Hybrid braided composite parts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11235537-B2
Application number	US-201916458548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2019
Priority date	Jul 1, 2019
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating a hybrid composite part. A method includes braiding a first set of fibers to form a weave having a closed cross-sectional shape, braiding a second set of fibers into the weave that are chemically distinct from the first set of fibers, impregnating the weave with a resin, and hardening the resin within the weave to form a hybrid composite part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for fabricating a hybrid composite part, the method comprising:
braiding a first set of fibers to form a weave having a closed cross-sectional shape by axially displacing an end effector of a braiding robot;
adding a second set of fibers into the braiding that are chemically distinct from the first set of fibers by axially displacing the end effector of the braiding robot, causing fibers in the second set of fibers to be interwoven with the fibers in the first set of fibers;
impregnating the weave with a resin; and
hardening the resin within the weave to form a hybrid composite part.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
braiding the first set of fibers comprises braiding fiberglass; and
braiding the second set of fibers comprises braiding carbon fiber.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:
braiding the first set of fibers comprises braiding fibers that are electrically insulating; and
braiding the second set of fibers comprises braiding fibers that are electrically conductive.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
forming a Faraday cage by braiding a third set of fibers that are electrically conductive, wherein the first set of fibers is sandwiched between the second and third set of fibers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:
braiding the second set of fibers forms the second set of fibers into an open weave.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
selecting a volume ratio of fibers in the first set to fibers in the second set, based on a predefined level of thermal and electrical conductivity in the hybrid composite part.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
performing induction welding of fibers in the first set to fibers in the second set, by applying an electromagnetic field to the weave.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising
the induction welding is performed by orbiting an induction coil around the weave.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein:
the induction welding causes the first set of fibers to generate heat.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein:
the induction welding melts resin comprising thermoplastic.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein:
the induction welding comprises exposing the weave to a magnetic field.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein:
the induction welding is performed by rotating the weave relative to an induction coil.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein:
the induction welding melts resin solely at a weld interface of the weave.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein:
braiding the first set of fibers results in the weave having a diamond shape.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein:
the closed cross-sectional shape comprises a tube.

16. The method of claim 7 wherein:
fibers of the first set and fibers of the second set alternate within the weave.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein:
braiding the first set of fibers further comprises operating bobbins at the braiding robot.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
dynamically moving the bobbins of the braiding robot while the braiding robot performs the braiding.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein:
axially displacing the end effector of the braiding robot is performed in accordance with instructions stored in a Numerical Control (NC) program.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein:
the NC program is stored in a memory of the braiding robot.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Ogale Amol
• Bernetich Karl R

Classifications

• B29C70/882 Primary

  partly or totally electrically conductive, e.g. for EMI shielding (conductive floors or floor coverings H05F3/025; EMI shielding in general H05K9/00) · CPC title

• B29C66/71

  characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined (welding bar compositions B29C65/125) · CPC title

• B29C66/52272

  concentrically, e.g. for forming multilayer tubular articles · CPC title

• B29C66/73921

  characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics · CPC title

• D04C1/02

  made from particular materials · CPC title