Heating system for composite rework of aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10137651-B2
Application number	US-201113207738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2011
Priority date	Aug 11, 2011
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A method and apparatus comprising a laser unit and a controller. The laser unit is configured to generate a number of laser beams. The controller is configured to operate the laser unit to generate the number of laser beams resulting in a desired level of heating of a composite patch that cures the composite patch on a composite structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus that comprises:
a frame;
an attachment system configured such that in operation, the attachment system attaches the frame to a surface of a composite structure;
a laser unit directly connected to the frame, such that the laser unit comprises a number of laser beams directed to; a first mirror, a second mirror, and a scanning lens, mounted within the frame, such that the laser unit comprises a laser source within the laser unit;
a vacuum bag that comprises a transparency for the number of laser beams with a vacuum applied to the vacuum bag;
a controller that comprises a rework module specially programmed to:
receive rework information and data, for each portion, of a composite patch, that comprises at least: a depth and a number of plies in layers of a composite material removed to form a scarf in the composite structure, boundary conditions of the scarf, an optical absorption factor of a resin in a composite patch for the scarf, the transparency of the vacuum bag, a pressure within the vacuum bag,
identify a heating cycle and a cooling cycle for each portion;
generate commands, based upon a simulation that comprises at least one of: a finite analysis and an analytical analysis of the rework information and the data, to select, for each portion, a wavelength and an intensity required for each laser beam, in the number of laser beams, for a period of time needed to respectively raise each portion to a desired temperature range; and
transmit the wavelength and the intensity required for each laser beam to pass through the vacuum bag with a vacuum applied to the vacuum bag and cause the desired temperature range in each portion, within the vacuum bag, for each step needed to cure the composite patch on the composite structure, such that the number of laser beams respectively heat each portion of the composite patch to the desired temperature range; and

an image sensor configured to confirm: an amount of curing of each portion of the composite patch, and a compliance of the laser beam with the commands, the controller configured to receive data from the image sensor and adjust commands based upon the data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a structure that supports a portion of the laser unit, and wherein the attachment system comprises suction cups that attach the frame to the surface of the composite structure in which the composite patch is placed on the composite structure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a hood configured such that in operation the hood reduces exposure directed toward an operator from the number of laser beams during operation of the laser unit to cure the composite patch.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a sensor system attached to the frame, the sensor system configured such that in operation, the sensor system detects heating of the composite patch on the composite structure and generates temperature data for the composite patch; and
the controller configured to operate the laser unit to generate the number of laser beams to cause the desired temperature range of the composite patch to cure the composite patch on the surface of the composite structure, based on the temperature data for the composite patch generated by the sensor system.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the temperature data is selected from at least one of images and temperature values.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a sensor system configured to identify from the images: a location of the laser beam, an amount of curing that has occurred for the composite patch, and an area to which the laser beam is to be directed.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a laser beam, in the number of laser beams, that comprises a wavelength between 300 and 1300 nanometers as commanded by the controller to cause the desired temperature range of the composite patch for each step needed to cure the composite patch on the surface of the composite structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising the rework module specially programmed to select the wavelength to increase an absorption of light, in the number of laser beams, by the composite patch while avoiding increased light absorption by materials adjacent to an area for laser illumination.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
the laser unit connected to the rework module to receive commands and to generate the number of laser beams to cause the desired temperature range of the composite patch; and
the rework module specially programmed to identify an intensity and duration for the number of laser beams that is required to heat a location of the composite patch based on factors associated with the desired level of heating of the composite patch, the factors comprising at least one of: an optical absorption of a resin in the composite patch, a transparency of the vacuum bag covering the composite patch, and a pressure in the vacuum bag.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the controller configured to identify movements for, the number of laser beams over a surface of the composite patch, using a beam steering system, in a manner to cause the desired level of heating of the composite patch, such that the beam steering system comprises at least one of mirrors, fiber-optic cables, and lenses, and the movements based upon the simulation analysis.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a mask system, wherein the mask system reduces heating by the number of laser beams in a section covered by the mask system.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the mask system comprises a number of protective structures that prevent the number of laser beams from heating a section covered by the number of protective structures.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a camera system attached to the frame and connected to the rework module the camera system, the rework module specially programmed to identify, based upon an image from the camera system, an area that a laser beam, in the number of laser beams, is to be directed using information about the composite patch generated by the camera system.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the desired temperature range comprises an amount of resin flow.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the composite structure is a component of an aircraft and wherein an inconsistency of the component of the aircraft is repaired responsive to the desired temperature range of the composite patch.

16. A rework system for curing a composite patch on a composite structure, such that the rework system comprises:
an attachment system configured to attach a frame to a surface of the composite structure;
a laser unit attached to the frame, such that the laser unit comprises a laser source and is configured to generate a laser beam;
a vacuum bag that comprises a transparency for the laser beam with a vacuum applied to the vacuum bag;
a sensor system that comprises a visible camera and an infrared camera, each attached to the frame and connected to a rework module in a controller, rework module configured to receive, from the sensor system, temperature data about the composite patch, a boundary identity of the composite patch, and a location of the laser beam on the composite patch, and to predict and to measure an amount of curing in each portion of the composite patch;
the composite patch comprising layers comprising a fabric and a resin in an uncured form adjacent to the composite structure; and
the rework module specially programmed to:
receive rework inform

Assignees

• Safai Morteza
• Meredith Kimberly D
• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Safai Morteza
• Meredith Kimberly D

Classifications

• B23K2203/42

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B29C2035/0838

  using laser · CPC title

• B29C73/10 Primary

  using patches sealing on the surface of the article (B29C73/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23K2203/38

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B23K26/082

  Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head · CPC title