Smart Susceptor Blanket for Uniform Contoured Surface Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heating blankets fail to provide uniform temperatures across contoured surfaces, leading to differential heating and over-heating or under-heating in industrial applications.
Innovation Solution
A heating blanket with a thermoplastic matrix and embedded conductors and susceptors, where the matrix becomes conformable at a predetermined temperature, allowing the blanket to adapt to contoured surfaces and the susceptors generate heat controlled by their Curie point to maintain uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional heating blankets are used on contoured surfaces, then heating can be applied, but uniform temperature distribution cannot be achieved leading to over-heating or under-heating
Solution Approach 1:
The matrix material undergoes a temperature-dependent parameter change from rigid to conformable state. When heated to its transition temperature, the matrix becomes soft and pliable, allowing the blanket to conform to contoured surfaces. This parameter change enables the blanket to adapt its shape dynamically, ensuring uniform contact and temperature distribution across irregular geometries without compromising structural integrity at operating temperatures.
2Ease of operation
If the blanket is made rigid to maintain structure, then structural integrity is maintained, but conformability to contoured surfaces is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The blanket incorporates a dynamically responsive matrix that changes its mechanical properties based on temperature. At room temperature, the matrix maintains rigidity for structural stability. When heated to the transition temperature, the matrix dynamically softens to become conformable, allowing the blanket to adapt to contoured surfaces. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between structural integrity and conformability.
3Productivity
If heating is applied to achieve curing temperature, then curing can be completed, but differential heating causes over-heating or under-heating in certain spots
Solution Approach 1:
The blanket employs localized heating zones with independently controllable heating elements distributed throughout the blanket structure. Each zone can be heated to the specific transition temperature of the matrix material, ensuring uniform softening and conformability across the entire blanket surface. This localized control prevents differential heating and ensures uniform temperature distribution during the curing process.
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 solution ensures uniform heat distribution across contoured surfaces, preventing over-heating or under-heating and allowing for effective curing of composite patches in industrial applications.
Implementation Method 1
a conductor configured to generate a magnetic field in response to an electrical current, and a plurality of susceptors configured to generate heat in response to the magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
a conductor configured to generate a magnetic field in response to an electrical current, and a plurality of susceptors configured to generate heat in response to the magnetic field
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of susceptors configured to generate heat in response to the magnetic field and composed of a magnetic material having a Curie point
Implementation Method 4
a matrix surrounding the conductor and the plurality of susceptors and composed of a material that becomes conformable at a first predetermined temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A heating blanket is disclosed. The heating blanket may include a thermoplastic matrix configured to become conformable at a predetermined temperature, a conductor embedded in the thermoplastic matrix and configured to receive electrical current and generate a magnetic field in response to the electrical current, and a plurality of susceptors embedded in the thermoplastic matrix and composed of a magnetic material having a Curie point.