Repair patch for composite structure and associated method
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorZeaid F. Hasan
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a method of repairing a composite structure comprising fiber-reinforced polymer plies each with unidirectional fibers. The method comprises removing a damaged portion of the composite structure to form a void in the composite structure. The method also comprises positioning an adhesive layer into the void. The method further comprises positioning a first nanotube sheet ply and a first fiber-reinforced polymer repair ply into the void, by first positioning one of the first nanotube sheet ply or the first fiber-reinforced polymer repair ply into the void over the adhesive layer. The first nanotube sheet ply is fiberless and the first fiber-reinforced polymer repair ply comprises unidirectional fibers.
Claims20
A method of repairing a composite structure comprising fiber-reinforced polymer plies each with unidirectional fibers, the method comprising:
- removing a damaged portion of the composite structure to form a void in the composite structure;
- positioning an adhesive layer into the void;
- positioning a first nanotube sheet ply and a first fiber-reinforced polymer repair ply into the void, by first positioning one of the first nanotube sheet ply or the first fiber-reinforced polymer repair ply into the void over the adhesive layer, wherein the first nanotube sheet ply is fiberless and the first fiber-reinforced polymer repair ply comprises unidirectional fibers;
- and
- after the adhesive layer, the first nanotube sheet ply, and the first fiber-reinforced polymer repair ply are positioned into the void, curing the first fiber-reinforced polymer repair ply.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.