Construction of Articles of Manufacture of Fiber Reinforced Structural Composites

• US 20170211583A1
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2016
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: John A. Kozel
• Original Assignee: John A. Kozel
• Inventors: Kozel, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,273,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/24 oriented in at least three directions forming a three dimensional structure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/34 and shaping or impregnating by compression , i.e. combined with compressing after the lay-up operation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/545 Perforating, cutting or machining during or after moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/023 Two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/046 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0269 Aromatic polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/101 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/106 Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/50 having particular mechanical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2603/00 Vanes, blades, propellers, rotors with blades
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/06 characterised by a fibrous or filamentary layer mechanically connected, e.g. by needling to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/08 the fibres or filaments of a layer being of different substances , e.g. conjugate fibres, mixture of different fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/10 characterised by a fibrous or filamentary layer reinforced with filaments
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/12 characterised by the relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers, e.g. the fibres or filaments being parallel or perpendicular to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/24 Vanes
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/30 Vanes

Abstract

Articles of manufacture, preferably pump component parts, and a method for making the articles, include providing a plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers in a stack of consecutive layers in a matrix of synthetic polymeric material. The reinforcing fibers of different layers are of corresponding different materials, and the layers are arranged such that the material of the reinforcing fibers in each layer is different from the material of the reinforcing fibers in the next consecutive layer. The layers are stitched together with further reinforcing fibers extending within the stack essentially perpendicular to the layers and interspersed throughout the stack. The stack is compressed and cured to establish a block having a plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers and further reinforcing fibers in a matrix of synthetic polymeric material. The block is machined to establish a prescribed configuration of a desired article.

Claims

1. An improvement in an article of manufacture constructed of a structural composite, the improvement comprising:

a plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers in a matrix of synthetic polymeric material, the layers extending transverse to an axial direction, essentially parallel to one another and juxtaposed with one another, stacked consecutively adjacent one another essentially along the axial direction;

the reinforcing fibers of each layer being woven in a pattern oriented essentially perpendicular to the axial direction; and

further reinforcing fibers extending through the juxtaposed layers, along further directions essentially parallel to the axial direction;

wherein the reinforcing fibers of different layers are of corresponding different materials, the layers being arranged such that the material of the reinforcing fibers in each layer is different from the material of the reinforcing fibers in the next consecutive adjacent layer.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the reinforcing fibers of the layers are selected from the group consisting of graphite fibers, aramid fibers and soft glass fibers.

3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein the further reinforcing fibers are soft glass fibers.

4. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the pattern of the reinforcing fibers in each layer is an orthogonal pattern, and the reinforcing fibers of each layer and the further reinforcing fibers are mutually perpendicular.

5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein the pattern of reinforcing fibers in each layer is rotated about the axial direction through an angular spacing relative to the next consecutive adjacent layer.

6. The improvement of claim 5 wherein the angular spacing is about 45°

.

7. The improvement of claim 4 wherein the reinforcing fibers of the layers are selected from the group consisting of graphite fibers, aramid fibers and soft glass fibers.

8. The improvement of claim 7 wherein the further reinforcing fibers are soft glass fibers.

9. The improvement of claim 8 wherein the structural composite has a total volume, and the reinforcing fibers have a volume of about sixty to sixty-five percent of the total volume of the structural composite.

10. The improvement of claim 8 wherein the matrix of synthetic polymeric material is a mixture of approximately equal parts of epoxy resins and phenolic resins.

11. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the article of manufacture is a component part of a pump.

12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein the article of manufacture is an impeller having a rotor extending in radial directions from a central axis to an outer periphery and a plurality of vanes unitary with the rotor and extending from the rotor in axial directions essentially parallel to the central axis, each vane having a length along an axial direction, the further reinforcing fibers extending within each vane, along the length of each vane, essentially parallel to the length of the vanes, and into the rotor.

13. The improvement of claim 12 wherein each vane extends between the central axis and the outer periphery along a volute defined by the mathematical formula

Y=e_(0.01a)×

(⅝

)(r)×

cos(θ

)+( ½

)

X=e_(0.01a)×

(r)×

sin(θ

)+(¾

)

Where a=( 33/64)×

(r);

r=radius;

e=2.718.

14. An improvement in a method for making an article of manufacture constructed of a structural composite and having a prescribed configuration, the improvement comprising:

stacking a plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers in a matrix of synthetic polymeric material, such that each layer extends transverse to an axial direction, essentially parallel to one another and juxtaposed with one another along the axial direction in a stack of consecutive adjacent layers extending essentially parallel to the axial direction, with the reinforcing fibers of each layer being woven in a pattern transverse to the axial direction, the reinforcing fibers of different layers being of corresponding different materials, and the layers being arranged such that the material of the reinforcing fibers in each layer is different from the material of the reinforcing fibers in the next consecutive adjacent layer;

stitching further reinforcing fibers through the juxtaposed layers such that the further reinforcing fibers extend within the stack essentially parallel to the axial direction and are interspersed throughout the stack;

compressing the stack of layers in the axial direction to form a compressed stack;

curing the compressed stack of layers to establish a unitary block having a plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers and further reinforcing fibers in a matrix of synthetic polymeric material; and

machining the block to establish the prescribed configuration of the article of manufacture.

15. The improvement of claim 14 wherein the reinforcing fibers of the layers are selected from the group consisting of graphite fibers, aramid fibers and soft glass fibers.

16. The improvement of claim 15 wherein the further reinforcing fibers are soft glass fibers.

17. The improvement of claim 14 wherein the pattern of the reinforcing fibers in each layer is an orthogonal pattern, and the reinforcing fibers of each layer and the further reinforcing fibers are mutually perpendicular.

18. The improvement of claim 17 wherein the pattern of reinforcing fibers in each layer is rotated about the axial direction through an angular spacing relative to the next consecutive adjacent layer.

19. The improvement of claim 18 wherein the angular spacing is about 45°

.

20. The improvement of claim 17 wherein the reinforcing fibers of the layers are selected from the group consisting of graphite fibers, aramid fibers and soft glass fibers.

21. The improvement of claim 20 wherein the further reinforcing fibers are soft glass fibers.

22. The improvement of claim 21 wherein the structural composite has a total volume, and the reinforcing fibers have a volume of about sixty to sixty-five percent of the total volume of the structural composite.

23. The improvement of claim 21 wherein the matrix of synthetic polymeric material is a mixture of epoxy and phenolic resins in approximately equal parts of epoxy resins and phenolic resins.

24. The improvement of claim 14 wherein the article of manufacture is a component part of a pump.

25. The improvement of claim 24 wherein the article of manufacture is an impeller having a rotor extending in radial directions from a central axis to an outer periphery and a plurality of vanes unitary with the rotor and extending from the rotor in axial directions essentially parallel to the central axis, each vane having a length along an axial direction, the further reinforcing fibers extending within each vane, along the length of each vane, essentially parallel to the length of the vanes, and into the rotor.

26. The improvement of claim 25 wherein each vane extends between the central axis and the outer periphery along a volute defined by the mathematical formula

Y=e_(0.01a)×

(⅝

)(r)×

cos(θ

)+(½

)

X=e_(0.01a)×

(r)×

sin(θ

)+(¾

)

Where a=( 33/64)×

(r);

r=radius;

e=2.718.

27. In an impeller having a rotor extending in radial directions from a central axis to an outer periphery and a plurality of vanes unitary with the rotor and extending from the rotor in axial directions essentially parallel to the central axis, each vane having a length along an axial direction, the further reinforcing fibers extending within each vane, along the length of each vane, essentially parallel to the length of the vanes, and into the rotor, the improvement wherein each vane extends between the central axis and the outer periphery along a volute defined by the mathematical formula

Y=e_(0.01a)×

(⅝

)(r)×

cos(θ

)+(½

)

X=e_(0.01a)×

(r)×

sin(θ

)+(¾

)

Where a=( 33/64)×

(r);

r=radius;

e=2.718.