Composite structures having composite-to-metal joints and method for making the same

• US 8,652,606 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Griess, Kenneth Harlan, Georgeson, Gary E.
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMAS, ALEXANDER S
• Application Number:
  US12/857,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20120045606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 428/58, 428/60, 428/61, 735/87
• US Class Current: 428/60
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1248 Interpenetrating groove joints interpenetrating fingered joints B29C66/139
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/50 General aspects of joining tubular articles; General aspects of joining long products, i.e. bars or profiled elements; General aspects of joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; General aspects of joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/721 Fibre-reinforced materials B29C66/729 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7212 characterised by the composition of the fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72141 Fibres of continuous length
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72143 Fibres of discontinuous lengths
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/723 being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72321 consisting of metals or their alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/742 to metals or their alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/304 In-plane lamination by juxtaposing or interleaving of plies, e.g. scarf joining
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/86 Incorporated in coherent impregnated reinforcing layers, e.g. by winding
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2063/00 Use of EP, i.e. epoxy resins or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2307/04 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2309/08 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2703/06 Metal powders, metal carbides or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/30 Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof vanes or blades B29L2031/08, air bags B29L2022/027
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3002 : Superstructures characterized by combining metal and plastics, i.e. hybrid parts
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3076 : Aircrafts blades, propellers B29L2031/08
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/01 : all layers being exclusively metallic making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/14 : next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/05 : 5 or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/20 : All layers being fibrous or filamentary
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/023 : Two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2260/046 : Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/106 : Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/076 : Prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/77 : Uncured, e.g. green
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/714 : Inert, i.e. inert to chemical degradation, corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/18 : Aircraft blades, propellers B32B2603/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/06 : for securing layers together; for attaching the product to another member, e.g. to a support , or to another product, e.g. groove/tongue, interlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/14 : characterised by a face layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/18 : characterised by an internal layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/02 : characterised by a sequence of laminating steps, e.g. by adding new layers at consecutive laminating stations
• 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: B32B 5/28 : impregnated with or embedded in a plastic substance not used
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 : using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/14 : applied in spaced arrangements, e.g. in stripes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/061 : Frames
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 14/00 : Alloys based on titanium
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 : Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/19 : Sheets or webs edge spliced or joined
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/192 : Sheets or webs coplanar
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/195 : Beveled, stepped, or skived in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24752 : Laterally noncoextensive components

Abstract

A composite structure comprises stacked sets of laminated fiber reinforced resin plies and metal sheets. Edges of the resin plies and metal sheets are interleaved to form a composite-to-metal joint connecting the resin plies with the metal sheets.

Claims

1. A composite structure, comprising:

a first laminated stack of fiber reinforced resin plies; and

a second stack of metal sheets, configured to form a composite-to-metal finger joint connecting the first laminated stack of fiber reinforced resin plies with the second stack of metal sheets, such that the second stack of metal sheets consists of metal sheets and an adhesive layer between each metal sheet, such that the metal sheets comprise at least one of;

a titanium sheet, and a titanium alloy sheet, and such that an end of each metal sheet in the second stack of metal sheets abuts an end of multiple fiber reinforced resin plies from the first laminated stack, and the second stack of metal sheets configured to comprise, with an interface between the first laminated stack of fiber reinforced resin plies and the second stack of metal sheets, a waveguide for ultrasonic waves.

2. The composite structure of claim 1, wherein:

the first stack of fiber reinforced resin plies and the second stack of metal sheets are arranged in layers, wherein each of the layers includes a first metal sheet and at least one of the fiber reinforced resin plies.

3. The composite structure of claim 2, wherein a first thickness of the fiber reinforced resin plies in each of the layers is generally equal to a second thickness of the first metal sheet in the layer.

4. The composite structure of claim 2, wherein:

the at least one of the fiber reinforced resin plies and the first metal sheet in each of the layers having substantially abutting edges forming a resin-to-metal transition point in each of the layers.

5. The composite structure of claim 4, wherein the transition point in each of the layers is staggered relative to each other.

6. The composite structure of claim 2, wherein the layers form a fiber reinforced resin-to-metal finger joint between the first laminated stack of fiber reinforced resin plies and the second stack of metal sheets.

7. The composite structure of claim 1, wherein:

the metal sheets consist of the titanium alloy, and

the fiber reinforced resin plies comprise carbon.

8. The composite structure of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a microelectromechanical sensor, a piezo-electric sensor, and a transducer.

9. A hybrid composite resin-metal structure, comprising:

a composite resin portion comprising laminated plies of fiber reinforced resin;

a metal portion consisting of metal sheets and an adhesive layer between each of the metal sheets, such that the metal sheets comprise at least one of;

titanium, and a titanium alloy; and

a transition section between the composite resin portion and the metal portion, the transition section including staggered overlaps between the laminated plies and the metal sheets, configured such that an end of each of the metal sheets abuts an end of multiple laminated plies, and the staggered overlaps comprise a waveguide configured to support nondestructive evaluations of a bond quality in the composite resin metal structure.

10. The hybrid composite resin-metal structure of claim 9, wherein:

the laminated plies and the metal sheets are arranged in layers, and

each of the layers includes one of the metal sheets and a plurality of the laminated plies in substantially edge-to-edge abutment.

11. The hybrid composite resin-metal structure of claim 10, wherein a first thickness of the laminated plies in each of the layers is substantially equal to a second thickness of the metal sheet in the layer.

12. The hybrid composite resin-metal structure of claim 9, wherein the staggered overlaps form a composite-to-metal finger joint between the composite resin portion and the metal portion.

13. The hybrid composite resin-metal structure of claim 9, further comprising a layer of adhesive between each of the metal sheets for bonding the sheets together and unitizing the metal portion.

14. The hybrid composite resin-metal structure of claim 9, wherein each of the metal sheets consists of the titanium alloy.

15. A hybrid composite metal part having a full thickness, comprising:

a layup of multiple plies of a fiber reinforced composite material having a first thickness, the layup terminating at an interface location; and

a metal sheet of the first thickness, in a stack that consists of;

metal sheets, and an adhesive layer between each metal sheet, such that an end of each metal sheet in the stack abuts an end of multiple fiber reinforced composite plies, such that the metal sheet comprises at least one of;

titanium, and a titanium alloy, and continues to a metal edge of the hybrid composite metal part, and the layup is repeated with a composite to metal interface that is staggered toward the metal edge of the part from the interface location and includes a ply of structural adhesive between each sheet in the stack, with the next metal to composite interface staggered away from the metal edge of the hybrid composite metal part to produce a nested splice, and the staggered interface stacking produces nested tabs continuing to the full thickness of the hybrid composite metal part with no metal sheet in the stack extending fully to an edge opposite the metal edge of the hybrid composite metal part, the stack configured to comprise a waveguide comprising the interface location and the stack.

16. The hybrid composite metal part of claim 15, further comprising a sensor configured to receive an ultrasonic wave.

17. A hybrid composite resin-metal aircraft structure, comprising:

a plurality of laminated layers forming a fiber reinforced, all composite portion;

a unitized metal portion consisting of a plurality of metal sheets and an adhesive layer, the adhesive layer, being between at least a first metal sheet and a second metal sheet within the plurality of metal sheets, configured to unitize the first and the second metal sheets, such that each metal sheet abuts multiple plies of composite resin; and

a hybrid composite-metal finger joint connecting the composite portion with the unitized metal portion, each layer within the plurality of laminated layers including a plurality of plies of composite resin;

such that the metal sheets consist of at least one of;

titanium, and a titanium alloy, and wherein the plurality of plies and the plurality of metal sheets are arranged in edge-to-edge abutment with each other forming a composite-to-metal transition point, the plurality of metal sheets configured to comprise a waveguide with the composite-to-metal transition point, and wherein the plurality of laminated layers comprises a plurality of transition points in the plurality of laminated layers such that the plurality of transition points are configured staggered relative to each other to form the hybrid composite-metal finger joint.

18. The hybrid composite resin-metal aircraft structure of claim 17, further comprising a transducer configured to receive an ultrasonic wave.

19. The transducer of claim 18, wherein the transducer comprises at least one of:

a microelectromechanical sensor and a piezo-electric sensor.

20. A composite structure, comprising:

a first stack of laminated fiber reinforced resin plies;

a second stack consisting of;

metal sheets, and an adhesive layer between each adjacent metal sheet, configured to form a composite-to-metal joint connecting the first laminated stack of fiber reinforced resin plies with the second stack, such that each metal sheet consists of at least one of;

titanium, and a titanium alloy, and such that an end of each metal sheet in the second stack abuts ends of multiple laminated fiber reinforced plies in the first stack, and the second stack comprised by a waveguide configured to facilitate nondestructive evaluations of a bond quality of the composite structure; and

a sensor configured to receive an ultrasonic wave.