Methods and apparatuses for maintaining temperature differential in materials using thermoelectric devices during hot bonded repair
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorGary D. Oakes
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Abstract
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for repairing a composite material in situ are disclosed including maintaining and controlling the temperature of a material adjoining a composite material in situ, while the composite material is being heating during a composite material repair, such repair accomplished by positioning a heat source proximate to a first side of the composite material and positioning a thermoelectric device proximate to a structure located proximate to the second of the composite material, and substantially maintaining the temperature of the structure at a temperature that is different than a temperature of the composite material.
Claims17
A method comprising:
- positioning a heat source proximate to a first side of a composite material, said composite material having a first side and a second side, with a structure located proximate to the second side of the composite material, said structure having a first side and a second side, with the first side of the structure located proximate to the second side of the composite material;
- positioning a thermoelectric device proximate to the second side of the structure, said thermoelectric device in communication with a controller;
- contacting the second side of the structure with a temperature sensing device, said temperature sensing device in communication with the controller;
- activating the heat source;
- applying heat from the heat source to the first side of the composite material;
- heating the composite material to a first temperature;
- providing an electric current to the thermoelectric device;
- and
- substantially maintaining the temperature of the structure at a second temperature that is different than the first temperature of the composite material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.