Hybrid carbon/fiberglass structural component for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10131417-B2
Application number	US-201715495152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2017
Priority date	Apr 24, 2017
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A hybrid carbon/fiberglass structural component or beam for an aircraft is constructed with layers of strips of glass fibers interspersed with layers of strips of unidirectional carbon fibers where the carbon fibers are oriented only in alignment with or along the longitudinal direction of the length of the beam thereby adding strength and stiffness to the beam while reducing weight and manufacturing costs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A structural component for an aircraft, the structural component comprising:
a beam having a length extending in a longitudinal direction between a first terminal end of the beam and a second terminal end of the beam, the beam having a width extending in a lateral direction across the beam;
a first plurality of strips of composite material on the beam, the first plurality of strips of composite material extending along the length of the beam, the first plurality of strips of composite material being comprised of strips of glass fibers;
a second plurality of strips of composite material on the beam, the second plurality of strips of composite material extending along the length of the beam, the second plurality of strips of composite material being comprised of strips of unidirectional carbon fibers where the carbon fibers are only oriented in alignment with the length of the beam; and,
a third plurality of strips of composite material on the beam, the third plurality of strips of composite material being on the beam adjacent the first terminal end of the beam and the second terminal end of the beam, the third plurality of strips of material being comprised of glass fibers, the third plurality of strips of composite material being connected to opposite ends of the second plurality of strips of composite material at the first terminal end of the beam and the second terminal end of the beam.

2. The structural component of claim 1 , further comprising:
the first plurality of strips of composite material comprising strips of glass fibers on the beam oriented at an angle of +45° relative to the longitudinal direction of the length of the beam;
the first plurality of strips of composite material comprising strips of glass fibers on the beam oriented at an angle of −45° relative to the longitudinal direction of the length of the beam;
the first plurality of strips of composite material comprising strips of glass fibers on the beam oriented at an angle of 90° relative to the longitudinal directional of the length of the beam; and,
the second plurality of strips of composite material comprising strips of unidirectional carbon fibers on the beam oriented at an angle of 0° relative to the longitudinal direction of the length of the beam.

3. The structural component of claim 2 , further comprising:
the strips of unidirectional carbon fibers all having carbon fibers oriented at 0° relative to the longitudinal directional of the length of the beam.

4. The structural component of claim 2 , further comprising:
no strips of the strips of unidirectional carbon fibers have carbon fibers that are oriented at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the length of the beam.

5. The structural component of claim 2 , further comprising:
the plurality of unidirectional carbon fibers are oriented only in the longitudinal direction along the length of the beam.

6. The structural component of claim 2 , further comprising:
the beam having an upper flange, the upper flange having a horizontal orientation, the upper flange having a length that extends between the first terminal end of the beam and the second terminal end of the beam, and the upper flange having a width that extends across the width of the beam;
the beam having a lower flange, the lower flange having a horizontal orientation, the lower flange having a length that extends between the first terminal end of the beam and the second terminal end of the beam, and the lower flange having a width that extends across the width of the beam;
the beam having a central web, the central web having a vertical orientation, the central web having a length that extends between the first terminal end of the beam and the second terminal end of the beam, and the central web having a height that extends between the upper flange and the lower flange.

7. The structural component of claim 6 , further comprising:
the strips of the second plurality of strips have first and second terminal end portions on the beam adjacent the first and second terminal ends of the beam, respectively; and,
the first terminal end portions and the second terminal end portions are comprised of glass fiber.

8. The structural component of claim 7 , further comprising:
the first terminal end portions extend entirely across the width of the beam adjacent the first terminal end of the beam;
the first terminal end portions are connected by splices to the strips of unidirectional carbon fibers adjacent the first terminal end of the beam; and,
a proportion of the terminal end portions extending across the width of the beam decreases and a proportion of the strips of unidirectional carbon fiber extending across the width of the beam increases as the splices extend from the first terminal end of the beam toward the second terminal end of the beam.

9. The structural component of claim 8 , further comprising:
the second terminal end portions extend entirely across the width of the beam adjacent the second terminal end of the beam;
the second terminal end portions are connected by splices to the strips of unidirectional carbon fibers adjacent the second terminal end of the beam; and,
a proportion of the second terminal end portions extending across the width of the beam decreases and a proportion of the strips of unidirectional carbon fibers extending across the width of the beam increases as the splices extend from the second terminal end of the beam toward the first terminal end of the beam.

10. The structural component of claim 1 , further comprising:
the beam having an eye-beam cross-section configuration.

11. The structural component of claim 1 , further comprising:
the beam being constructed from two back to back composite channels.

12. A structural component for an aircraft, the structural component comprising:
a beam having a length extending in a longitudinal direction between a first terminal end of the beam and a second terminal end of the beam, and having a width extending in a lateral direction across the beam;
a first strip of composite material on the beam, the first strip being comprised of glass fibers that are oriented at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction along the length of the beam;
a second strip of composite material on the beam, the second strip extending along the length of the beam, the second strip being comprised of unidirectional carbon fibers that are oriented in the longitudinal direction along the length of the beam;
a third strip of composite material on the beam, the third strip being comprised of glass fibers that are oriented at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction along the length of the beam;
the second strip being sandwiched between the first strip and the third strip with the first strip and the third strip shielding the second strip from an exterior environment of the beam;
the second strip has a length that extends along, the length of the beam between the first terminal end of the beam and the second terminal end of the beam, the second strip has an intermediate portion on the beam and first and second terminal end portions on the beam adjacent the first and second terminal ends of the beam, respectively; and,
the intermediate portion of the second strip is comprised of carbon fibers and the first terminal end portion and the second terminal end portion of the second strip are comprised of glass fibers.

13. The structural component of claim 12 , further comprising:
the second strip being one of a plurality of second strips on the beam that are comprised of unidirectional carbon fibers that are oriented in the longitudinal direction along

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Kismarton Max U
• Knowles Devin E
• Andrews Francis E

Classifications

• Y10T428/24116

  Oblique to direction of web · CPC title

• Y10T428/24124

  Fibers · CPC title

• Y10T428/24099

  On each side of strands or strand-portions · CPC title

• Y10T428/192

  Sheets or webs coplanar · CPC title

• B64C1/18 Primary

  Floors · CPC title