Fluid medium non-contact consolidation
AssigneeADC Acquisition Company
InventorsKurt J. Kimball, John R. Michasiow, Robert J. Langone, Zachary A. August
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pressure head for use in a fiber placement system for thermoplastic composite materials is disclosed. Plies of thermoplastic composite tape are placed onto a mandrel to form a shaped object. The pressure head includes a nozzle and at least one delivery tube for providing fluid medium mixture to the nozzle body, wherein the nozzle directs the fluid medium onto a surface of the shaped object thereby providing a pressure on the surface without direct physical contact of the nozzle with the plies of thermoplastic composite tape.
Claims13
An apparatus for fabricating thermoplastic composite materials, comprising:
- a fluid compaction device, wherein the fluid compaction device is a pulse detonation engine comprising a body and a nozzle, and wherein the pulse detonation engine is configured and disposed to output exhaust gas via the nozzle;
- a tape feed mechanism configured and disposed to dispense thermoplastic tape within a force zone of the fluid compaction device, wherein force exerted by the fluid compaction device within the force zone adheres the dispensed thermoplastic tape to an underlying tape layer without direct physical contact between the fluid compaction device and the dispensed thermoplastic tape.
A fiber placement system for placing a plurality of resin impregnated tape plies onto a mandrel to form a shaped object, comprising:
- a nozzle, wherein the nozzle is connected to an output of a pulse detonation engine;
- at least one delivery tube for providing a fluid medium mixture to the nozzle, wherein the fluid medium mixture comprises a combusted gas mixture,
- wherein the nozzle directs the fluid medium mixture onto a surface of the shaped object, thereby providing pressure on the surface;
- and
- a heating device for applying heat to the plurality of resin impregnated tape plies.
A method for fabricating thermoplastic composite materials, comprising:
- applying a first layer of thermoplastic tape to a mandrel;
- applying a second layer of thermoplastic tape on top of the first layer of thermoplastic tape;
- applying heat to the first layer of thermoplastic tape and the second layer of thermoplastic tape;
- and
- applying a fluid medium mixture to the second layer of thermoplastic tape, thereby compacting the second layer of thermoplastic tape, wherein the fluid medium mixture comprises supersonic plasma.
A method for fabricating thermoplastic composite materials, comprising:
- applying a first layer of thermoplastic tape to a mandrel;
- applying a second layer of thermoplastic tape on top of the first layer of thermoplastic tape;
- applying heat to the first layer of thermoplastic tape and the second layer of thermoplastic tape;
- and
- applying a fluid medium mixture to the second layer of thermoplastic tape, thereby compacting the second layer of thermoplastic tape, wherein the applying the fluid medium mixture comprises applying an exhaust gas via a nozzle of a pulse detonation engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.