COMPOSITE LAMINATE CONSTRUCTION METHOD

• US 20110054850A1
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Roach, James T.
• Application Number:
  US12/550,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20110054850A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• 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: B29C 70/545 Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/08 Blades for rotors, stators, fans, turbines or the like, e.g. screw propellers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/26 Composites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design

Abstract

A method for creating a design of an airfoil made of a plurality of plies has several steps including inputting a spatial definition of an exterior of the airfoil, inputting a parameter of a ply to be used in the design, using a protocol for the data describing each of the plurality of plies such that the data conforms automatically to steps used to create the design, and designing a plurality of plies according to the parameter, the protocol and the spatial definition to fill the exterior of the airfoil.

Claims

1. Method for creating a design of an airfoil, the airfoil to be made of a plurality of plies, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting a spatial definition of an exterior of the airfoil;

inputting a parameter of a ply of said plurality of plies to be used in said design;

using a protocol for data describing each of said plurality of plies such that said data conforms automatically to steps used to create said design; and

creating said plurality of plies according to said parameter, said protocol and said spatial definition to fill said exterior of the airfoil.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

creating a ply of said plurality of plies offset according to said parameter, said protocol and said spatial definition.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

obtaining a boundary of a ply of said plurality of plies according to said parameter, said protocol and said spatial definition.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of inputting a parameter includes inputting a desired physical attribute of said ply of said plurality of plies.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said parameter is input from a data base of known parameters.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

recognizing abnormal data in a step taken to create said design.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

rejecting said abnormal data.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

fixing said abnormal data such that said data conforms with said parameter, said protocol and said spatial definition.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said abnormal data includes any of a bowtie, fold or an intersection.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein said abnormal data includes any integral of a surface of a ply.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

minimizing a number of points defining a surface of said ply.

12. Method for creating a design of an airfoil, the airfoil to be made of a plurality of plies, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting a spatial definition of an exterior of the airfoil;

creating said plurality of plies according to said spatial definition to fill said exterior of the airfoil; and

recognizing abnormal data in a step taken to create said design.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

creating a ply of said plurality of plies offset according to said spatial definition.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

obtaining a boundary of said ply of said plurality of plies according to said spatial definition.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

using a protocol for data describing each of said plurality of plies such that said data conforms automatically to steps used to create said design.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

fixing said abnormal data such that said data conforms with said protocol and said spatial definition.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said abnormal data includes any of a bowtie, fold or an intersection.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said abnormal data includes any integral of a surface of a ply of said plurality of plies.

19. The method of claim 12 further including:

inputting a parameter of a ply to be used in said design.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

minimizing a number of points defining a surface of a ply.