Sublaminate library generation for optimization of multi-panel composite parts

• US 10,380,319 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Thompson, Richard Joel, Blom-Schieber, Adriana Willempje
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Brian S
• Application Number:
  US15/399,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20170228494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 703 1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/12 Construction or attachment of skin panels
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2001/0072 from composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/20 Integral or sandwich constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/26 Construction, shape, or attachment of separate skins, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4097 characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM G05B19/4093 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35012 Cad cam
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/26 Composites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/28 Fuselage, exterior or interior
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/18 Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for composite part design. One embodiment is a method of creating a library of sublaminates used in optimizing fiber orientations of a multi-layer composite part subdivided along its depth into panels that each comprise a fraction of the area of the composite part. The method includes creating sublaminates that each comprise consecutively stacked layers having a unique sequence of fiber orientations, checking the sublaminates for compliance with stacking sequence rules that constrain how fiber orientations are sequenced, and removing sublaminates that do not comply with the stacking sequence rules. The method further includes generating new sublaminates that each include an additional layer, by, for each of multiple fiber orientations: selecting a sublaminate that was not remove, and generating a new sublaminate by appending an additional layer having the fiber orientation to the selected sublaminate.

Claims

1. A method of creating a library of sublaminates used in optimizing fiber orientations of a multi-layer composite part subdivided into panels that each comprise a fraction of the area of the composite part, the method comprising:

creating an integer tree of sublaminates that each comprise consecutively stacked layers having a unique sequence of fiber orientations;

checking the sublaminates, based on the fiber orientations of the consecutively stacked layers of the sublaminates, for compliance with stacking sequence rules that constrain how fiber orientations are sequenced;

pruning branches from the integer tree by removing sublaminates that do not comply with the stacking sequence rules;

generating new sublaminates that each include an additional layer, by, for each of multiple fiber orientations;

selecting a sublaminate that was not removed; and

creating a new branch within the integer tree by generating a new sublaminate by appending a layer having the fiber orientation to the selected sublaminate;

repeating the checking, the removing, and the generating at the integer tree until a maximum number of layers has been reached; and

storing the sublaminates in memory as a library of available sublaminates for designing the composite part.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after the maximum number of layers has been reached, checking all sublaminates that have not yet been removed for compliance with additional stacking sequence rules; and

pruning branches from the integer tree by removing sublaminates that do not comply with the additional stacking sequence rules.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the additional stacking sequence rules indicate that plies of a first fiber orientation must be paired with plies of a second fiber orientation.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

repeating the checking, the removing, and the generating is performed recursively by traversing the integer tree, wherein each sublaminate comprises a node in the integer tree, and a number of branches from each sublaminate corresponds with a number of fiber orientations.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the stacking sequence rules define allowable ranges of ply counts for a sublaminate on a fiber orientation-by-fiber orientation basis.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the stacking sequence rules define allowable numbers of consecutive plies of the same fiber orientation.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the maximum number of layers is at least ten, and the fiber orientations comprise at least four distinct fiber orientations.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a change to the stacking sequence rules; and

creating a new library of sublaminates in response to detecting the change.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying programmed instructions which, when executed by a processor, are operable for performing a method of creating a library of sublaminates used in optimizing fiber orientations of a multi-layer composite part subdivided into panels that each comprise a fraction of the area of the composite part, the method comprising:

creating an integer tree of sublaminates that each comprise consecutively stacked layers having a unique sequence of fiber orientations;

checking the sublaminates, based on the fiber orientations of the consecutively stacked layers of the sublaminates, for compliance with stacking sequence rules that constrain how fiber orientations are sequenced;

pruning branches from the integer tree by removing sublaminates that do not comply with the stacking sequence rules;

generating new sublaminates that each include an additional layer, by, for each of multiple fiber orientations;

selecting a sublaminate that was not removed; and

creating a new branch within the integer tree by generating a new sublaminate by appending a layer having the fiber orientation to the selected sublaminate;

repeating the checking, the removing, and the generating at the integer tree until a maximum number of layers has been reached; and

storing the sublaminates in memory as a library of available sublaminates for designing the composite part.

10. The medium of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises:

after the maximum number of layers has been reached, checking all sublaminates that have not yet been removed for compliance with additional stacking sequence rules; and

pruning branches from the integer tree by removing sublaminates that do not comply with the additional stacking sequence rules.

11. The medium of claim 10 wherein:

the additional stacking sequence rules indicate that plies of a first fiber orientation must be paired with plies of a second fiber orientation.

12. The medium of claim 9 wherein:

repeating the checking, the removing, and the generating is performed recursively by traversing the integer tree, wherein each sublaminate comprises a node in the integer tree, and a number of branches from each sublaminate corresponds with a number of fiber orientations.

13. The medium of claim 9 wherein:

the stacking sequence rules define allowable ranges of ply counts for a sublaminate on a fiber orientation-by-fiber orientation basis.

14. The medium of claim 9 wherein:

the stacking sequence rules define allowable numbers of consecutive plies of the same fiber orientation.

15. The medium of claim 9 wherein:

the stacking sequence rules define consecutive sequences of fiber orientations that are disallowed.

16. The medium of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a change to the stacking sequence rules; and

creating a new library of sublaminates in response to detecting the change.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a memory that stores stacking sequence rules that constrain how fiber orientations are permitted to be sequenced within a multi-layer composite part subdivided into panels that each comprise a fraction of the area of the composite part; and

a controller that creates a library of sublaminates used in optimizing fiber orientations of the composite part, by;

creating an integer tree of sublaminates that each comprise consecutively stacked layers having a unique sequence of fiber orientations, checking the sublaminates for compliance with the stacking sequence rules based on the fiber orientations of the consecutively stacked layers of the sublaminates; and

pruning branches from the integer tree by removing sublaminates that do not comply with the stacking sequence rules,

the controller generates new sublaminates that each include an additional layer, by, for each of multiple fiber orientations;

selecting a sublaminate that was not removed, and creating a new branch within the integer tree by generating a new sublaminate by appending a layer having the fiber orientation to the selected sublaminate, and

the controller repeats the checking, the removing, and the generating at the integer tree until a maximum number of layers has been reached, and stores the sublaminates in the memory as a library of available sublaminates for designing the composite part.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein:

after the maximum number of layers has been reached, the controller further checks all sublaminates that have not yet been removed for compliance with additional stacking sequence rules, and prunes branches from the integer tree by removing sublaminates that do not comply with the additional stacking sequence rules.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein:

the additional stacking sequence rules indicate that plies of a first fiber orientation must be paired with plies of a second fiber orientation.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein:

the controller repeats the checking, the removing, and the generating recursively by traversing the integer tree, wherein each sublaminate comprises a node in the integer tree, and a number of branches from each sublaminate corresponds with a number of fiber orientations.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein:

the stacking sequence rules define allowable ranges of ply counts for a sublaminate on a fiber orientation-by-fiber orientation basis.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein:

the stacking sequence rules define allowable numbers of consecutive plies of the same fiber orientation.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein:

the stacking sequence rules define consecutive sequences of fiber orientations that are disallowed.

24. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein:

the controller detects a change to the stacking sequence rules, and creates a new library of sublaminates in response to detecting the change.