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AssigneeHutchinson
InventorsJean-Pierre Ciolczyk, Marc Dolez, Bertrand Florentz
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The present invention relates to a ducting for a fluid transfer pipeline for an aircraft or spacecraft, an aeronautical structure incorporating it and a method for producing this ducting. The ducting (1) comprises a pipe (2) with a thermoplastic or thermoplastic elastomeric layer (4) and a reinforcing layer (5) surmounting it. The pipe has a curved and/or bent geometry and the reinforcing layer is made of a composite material based on reinforcing means (6) that are in intimate and direct contact with the subjacent layer, such as the inner layer, said geometry being obtained by one or other of the following two methods (a) and (b): a) the inner layer is previously hot formed to give it this geometry, the reinforcing means being of choice: (i) impregnated with a thermosetting matrix, the reinforcing layer forming thermosetting composite, or (ii) either reinforcing fibers intermixed with thermoplastic fibers or powders, or impregnated with a plastic polymeric coating that is curable chemically, the reinforcing layer forming a thermoplastic composite; or b) the inner layer, in its initial rectilinear geometry, is first of all covered with the reinforcing layer in which said reinforcing means are reinforcing fibers intermixed with a thermoplastic material in the form of fibers, film or powder, and this inner layer covered in this way is then blow-molded in order to give the pipe its final geometry, the reinforcing layer obtained forming a thermoplastic composite.
1) Ducting (1), in particular for a fluid transfer pipeline for an aircraft or spacecraft, such as a fuel pipeline mounted in or under each of the wings of an aircraft, the ducting having at least one multilayer pipe (2) comprising a radially inner layer (4) made of thermoplastic material or thermoplastic elastomer that is leakproof and chemically resistant to the fluid transported, and at least one reinforcing layer (5) situated radially above the inner layer, characterized in that the pipe has a curved and/or bent, preferably three-dimensional geometry, and in that the reinforcing layer is made of a composite material based on reinforcing means (6) that are in intimate and direct contact with the subjacent layer, such as the inner layer, said geometry being obtained by one or other of the following two methods a) and b):
5) Ducting (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner layer (4) is based on at least one thermoplastic polymer chosen from the group consisting of polyamides (PA), polyetherimides (PEI), phenylene polysulfides (PPS), polyetheretherketones (PEEK), polyetherketoneketones (PEKK) and mixtures thereof.
8) Ducting (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said reinforcing means (6) of the reinforcing layer (5) are directly drape-formed or bag-molded on the inner layer (4), which forms a functional drape-forming core.
10) Ducting (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing layer (5) and said reinforcing means (6) that are included therein are as defined in alternative (i) of method a), these latter being directly drape-formed or bag-molded over the subjacent layer, such as the inner layer (4).
19) Ducting (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it incorporates flanges (3) for connecting the pipe (2) to the remainder of the pipeline, each flange being made of a metallic, thermoplastic or composite thermoplastic material and being secured to said reinforcing means (6) while partially covering the latter at one end (5a) of the pipe, so that these reinforcing means ensure the continuity of the ducting to mechanical forces.
23) Ducting (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said pipe (2) includes an outer sheath defining its radially outer surface, this sheath being for example designed to improve the physical properties and chemical resistance of the pipe and/or to damp vibrations received and/or to ensure electrical insulation and/or thermal insulation and/or to improve the impact resistance of the pipe.
24) Aeronautical structure containing fluid transfer pipelines, characterized in that one or more ductings (1) of at least one of these pipelines is as defined in one of the preceding claims.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.