Thermoplastic Tow Tacking and Trimming for Composite Fuselage Fabrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for fabricating larger aircraft structures using thermoset composite materials are time-consuming and costly, requiring significant facility resources and equipment investments, particularly due to the need for autoclaves which are inefficient and expensive.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for fabricating composite fuselage structures using overbraided thermoplastic materials, eliminating the need for autoclaves by employing a tacking-trimming system and induction heating with smart susceptors to consolidate thermoplastic stringers and skin, reducing production time and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If thermoset composite materials are used to fabricate fuselage barrel sections, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the production time increases significantly and facility resources are excessively consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from thermoset to thermoplastic composite materials, which fundamentally alters the curing mechanism. Thermoplastic materials can be rapidly heated to melting temperature and then quickly cooled to solidify, eliminating the long autoclave curing process required for thermoset materials. This parameter change enables production rates to increase while reducing both production time and facility resource requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition properties of thermoplastic materials - heating them to melting temperature to achieve consolidation, then rapidly cooling them to solidify. This phase transition approach replaces the slow chemical curing of thermoset materials with a physical process that can be completed in minutes rather than hours, directly addressing the productivity and time loss contradiction.
2Reliability
If autoclaves are used to cure thermoset composite fuselage structures, then complete curing is achieved, but equipment investment and facility resources increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the consolidation process from the complex autoclave environment. By using induction heating with smart susceptors, the curing process is separated from the need for large, expensive autoclave equipment. The smart susceptor material enables localized, controlled heating that achieves complete consolidation without requiring the high-pressure, high-temperature autoclave environment, thereby reducing equipment complexity and facility resources while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/thermal system of autoclave curing with an electromagnetic induction heating system. The smart susceptor material absorbs electromagnetic energy and converts it to heat directly at the material location, eliminating the need for external autoclave equipment. This substitution dramatically reduces device complexity and equipment investment while achieving complete curing through controlled phase transition.
3Stability of the object's composition
If thermoplastic tow is added during braiding, then structural integration is improved, but tow tacking and trimming complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tow tacking and trimming functions into an integrated system that operates in conjunction with the braiding process. The conductive component is incorporated into the braiding tooling, allowing tow tacking to occur during the braiding operation itself rather than as a separate post-processing step. This merging reduces the overall system complexity despite the added functionality, as the same equipment performs multiple operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a conductive component as an intermediary element that facilitates tow tacking during braiding. This conductive component acts as a mediator between the braiding system and the thermoplastic tow, enabling controlled heating and bonding without requiring complex external tacking equipment. The intermediary component simplifies the overall system by providing a focused, localized solution to the tow attachment problem.
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 approach enables rapid and efficient fabrication of composite fuselage structures, reducing production time by up to one-tenth compared to traditional methods and minimizing equipment requirements, while ensuring precise thermal uniformity and reduced heating needs.
Implementation Method 1
employing a tacking-trimming system and induction heating with smart susceptors to consolidate thermoplastic stringers and skin
Implementation Method 2
The tack welder is secured to a portion of the support ring, wherein the tack welder is resistively heated
Implementation Method 3
The trimmer uses laser energy to trim the thermoplastic tow
Implementation Method 4
The tack welder is secured to a portion of the support ring, wherein the tack welder is resistively heated
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for tacking and trimming a thermoplastic tow. A thermoplastic tow is received from a braiding system over a braided structure on a surface. The thermoplastic tow is tack welded to the braided structure. A portion of the thermoplastic tow is trimmed to thereby trim the thermoplastic tow received over the braided structure.