Heating system for composite rework of aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160163-B2
Application number	US-201514736148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2015
Priority date	Aug 11, 2011
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A machine and process for a heating system for a composite patch comprising a light beam and a controller. The controller is configured to command the light beam to heat the resin in the composite patch to a desired level for curing while avoiding overheating a fiber in the composite patch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for heating a composite patch, the machine that comprises:
a laser unit that comprises a beam steering device; and
a controller that comprises:
a rework module that comprises: data for a location, a composition, and a characteristic of a fiber within a resin in a layer in the composite patch; and
commands for the beam steering device such that the commands comprise directions for a path of a laser beam on a surface of the composite patch and around the fiber while the laser beam heats the resin to a cure temperature, such that the commands prevent the fiber from reaching a temperature that would cause a loss of a desired characteristic or performance, for the composite patch, of the fiber after curing the composite patch.

2. The machine of claim 1 further comprising:
the directions being based upon at least one of: a simulation, or a modeling of heating of components and layers within the composite patch;
the laser unit directly connected to a frame; and
an attachment system configured to attach the frame to a location over the composite patch on a composite structure.

3. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor system configured to detect a temperature of a component within the composite patch and generate temperature data, and connected to the rework module that comprises a special program that operates, based on the temperature data for each section and the composite patch generated by the sensor system, the laser unit to generate a number of laser beams that result in a level of heating of the composite patch that cures the composite patch.

4. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the laser unit comprises a laser source that comprises the laser beam that comprises: a wavelength, an intensity, and an angle of incidence to the surface of the composite patch, and the controller comprises further commands to control: the wavelength, the intensity, and the angle of incidence to the surface of the composite patch, for a duration that raises a desired section of the composite patch to the cure temperature.

5. The machine of claim 4 , wherein the wavelength increases an absorption of light from the laser beam by the composite patch via a command to produce a desired color or transparency of the resin.

6. The machine of claim 1 , the commands further comprise directions for the beam steering device to move a number of laser beams over the surface of the composite patch in a manner that results in a desired level of heating of the composite patch without a reduction of the desired characteristic of the fiber.

7. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
the rework module comprising:
a program that receives and processes information about a composite structure in contact with the composite patch; and
commands for the laser beam that raise the resin to cure temperature and prevent an excessive temperature in the composite structure.

8. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor system connected to the rework module and configured to transfer data about the composite patch to the rework module, such that the commands comprise an area that the laser beam is to be directed to, based upon the data and rework information.

9. A process for heating a composite patch while curing the composite patch, the process comprising:
receiving, in a controller comprising a rework module, rework information comprising data for a location, a composition, and a characteristic of a fiber within a resin in a layer in the composite patch;
identifying, using the controller, a heating of the composite patch needed to cure the composite patch;
attaching a frame comprising a heating system over the composite patch;
sensing, using a visible camera attached to the frame, a boundary of the composite patch and a position of the fiber;
directing, by the controller using the rework information, the heating of the composite patch, via steering a light beam;
sensing, using the visible camera, where the light beam impacts a surface of the composite patch;
the rework module comparing where the light beam impacts the surface of the composite patch to commands from the controller for where the light beam should impact the surface of the composite patch, and adjusting the commands based upon the comparing;
sensing, using an infrared camera attached to the frame, a temperature of the resin and a temperature of the fiber in the composite patch; and
the rework module comparing the temperature of the resin and the temperature of the fiber to rework information, and preventing the fiber from reaching a temperature that would cause a loss of a desired characteristic or performance, for the composite patch, of the fiber after curing the composite patch via responding, to the temperature of the resin and the temperature of the fiber misaligning from the rework information, via adjusting commands from the controller.

10. The process of claim 9 , further comprising the composite patch comprising layers of composite material and the resin, and the rework information comprising: a location of an area occupied by the composite patch, and a location and a parameter for the fiber and the resin in each layer of the composite patch.

11. The process of claim 9 , further comprising:
basing the commands upon at least one of: a simulation, or a modeling of heating of components and layers within the composite patch; and
the heating system comprising a laser unit comprising a laser source.

12. The process of claim 9 , further comprising the composite patch being in a scarf in a composite structure when attaching the frame over the composite patch.

13. The process of claim 9 , further comprising:
the controller directing the heating system via directing the light beam into the resin of the composite patch while avoiding directing the light beam directly onto the fiber; and
the controller comprising further commands to control: a wavelength, an intensity, and an angle of incidence to the surface of the composite patch, of the light beam.

14. The process of claim 13 , further comprising the light beam being from a light emitting diode.

15. The process of claim 13 , further comprising a laser unit comprising a laser beam.

16. The process of claim 15 , further comprising the laser beam comprising the wavelength, the intensity, a polarization, the angle of incidence, and a duration directed at the resin of the composite patch, and/or a combination thereof, adhering to commands from the controller.

17. The process of claim 9 , further comprising the rework module using the rework information for generating commands for the heating system.

18. The process of claim 9 , further comprising the adjusting commands from the controller when the temperature of the resin and the temperature of the fiber are not aligning with the rework information, comprising changing a characteristic of the light beam.

19. The process of claim 18 , further comprising changing a characteristic of the light beam comprising: changing a least one of: a direction, a wavelength, an intensity, a polarization, and angle of incidence, and a duration, for the light beam entering into the resin.

20. The process of claim 19 , further comprising changing the direction of the light beam comprising the controller sending commands to a beam steering system.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Safai Morteza
• Meredith Kimberly D

Classifications

• B23K26/032 Primary

  using optical means · CPC title

• B29C73/34

  for local heating · CPC title

• B29C66/91411

  of the parts to be joined, e.g. the joining process taking the temperature of the parts to be joined into account · CPC title

• B29L2031/3076

  Aircrafts (blades, propellers B29L2031/08) · CPC title

• B23K2203/16

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic