Single piece co-cure composite wing

• US 20030192990A1
• Filed: 06/20/2002
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Incorporated (General Atomic Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rocky Mountain Composites, Inc.
• Inventors: Ashton, Larry J., Simpson, Craig B., Allman, Mike Glen, Tuttle, Steven Taylor
• Granted Patent: US 6,889,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/123.7
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/0064 of reinforced material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/8016 Storing, feeding or applying winding materials, e.g. reels, thread guides, tensioners
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/8066 Impregnating impregnating as pretreatment B29B15/10
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/44 using isostatic pressure, e.g. pressure difference-moulding, vacuum bag-moulding, autoclave-moulding or expanding rubber-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/443 and impregnating by vacuum or injection
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/543 Fixing the position or configuration of fibrous reinforcements before or during moulding for non-woven fabrics D04H3/08
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/546 Measures for feeding or distributing the matrix material in the reinforcing structure
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3085 Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/20 Integral or sandwich constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/24 Moulded or cast structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 264/904 Maintaining article in fixed shape during heat-setting

Abstract

A single piece co-cured composite wing is disclosed. The wing has a flying surface and structural members. In one embodiment the structural members may be a plurality of spars. The spars may have various shapes to increase the buckling strength. The spars may be wave shaped, such as a sinusoidal shape. The flying surface and the structural members are co-cured in order to form a single piece, integral wing structure. A process for manufacturing a single piece co-cured wing is also disclosed. The process may include laying out composite sheets for the flying surface of the wing. Then, the composite material of the spars is arranged around a plurality of pressurizable forms. Finally, the composite material is cured in a clamshell frame.

Claims

1. A composite wing structure comprising:

a composite flying surface; and

composite structural members, wherein the flying surfaces and the structural members form a single piece co-cured composite wing.

2. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the structural member comprise of at least one spar.

3. The apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein the spar has a spar cap.

4. The apparatus, as recited in claim 3, wherein the spar cap is comprised of filament bands orientated generally parallel from the flying surface.

5. The apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein the spar has a webbing.

6. The apparatus, as recited in claim 5, wherein the webbing is comprised of filament bands orientated about 45°

relative to the length of the spar.

7. The apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein the spar is comprised of two substantially C-shaped composite sections.

8. The apparatus, as recited in claim 7, wherein the C-shaped sections are positioned in opposing orientations to form an I-beam.

9. The apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein the spar has a substantially J-shaped cross-section.

10. The apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein the spar has a C-shaped cross-section.

11. The apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one spar is sinusoidal shaped.

12. The apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one spar is waved shaped.

13. The apparatus, as recited in claim 12, wherein the wave shape has a varying frequency.

14. The apparatus, as recited in claim 12, wherein the wave shape has a varying amplitude.

15. The apparatus, as recited in claim 12, wherein the wave shape is a step wave.

16. The apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein the spar has a substantially flat section to allow attachment of intersecting structures.

17. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the wing has an upper flying surface and a lower flying surface.

18. The apparatus, as recited in claim 17, wherein the upper flying surface is substantially comprised of a first sheet of composite material and the lower flying surface is substantially comprised of a second sheet of composite material.

19. The apparatus, as recited in claim 18, wherein first sheet and the second sheet intersection at a location below a leading edge of the wing.

20. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the composite structural member is a rib.

21. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the wing structure is a complete wings span.

22. The apparatus, as recited in claim 21, wherein the complete wings span has a spar that is continuous through the complete wings span.

23. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the wing structure is at least one of an ailerons, a wing tip, a horizontal stabilizer, a vertical stabilizer, a flap, an elevators and a canard.

24. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the wings structure has strands of conductive material imbedded in the composite material.

25. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a layer of primer co-cured to the flying surface.

26. A composite wing structure comprising:

a composite flying surface;

a plurality of composite spars having a substantially sinusoidal shape, wherein the flying surface and the plurality of composite spars form a single piece co-cured wing; and

a plurality of slosh gates for controlling the movement of fuel within the wing.

27. The apparatus, as recited in claim 26, wherein the spars have spar caps.

28. The apparatus, as recited in claim 27, wherein the spar caps are comprised of filament bands orientated generally parallel from the flying surface.

29. The apparatus, as recited in claim 26, wherein the spars have a webbing.

30. The apparatus, as recited in claim 29, wherein the webbing is comprised of filament bands orientated about 45°

from the flying surface.

31. The apparatus, as recited in claim 26, wherein the spars are comprised of two substantially C-shaped composite sections.

32. The apparatus, as recited in claim 31, wherein the C-shaped sections are positioned in opposing orientations to form an I-beam.

33. The apparatus, as recited in claim 26, wherein the spars have a J-shaped cross-section.

34. The apparatus, as recited in claim 26, wherein the spar has a C-shaped cross-section.

35. The apparatus, as recited in claim 26, wherein the spars have substantially flat sections to allow attachment of the slosh gate.

36. The apparatus, as recited in claim 26, wherein the wing has an upper flying surface and a lower flying surface.

37. The apparatus, as recited in claim 36 wherein the upper flying surface is substantially comprised of a first sheet of composite material and the lower flying surface is substantially comprised of a second sheet of composite material.

38. The apparatus, as recited in claim 37, wherein first sheet and the second sheet intersection at a location below a leading edge of the wing.

39. The apparatus, as recited in claim 26, further comprising at least on rib.

40. The apparatus, as recited in claim 26, wherein the wing structure is a complete wings span.

41. The apparatus, as recited in claim 40, wherein the complete wings span has a spar that is continuous through the complete wings span.

42. The apparatus, as recited in claim 26, wherein the wings structure has strands of conductive material imbedded in the composite material.

43. The apparatus, as recited in claim 26, further comprising a layer of primer co-cured to the flying surface.

44. A process for forming a single-piece co-cured composite wing structure having a flying surface and at least one structural member, the process comprising:

situating a first flying surface composite material in alignment with a controlling surface of a first clamshell frame;

aligning a plurality of forms to the first clamshell frame, wherein a composite material is positioned between selective forms, and wherein selective forms are pressurizable;

situating a second flying surface composite material between the plurality of forms and a controlling surface of a second clamshell frame;

closing the first and second clamshell frames together; and

curing the composite material.

45. The process, as recited in claim 44, wherein the composite material positioned between selective forms creates a spar.

46. The apparatus, as recited in claim 45, wherein the spar is comprised of two substantially C-shaped composite sections.

47. The apparatus, as recited in claim 46, wherein the C-shaped sections are positioned in opposing orientations to form an I-beam.

48. The apparatus, as recited in claim 45, wherein the spar is sinusoidal shaped.

49. The process, as recited in claim 44, wherein the forms are a foam core surrounded by a membrane.

50. The process, as recited in claim 49, wherein membrane of the selective pressurizable forms are capable of receiving a positive pressure during a curing process.

51. The process, as recited in claim 49, wherein the foam core shrinks during a curing process.

52. The process, as recited in claim 49, wherein shape of the foam core controls the shaping of the composite material.

53. The process, as recited in claim 44, wherein the selective pressurizable forms compress the first flying surface and the second flying surface against the controlling surfaces of the clamshell frames.

54. The process, as recited in claim 44, wherein the selective pressurizable forms compress against adjacent forms.

55. The process, as recited in claim 44, wherein the first flying surface and the second flying surface are part of a single sheet of composite material.

56. The apparatus, as recited in claim 44, wherein the wing structure is at least one of an ailerons, a wing tip, a horizontal stabilizer, a vertical stabilizer, a flap, an elevators and a canard.

57. The process, as recited in claim 44, further comprising applying a layer of primer to the controlling surface of the first clamshell frame and to the controlling surface of the second clamshell frame.