Method for fabricating highly contoured composite stiffeners with reduced wrinkling
First Claim
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1. A method of fabricating a fiber reinforced composite stiffener that is substantially wrinkle-free, the method comprising:
- using a tool, the tool having a sidewall, the sidewall including a first portion along a first length that is less than a total length of the sidewall, the sidewall further including a second portion along a second length that is less than the total length and a third portion along a third length that is less than the total length, the first portion being between the second portion and the third portion, the first portion having an out-of-plane curvature and an in-plane curvature, the second portion having a second curvature different than the in-plane curvature and the out-of-plane curvature, the third portion having the second curvature, the tool further having a bottom tool face along the sidewall and connected to the sidewall at an angle, the bottom tool face also having the out-of-plane curvature along the first length, and the bottom tool face further having the second curvature along the second length and the third length;
using includes forming a lay-up over the tool by laying up a plurality of fiber reinforced composite plies over the tool, including simultaneously conforming the plurality of fiber reinforced composite plies to the first length and the second length along both the sidewall and the bottom tool face; and
compacting the lay-up.
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Abstract
A mandrel having an out-of-plane curvature and a corresponding in-plane change in mandrel geometry is used to fabricate substantially wrinkle-free, fiber reinforced stiffeners having an out-of-plane curvature.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating a fiber reinforced composite stiffener that is substantially wrinkle-free, the method comprising:
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using a tool, the tool having a sidewall, the sidewall including a first portion along a first length that is less than a total length of the sidewall, the sidewall further including a second portion along a second length that is less than the total length and a third portion along a third length that is less than the total length, the first portion being between the second portion and the third portion, the first portion having an out-of-plane curvature and an in-plane curvature, the second portion having a second curvature different than the in-plane curvature and the out-of-plane curvature, the third portion having the second curvature, the tool further having a bottom tool face along the sidewall and connected to the sidewall at an angle, the bottom tool face also having the out-of-plane curvature along the first length, and the bottom tool face further having the second curvature along the second length and the third length; using includes forming a lay-up over the tool by laying up a plurality of fiber reinforced composite plies over the tool, including simultaneously conforming the plurality of fiber reinforced composite plies to the first length and the second length along both the sidewall and the bottom tool face; and compacting the lay-up. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of fabricating a substantially wrinkle-free fiber reinforced composite stringer having a hat-shaped cross section, an in-plane curvature along a length of the composite stringer, and an out-of-plane curvature along the length, the method comprising:
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assembling a lay-up by laying up fiber reinforced composite plies on a forming tool, the forming tool having a sidewall, the sidewall including a first portion along a first length that is less than a total length of the sidewall, the sidewall further including a second portion along a second length that is less than the total length and a third portion along a third length that is less than the total length, the first portion being between the second portion and the third portion, the first portion having the out-of-plane curvature and the in-plane curvature, the second portion having a second curvature different than the in-plane curvature and the out-of-plane curvature, the third portion having the second curvature, the forming tool further having a bottom tool face along the sidewall and connected to the sidewall at an angle, the bottom tool face also having the out-of-plane curvature along the first length, and the bottom tool face further having the second curvature along the second length and the third length; forming the out-of-plane curvature in the lay-up along both the sidewall and the bottom tool face using the forming tool; and while forming the out-of-plane curvature, also forming the in-plane curvature in the lay-up along both the sidewall and the bottom tool face using the forming tool, such that forming the out-of-plane curvature and forming the in-plane curvature also forms the hat-shaped cross section in a manner such that different cross sections along the length change dimensions relative to each other as a result of the out-of-plane curvature. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification