Method and apparatus for forming a composite fuselage structure
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJeffery Lee Marcoe, Marc R. Matsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming a composite structure. A stackup comprising a plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members and an overbraided thermoplastic skin is built. The stackup is placed between an inner tooling and an outer tooling. The inner tooling, the stackup, and the outer tooling are held in place together using a load constraint. The inner tooling, the stackup, the outer tooling, and the load constraint form a consolidation setup. The consolidation setup is heated to form the composite structure.
Claims22
A method for forming a composite structure, the method comprising:
- building a stackup comprising a plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members, an overbraided thermoplastic skin, and a plurality of stringer bladders;
- positioning the stackup between an inner tooling and an outer tooling;
- passing a plurality of pressurization tubes through the plurality of stringer bladders;
- holding the inner tooling, the stackup, and the outer tooling in place together using a load constraint, the inner tooling, the stackup, the outer tooling, and the load constraint forming a consolidation setup;
- and
- heating the consolidation setup to form the composite structure.
A method for forming a composite fuselage structure, the method comprising:
- expanding a bladder and a plurality of stringer bladders in a stackup to place fibers in an overbraided thermoplastic skin and a plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members in tension;
- heating the stackup to melt the overbraided thermoplastic skin and the plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members;
- and
- joining the overbraided thermoplastic skin and the plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members while the overbraided thermoplastic skin and the plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members are melted;
- and
- cooling the stackup such that the overbraided thermoplastic skin and the plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members form an integrated structure that is the composite fuselage structure.
An apparatus comprising:
- an inner tooling;
- a first smart susceptor positioned around the inner tooling;
- a stackup positioned around the first smart susceptor, the stackup comprising a plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members, an overbraided thermoplastic skin, and a plurality of stringer bladders;
- a plurality of pressurization tubes extending through the plurality of stringer bladders in the stackup;
- a second smart susceptor positioned around the stackup;
- an outer tooling positioned around the second smart susceptor;
- and
- a load constraint for holding the inner tooling, the first smart susceptor, the stackup, the second smart susceptor, and the outer tooling in place.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.