METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A FIBRE-COMPOSITE COMPONENT, FIBRE-COMPOSITE COMPONENT AND FIBRE-COMPOSITE FUSELAGE COMPONENT OF AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20110024562A1
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Grauerholz, Thomas, Kastner, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 8,398,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/119
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/302 Details of the edges of fibre composites, e.g. edge finishing or means to avoid delamination
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/342 using isostatic pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/887 locally reinforced, e.g. by fillers filler concentrated near the surface B29C70/64
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3082 Fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/724 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/778 Windows profiled elements for making window frames B29L2031/005, windscreens B29L2031/3052
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24521 with component conforming to contour of nonplanar surface

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a fibre-composite component with a cladding field and a primary component for reinforcing the fibre-composite component includes the steps of: applying a prepreg semifinished product to a mould to form the cladding field, where in the prepreg semifinished product fibres extend in some sections in a curved manner according to an assumed flow force path in the cladding field of the component to be manufactured; curing the prepreg semifinished product; applying layers of a semifinished textile product to the cured prepreg semifinished product to form the primary component; impregnating the semifinished textile product with matrix material; and curing the assembly comprising pre-cured prepreg semifinished product and semifinished textile product; a fibre-composite component with at least one structural component and a skin section connected to said structural component with a recess as well as a fibre-composite fuselage component of an aircraft with a shell component with at least one recess and with a structural component formed as a frame component.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a fibre-composite component with at least one structural component and a skin section connected to said structural component with a recess, wherein the structural component is situated and designed in such a manner that the structural component extends along at least one section of the recess, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

applying layers of prepreg semifinished mats as skin-section blanks to a mould to form the skin section, wherein the prepreg semifinished mats in their initial state in each case comprise fibres that extend along the a longitudinal direction of the prepreg semifinished mats, wherein a multitude of the prepreg semifinished mats are as layers in such a manner that the fibres that sectionally extend along the longitudinal direction (X) have at least in a section a curved path with a change in direction of at least 15 degrees when viewed in longitudinal extension of the fibres, and that the fibres extend along an edge section of the recess so that the fibres of these prepreg semifinished mats extend along lines of equal stress, which lines occur with an assumed load of the component to be manufactured, when the aforesaid is exposed to external forces, and which lines lead around an edge section of the recess;

pre-curing the prepreg semifinished mats in order to stabilise at least one skin-section blank;

applying layers of a prepreg semifinished product to form the structural component a cured skin-section blank;

curing the assembly comprising the prepreg semifinished product mats for the skin section and the prepreg semifinished product for the structural component.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the prepreg semifinished mats comprise fibres which differ of at most 5 degrees from the longitudinal direction of the respective prepreg semifinished mat, and the prepreg semifinished mats are applied to a mould to form the skin section such that a first section extends in a non-curved state in the longitudinal direction relative to the initial state;

at least one second section extends in a curved manner in the longitudinal direction relative to the initial state with a largest change in direction of at least 15 degrees relative to the longitudinal extension of the fibres in the initial state of the respective prepreg semifinished mat; and

a third section extends in a non-curved state in the longitudinal direction relative to the initial state.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

a multitude of the prepreg semifinished mats are laid in several layers in such a manner that a first section of at least 0.5 m length in the uncurved state extends in the longitudinal direction relative to the initial state of the respective prepreg semifinished mat;

at least one second section of at least 2.0 m length in the curved state extends along the longitudinal direction, when compared to the initial state, at a maximum change in direction of at least 15 degrees relative to the longitudinal extension of the fibres in the initial state of the respective prepreg semifinished mat; and

a third section of at least 0.5 m length extends in the non-curved state of the prepreg semifinished mat when compared to the initial state.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prepreg semifinished mats comprise a width of between 0.5 m and 2.0 m and a length of between 4 m and 25 m.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein an edge section of the recess, which section is in close proximity to the second section, extends in a curved manner at a radius of 200 to 300 mm, while the fibres of the third section extend across their longitudinal direction when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the fibres of the first section so as to be offset between 100 and 200 mm relative to each other.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein an edge section of the recess, which edge section is in close proximity to the second section, extends in a curved manner at a radius of 100 to 200 mm, and in that the fibres of the third section when viewed in their longitudinal direction extend across the fibres of the first section so as to be offset between 200 and 400 mm relative to each other.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recess comprises an edge line that is closed along a circumference, wherein the structural component extends at least along a section of the edge of the recess.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component manufactured is a fuselage component of an aircraft.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the recess forms a window cutout or door cutout of the fuselage component.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the structural component on the component to be manufactured is a stringer and/or a transverse frame element of an aircraft fuselage.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the structural component manufactured forms a frame component that encompasses an edge line of a window cutout or door cutout of an aircraft fuselage and comprises:

supporting-component sections that extend along a circumferential direction of the shell component;

edge sections that extend along a longitudinal direction of the shell component; and

edge sections which include corner regions that are located adjacent to the aforesaid and that connect the edge sections that extend along the longitudinal direction of the shell component and the respective supporting-component sections that extends in the circumferential direction of the shell component.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the prepreg semifinished mats, whose at least one second section that is curved in the longitudinal direction is placed in several layers, are laid in such a manner that in each case their first sections comprise a direction that intersects the supporting-component sections that extend in the circumferential direction of the shell component;

the curved second section extends along a corner region; and

the third section extends along an edge section that extends along the longitudinal direction of the shell component.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the fibres of the third section, when viewed across their longitudinal direction, extend so as to be offset between 0.1 m and 1.0 m relative to each other when compared to the same fibres of the first section.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the prepreg semifinished mats, whose at least one second section that is curved in longitudinal direction is placed in several layers, are laid in such a manner that in each case their first sections comprise a direction that intersects the edge sections that extend in the longitudinal direction of the shell component;

the curved second section extends along a corner region; and

the third section extends along a supporting-component section that extends along the circumferential direction of the shell component.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the fibres of the third section, when viewed across their longitudinal direction, extend so as to be offset between 0.1 m and 1.0 m relative to each other when compared to the same fibres of the first section.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prepreg semifinished mats for forming the structural component are laid on a main section together with prepreg semifinished mats for forming the shell component in such a manner that in relation to the longitudinal direction of the component to be produced they form longitudinal bandage arrangements, circumferential bandage arrangements and/or shear-type bandage arrangements of the fuselage component.

17. The method according to any one of the preceding claim 1, wherein in some sections between the prepreg semifinished product for forming the shell component and the prepreg semifinished product for forming a structural component at least one layer of a semifinished textile product for forming an interim layer on the prepreg semifinished product is applied.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein prior to curing the assembly comprising the pre-cured prepreg semifinished product for the skin section and the prepreg semifinished product for the structural component the semifinished textile product is resin-impregnated by means of an RTM process and/or an injection method.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein matrix material with a viscosity of 10̂

5 m Pas±

20% is used.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fibres of the prepreg semifinished mats for the skin section and the structural component are carbon fibres, glass fibres and/or aramid fibres.

21. A fibre-composite component, comprising:

at least one structural component; and

a skin section with a recess, which skin section is connected to said structural component, wherein;

the structural component extends along at least one section of a recess to form a frame component,

the structural component and layers of the skin section is formed as one piece, and

the skin section is formed of several layers of fibres wherein a plurality of layers are applied such that;

(i) the fibres that sectionally extend along a longitudinal direction have, at least in a section, a curved path with a change in direction of at least 15 degrees when viewed in longitudinal extension of the fibres; and

(ii) the fibres extend along an edge section of the recess so that the fibres of prepreg semifinished mats extend along lines of equal stress, which lines occur with an assumed load of the component to be manufactured, when the aforesaid is exposed to external forces, and which lines lead around an edge section of the recess.

22. The fibre-composite component according to claim 21, wherein an edge section of the recess, which edge section is near a second section, extends in a curved manner with a radius of 200 to 300 mm and the fibres of a third section extend relative to the same fibres of a first section, when viewed across their longitudinal direction, so as to be offset from each other by between 100 and 200 mm.

23. The fibre-composite component according to claim 21, wherein an edge section of the recess, which edge section is near a second section, extends in a curved manner with a radius of 100 to 200 mm, and the fibres of a third section extend relative to the same fibres of a first section, when viewed across their longitudinal direction, so as to be offset from each other by between 200 and 400 mm.

24. The fibre-composite component according to claim 21, wherein the recess comprises an edge line that is closed along a circumference, and the structural component extends at least along a section of the edge of the recess.

27. The fibre-composite component according to claim 21, wherein the skin section comprises several layers of fibres, comprising a first section with fibres whose orientations extend along a longitudinal extension of the fibre-composite component by a maximum of 5 degrees, comprising a second section whose fibres have an orientation which defines an angle difference of at least 15 degrees in relation to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal extension of the fibre-composite component, and comprising a third section comprising fibres which extend laterally of the structural component with regard to the longitudinal extension of the fibre-composite component, wherein the orientation forms an angle difference of at least 15 degrees with regard to the direction of the fibres of the second section.

25. The fibre-composite fuselage component of an aircraft, comprising:

a shell component with at least one recess;

a structural component that is formed as a frame component, with the aforesaid extending around an edge line of the recess of the aircraft fuselage so as to reinforce it;

supporting-component sections of the structural component that extend along a circumferential direction of the shell component;

edge sections and corner regions of the structural component that extend along a longitudinal direction of the shell component, which in each case connect a supporting-component section that extends in the circumferential direction of the shell component with an edge section that is situated adjacent to the aforesaid and that extends in the longitudinal direction of the shell component.

26. The fibre-composite fuselage component according to claim 25, wherein the recess forms a window cutout or door cutout of the fuselage component.