APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR REPAIRING COMPOSITE LAMINATES

• US 20190111637A1
• Filed: 03/22/2017
• Published: 04/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Short Brothers PLC (Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Short Brothers PLC (Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: HANNA, Samuel Colin, CAMPBELL, William Christopher, STOESSIGER, Mathew, CROSSTHWAITE, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 11,235,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/443 and impregnating by vacuum or injection
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/549 Details of caul plates, e.g. materials or shape
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/745 Filling cavities in the preformed part for joining B29C70/84
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 73/02 using liquid or paste-like material B29C73/16 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus and methods include infusing the flowable matrix material into a space in the composite laminate through the use of a formed hole extending at least partially through the composite laminate. In addition, the apparatus and methods include infusing the flowable matrix material into a space in the composite laminate in a stepwise manner in order to obtain more complete filling of such space.

Claims

1. An apparatus for infusing a flowable matrix material into a porous region in a composite laminate via a surface of the composite laminate, the apparatus comprising:

a vacuum barrier covering at least a first portion of an area of the surface of the composite laminate overlaying a location of the porous region in the composite laminate, the vacuum barrier defining an enclosed volume comprising the first portion of the area of the surface of the composite laminate;

a supply of flowable matrix material available to the first portion of the area of the surface of the composite laminate;

a flow barrier hindering a flow of the flowable matrix material out of the first portion of the area via the surface of the composite laminate, the flow barrier being positioned between the first portion of the area and a second portion of the area, the second portion of the area being outside the first portion of the area; and

a vacuum source in fluid communication with the enclosed volume and configured to cause the flowable matrix material in the first portion of the area to be drawn into the porous region, the vacuum source being in fluid communication with the second portion of the area to draw the flowable matrix material out of the porous region via the second portion of the area.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the vacuum barrier also covers the second portion of the area and the enclosed volume includes the second portion of the area.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a first carrier configured to facilitate the distribution of flowable matrix material across at least some of the first portion of the area; and

a second carrier configured to facilitate the flow of flowable matrix material exiting the second portion of the area toward the vacuum source.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the flow barrier comprises a gap between the first carrier and the second carrier.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the flow barrier comprises a release film overlaying the first and second carriers and extending across the gap between the first carrier and the second carrier.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the composite laminate comprises a formed hole extending at least partially through the composite laminate from the surface inside the first portion of the area to facilitate the infusion of flowable matrix material into the porous region, and, the apparatus comprises a structural pin extending into the formed hole, the structural pin being configured to define a passageway for the flowable matrix material between the structural pin and a wall of the formed hole.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the structural pin protrudes from the surface of the composite laminate.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the structural pin comprises fibrous material.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a flexible caul plate disposed inside the enclosed volume.

10. A method for infusing a flowable matrix material into a porous region in a composite laminate via a surface of the composite laminate, the surface comprising an area overlaying a location of the porous region in the composite laminate, the method comprising:

supplying the flowable matrix material to a first portion of the area of the surface of the composite laminate;

distributing the flowable matrix material across at least some of the first portion of the area of the surface; and

while hindering a flow of the flowable matrix material out of the first portion of the area via the surface of the composite laminate, drawing the flowable matrix material in the first portion of the area into the porous region and causing some of the flowable matrix material to exit the porous region via a second portion of the area outside the first portion of the area.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

using a vacuum source to draw the flowable matrix material into the porous region; and

facilitating the flow of flowable matrix material exiting the porous region via the second portion away from the second portion.

12. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising forming a hole through the surface of the composite laminate in the first portion of the area defining the location of the porous region, the hole being formed before drawing the flowable matrix material to facilitate the drawing of flowable matrix material into the porous region.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, further comprising providing a structural pin in the formed hole where a passageway for the flowable matrix material is defined between the structural pin and a wall of the formed hole, the structural pin being provided before drawing the flowable matrix material.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, further comprising curing the flowable matrix material drawn into the porous region and that has entered the formed hole, while the structural pin is in the formed hole.

15. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising detecting some of the flowable matrix material exiting the porous region via the second portion of the area and ceasing the drawing after having detected some of the flowable matrix material having exited the porous region via the second portion.

16-54. -54. (canceled)

55. A method for infusing a flowable matrix material into a space in the composite laminate, the method comprising:

supplying the flowable matrix material at an inlet location on the composite laminate, the inlet location being in fluid communication with the space in the composite laminate;

infusing the flowable matrix material into the space in the composite laminate using a pressure differential between the inlet location and a first location in the composite laminate, the first location being in fluid communication with the inlet location via the space in the composite laminate;

ceasing to infuse the flowable matrix material into the space using the first location;

infusing the flowable matrix material into the space in the composite laminate using a pressure differential between the inlet location and a second location in the composite laminate, the second location being in fluid communication with the inlet location via the space in the composite laminate; and

ceasing to infuse the flowable matrix material into the space using the second location.

56. The method as defined in claim 55, wherein the first location is at a first distance from the inlet location and the second location is at a second distance from the inlet location, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

57. The method as defined in claim 55, further comprising lowering a pressure at the first location relative to a pressure at the inlet location via a first formed hole extending at least partially through the composite laminate from a face of the composite laminate.

58. The method as defined in claim 57, further comprising ceasing to infuse the flowable matrix material into the space associated with the delamination in the composite laminate using the first formed hole after some of the flowable matrix material has entered the first formed hole.

59. The method as defined in claim 57, further comprising hermetically sealing the first formed hole before infusing the flowable matrix material into the space in the composite laminate using the second location.

60. The method as defined in claim 58, further comprising curing the flowable matrix material that has entered the first formed hole while a first structural pin is in the first formed hole.

61. The method as defined in claim 57, further comprising lowering a pressure at the second location relative to the pressure at the inlet location via a second formed hole extending at least partially through the composite laminate from the face of the composite laminate.

62. The method as defined in claim 61, further comprising ceasing to infuse the flowable matrix material into the space associated with the delamination in the composite laminate using the second formed hole after some of the flowable matrix material has entered the second formed hole.

63. (canceled)