METHOD OF DESIGNING A COMPOSITE PANEL

• US 20110004451A1
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Krog, Lars
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/202 arranged in parallel planes or structures of fibres crossing at substantial angles, e.g. cross-moulding compound [XMC] B29C70/207 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/30 Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/54 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations , e.g. feeding or storage of prepregs or SMC after impregnation or during ageing
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/00 Fuselages; Constructional features common to fuselages, wings, stabilising surfaces or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/12 Construction or attachment of skin panels
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/26 Attaching the wing or tail units or stabilising surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/00 Wings ornithopter wings B64C33/02
• 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: G06F 2113/26 Composites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A method of designing a composite panel, the panel comprising a plurality of zones, each zone comprising a plurality of plies of composite material arranged in a stacking sequence, each ply in each stacking sequence having a respective orientation angle. For each orientation angle a first layout matrix is created which identifies zones in the panel which contain at least one ply with that orientation angle. A second layout matrix is also created which identifies zones in the panel which contain at least two plies with that orientation angle, and so on up to an Nth layout matrix which identifies zones in the panel which contain at least N plies with that orientation angle. The layout matrices are arranged in a plurality of candidate sequences. Selection criteria are then used to choose one or more of the candidate sequences and stacking sequences are assigned to the zones in accordance with the chosen candidate sequence(s).

Claims

1. A method of designing a composite panel, the panel comprising a plurality of zones, each zone comprising a plurality of plies of composite material arranged in a stacking sequence, each ply in each stacking sequence having a respective orientation angle, the method comprising:

a. for each orientation angle;

creating N layout matrices, where N≧

1 and N is the highest number of plies with that orientation angle in any one zone of the panel, and the layout matrices are consecutively numbered 1, . . . n, . . . N, wherein

i. the first layout matrix identifies zones in the panel which contain at least one ply with that orientation angle;

ii. the nth layout matrix identifies zones in the panel which contain at least n plies with that orientation angle;

iii. and the Nth layout matrix identifies zones in the panel which contain N plies with that orientation angle;

b. arranging the layout matrices in a plurality of candidate sequences;

c. using selection criteria to choose one or more of the candidate sequences; and

d. assigning stacking sequences to the zones in accordance with the chosen candidate sequence(s).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step c. is performed by a genetic algorithm.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the genetic algorithm ranks a population of candidate sequences according to a fitness measure, chooses a sub-set of the population which ranks highly, and then updates the population to improve its fitness measure.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the selection criteria include local stacking sequence rules.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising splitting at least one of the layout matrices into two or more sub-matrices, and arranging the sub-matrices along with the other matrices in the candidate sequences in step b.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the sub-matrices identify regions of zones which are not connected.

7. A method of manufacturing a composite panel, the method comprising designing the panel by the method of claim 1;

and assembling a plurality of plies of composite material in accordance with the chosen candidate sequence.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the panel comprises a plurality of zones, each zone comprising a plurality of plies of composite material arranged in a stacking sequence, each ply in each stacking sequence having reinforcement fibres which extend in a direction which defines the orientation angle of the ply.