Method of extracting a tooling mandrel from a composite laminate cavity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10807280-B2
Application number	US-201514746023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Jun 22, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A tooling mandrel for manufacturing a composite structure may include a mandrel body having a fluid passage network formed within the mandrel body for passing a fluid medium through the mandrel body. The fluid passage network may have a passage cross-sectional area shaped to promote thermal conductance between the fluid medium and the tooling mandrel and cause a change in a mandrel cross-sectional shape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of extracting a tooling mandrel from a composite laminate cavity of a composite laminate, comprising the steps of:
processing the composite laminate;
passing, after processing the composite laminate, a fluid medium through a fluid flow slot of a fluid passage network extending lengthwise through the tooling mandrel located inside the composite laminate cavity, the fluid medium having a temperature lower than the tooling mandrel for transferring heat from the tooling mandrel into the fluid medium, the fluid flow slot located proximate and parallel to a mandrel side extending between a pair of vertices of the tooling mandrel and including tertiary slots separated by slot side walls; and
locally thermally contracting the tooling mandrel along a direction parallel to the mandrel side and which extends from each one of the vertices toward a central portion of the mandrel side in a manner forming a non-vertex gap between the mandrel side and the composite laminate larger than the non-vertex gap between the composite laminate and the tooling mandrel at a portion of the tooling mandrel opposite the fluid flow slot due to a longer distance to the fluid flow slot at the portion opposite the fluid flow slot for breaking high-stick friction between the tooling mandrel and the composite laminate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein passing the fluid medium through the fluid flow slot of the fluid passage network includes:
drawing the fluid medium into the fluid passage network at a first mandrel end; and
discharging the fluid medium from the fluid passage network at the first mandrel end.

3. The method of claim 1 , further including:
producing, in response to passing the fluid medium through the fluid flow slot, the vertex gap between at least one vertex and an inside radius of the composite laminate.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including:
extracting the tooling mandrel from the composite laminate cavity.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluid passage network includes at least one primary flow passage located proximate one of a vertex and a central portion of the tooling mandrel.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
a secondary flow passage in fluid communication with the primary flow passage; and
the secondary flow passage extending from the primary flow passage toward the vertex of the tooling mandrel.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the at least one primary flow passage comprises a pair of primary flow passages, each one of the primary flow passages being located proximate a vertex of the tooling mandrel; and
the fluid flow slot fluidly coupling the pair of primary flow passages.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the tooling mandrel is formed of elastomeric material.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the tooling mandrel is formed of a mandrel material having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is higher than the CTE of the composite laminate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluid medium is a liquid.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling, using a controller operably coupled to a fluid source, a flow rate of the fluid medium through the fluid passage network.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein controlling the flow rate of the fluid medium comprises:
increasing, using the controller, the flow rate of the fluid medium through the fluid passage network, and causing an increase in a rate of heat transfer between the tooling mandrel and the fluid medium for increasing a size of the vertex gap at each vertex to facilitate extraction of the tooling mandrel.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein passing the fluid medium through the fluid flow slot comprises:
passing an incompressible fluid through the fluid flow slot.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein passing the incompressible fluid through the fluid flow slot comprises:
passing one of water or a water-based solution through the fluid flow slot.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein passing the fluid medium through the fluid flow slot comprises:
passing a gas through the fluid flow slot.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein passing the gas through the fluid flow slot comprises:
passing one of nitrogen or cold air fluid through the fluid flow slot.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein passing the fluid medium through the fluid flow slot comprises:
drawing the fluid medium into a first mandrel end of the tooling mandrel, passing the fluid medium through the fluid passage network, and discharging the fluid medium from a second mandrel end of the tooling mandrel opposite the first mandrel end.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the composite laminate comprises:
curing the composite laminate with the tooling mandrel installed in the composite laminate cavity.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein curing the composite laminate includes:
applying at least one of heat and pressure to the composite laminate while supporting the composite laminate via the tooling mandrel in the composite laminate cavity.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
extracting the tooling mandrel from the composite laminate cavity after thermally contracting the tooling mandrel.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Hoffman Peter L
• Mccowin Peter D

Classifications

• B29D99/0014

  provided with ridges or ribs, e.g. joined ribs · CPC title

• B29C53/824

  collapsible, e.g. elastic or inflatable; with removable parts, e.g. for regular shaped, straight tubular articles (B29C53/825 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C33/44

  with means for, or specially constructed to facilitate, the removal of articles, e.g. of undercut articles · CPC title

• B29L2031/3082

  Fuselages · CPC title

• B29C70/446

  Moulding structures having an axis of symmetry or at least one channel, e.g. tubular structures, frames · CPC title