Tooling assembly and associated system and method for manufacturing a porous composite structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11413833-B2
Application number	US-201916291451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2019
Priority date	Mar 4, 2019
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A tooling assembly for manufacturing a porous composite structure. The tooling assembly includes a first tooling member and a second tooling member. The first tooling member includes a first body that defines a first internal volume and a first inlet. The first inlet is fluidly coupled with the first internal volume. The first tooling member also includes a first tooling surface that defines a plurality of first perforations that are fluidly coupled with the first internal volume. The second tooling member includes a second body that defines a second internal volume and a second inlet. The second inlet is fluidly coupled with the second internal volume. The second tooling member also includes a second tooling surface that defines a plurality of second perforations that are fluidly coupled with the second internal volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a porous composite structure comprising:
positioning a green layup between a first tooling surface and a second tooling surface, wherein said green layup comprises reinforcing fibers non-uniformly embedded in an uncured resin matrix, wherein said first tooling surface comprises a plurality of first perforations and said second tooling surface comprises a plurality of second perforations; and
establishing a flow of a fluid through said plurality of first perforations, through said layup, and through said plurality of second perforations, wherein said flow of said fluid through said layup produces a plurality of tortuous paths through said layup by displacing at least some of said uncured resin matrix located between at least some of said reinforcing fibers.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising distributing said fluid by way of a manifold prior to flowing said fluid through said layup.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising sealing a tooling assembly comprising said first tooling surface and said second tooling surface prior to said establishing said flow of said fluid.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said establishing said flow of said fluid comprises fluidly coupling said tooling assembly with a fluid source.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said fluid source is a vacuum source.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising collecting said fluid after said fluid has flowed through said layup.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising heating said layup during said establishing said flow of said fluid.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of second perforations are uniformly distributed across said second tooling surface such that said plurality of second perforations correspond with said plurality of first perforations.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said first tooling surface has a cylindrical shape.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said first tooling surface is shaped as a truncated cone.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising positioning a fairing bar between said first tooling surface and said second tooling surface prior to said establishing said flow of said fluid.

12. A method for forming a plurality of tortuous paths in a green layup comprising a plurality of plies, each ply of said plurality of plies comprising reinforcing fibers embedded in an uncured resin matrix, said plurality of plies being stacked such that said reinforcing fibers are non-uniformly positioned in said layup, said method comprising:
supporting said layup; and
while said layup is supported, flowing a fluid through said layup to displace at least some of said uncured resin matrix located between at least some of said reinforcing fibers, thereby forming said plurality of tortuous paths in said layup.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising distributing said fluid by way of a manifold prior to flowing said fluid through said layup.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said supporting said layup comprises positioning said layup between a first tooling member and a second tooling member.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising curing said layup after forming said plurality of tortuous paths in said layup.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said supporting said layup comprises positioning said layup between a first tooling member having a first tooling surface and a second tooling member having a second tooling surface.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said first tooling surface comprises a plurality of first perforations.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said second tooling surface comprises a plurality of second perforations.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said first tooling surface comprises a plurality of first perforations and said second tooling surface comprises a plurality of second perforations, and wherein said plurality of second perforations are uniformly distributed across said second tooling surface such that said plurality of second perforations correspond with said plurality of first perforations.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising positioning a fairing bar between said first tooling surface and said second tooling surface prior to flowing said fluid through said layup.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Baker Tara Kovacs
• Serencsits William L
• Thomas Holly J

Classifications

• B29C70/46 Primary

  using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs · CPC title

• B32B2605/08

  Cars · CPC title

• B29C33/42

  characterised by the shape of the moulding surface, e.g. ribs or grooves · CPC title

• B32B2260/021

  Fibrous or filamentary layer · CPC title

• B29K2995/0002

  insulating · CPC title