovation Solution
A heating blanket system utilizing a conductor generating a magnetic field to induce heat in magnetic materials with a Curie temperature, ensuring uniform temperature maintenance across the rework area by adjusting heat input based on the Curie temperature of the materials used.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional resistive heating blankets are used to heat the rework area, then the heating blanket can provide heat to the structure, but the temperature distribution across the rework area becomes non-uniform due to heat sinks and construction variations
Solution Approach 1:
The heating blanket incorporates variable resistance heating elements with different resistance values in different zones. Zones adjacent to heat sinks have higher resistance to generate more heat, while zones away from heat sinks have lower resistance. This local variation in heating capability compensates for the non-uniform heat distribution caused by heat sinks, achieving uniform temperature across the rework area and reliable adhesive curing.
2Temperature
If wax or liquefiable materials are added to the heating blanket to improve thermal contact, then heat distribution becomes more uniform, but the blanket thickness and stiffness increase reducing conformability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical wax-based thermal contact system with an electrical resistance heating system. Instead of using wax to improve thermal contact, the system uses variable resistance heating elements that can be electrically controlled to provide uniform heat distribution. This substitution maintains conformability to complex curves while achieving uniform temperature distribution.
3Temperature
If multi-zone blanket systems or feedback loop systems are added to conventional heating blankets, then temperature control is improved, but the device complexity increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the fundamental parameter of the heating element itself - the resistance value - to achieve temperature control. By incorporating heating elements with different resistance values in different zones, the system achieves precise temperature control without requiring complex multi-zone control systems or feedback loops. The temperature distribution is controlled by the inherent electrical parameters of the heating elements rather than complex control mechanisms.
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 maintains a uniform temperature across composite structures, compensating for heat sinks and preventing overheating or underheating, while being flexible and reducing the risk of contamination.
Implementation Method 1
a conductor for receiving current and generating a magnetic field in response thereto. The heating blanket may include magnetic material located adjacent to the conductor and wherein the magnetic material may generate heat in response to the magnetic field.
Implementation Method 2
magnetic material located adjacent to the conductor and wherein the magnetic material may generate heat in response to the magnetic field
Data Source
AI summary
A heating blanket may include a conductor for receiving electrical current and generating a magnetic field in response to the electrical current. A plurality of sleeve segments may be mounted on the conductor in end-to-end relation to one another. Each one of the sleeve segments may be formed of magnetic material having a Curie temperature. The sleeve segments may be inductively heated in response to the magnetic field.