Double Bag Vacuum Infusion Process and System for Low Cost, Advanced Composite Fabrication
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJohn C. Waldrop, William R. Burkett, Carmine J. Sesti, Bruce Harshman, Alan F. Tegeler, Wesley P. Weinman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Boeing is actively engaged in the production of lightweight composite airframes for both military and commercial applications. The double bag vacuum infusion process of the present. invention provides a low cost, method for producing complex composite assemblies without an autoclave. It also enables the production of highly innovative structures. The quality of the composites produced using such an infusion process are comparable to composites made using prepregs, hand layup or fiber placement, and autoclave curing.
Claims11
A double vacuum chamber resin infusion device configured for vacuum assisted resin infusion of a preform comprising:
- a mold;
- a preform located on the mold;
- an inner bag sealed to the mold and enclosing the preform and forming a first vacuum chamber,
- an outer bag sealed to the mold and enclosing the inner bag and forming a second vacuum chamber, wherein the first and the second vacuum chambers are configured to exert a compressive force on the preform during infusion of resin and curing of resin, wherein the compressive force comprises a caul effect,
- at least one vacuum pump coupled to the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber, the at least one vacuum pump configured to evacuate the second vacuum chamber to a pressure greater than the pressure in the first vacuum chamber;
- and
- a resin source coupled to the first vacuum chamber, wherein the resin source is configured to infuse the resin into the perform.
9-10. (canceled)
A double vacuum chamber resin infusion device configured for vacuum assisted resin infusion of a preform, the double vacuum chamber resin infusion device comprising:
- a mold;
- a preform located on the mold;
- an inner bag sealed to the mold and enclosing the preform and forming a first vacuum chamber,
- an outer bag sealed to the mold and enclosing the inner bag and forming a second vacuum chamber,
- at least one vacuum pump coupled to the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber configured to evacuate the second vacuum chamber to a pressure greater than the pressure in the first vacuum chamber;
- a resin source coupled to the first vacuum chamber, wherein the resin source is configured to infuse the resin into the perform;
- a conformal tube fairing, coupled to the resin source by a resin feed line, wherein the conformal tube fairing comprises an elastic material of constant cross section.
A vacuum resin infusion device configured comprising:
- a mold;
- a preform located on the mold;
- a bag sealed to the mold and enclosing the preform and forming a vacuum chamber,
- a vacuum pump coupled to the vacuum chamber;
- a resin source coupled to the vacuum chamber, wherein the resin source is configured to infuse the resin into the perform;
- a conformal tube fairing, coupled to the resin source by a resin feed line, wherein the conformal tube fairing comprises an elastic material of constant cross section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.