Methods of making a specimen with a predetermined wrinkle defect

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11440276-B2
Application number	US-202016922831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2020
Priority date	Mar 21, 2017
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

In an aspect, there is a method of determining allowable defects for a composite component comprising identifying at least one wrinkle characteristic of a composite component wrinkle defect; making a first plurality of specimens each having a predetermined wrinkle defect representative of the composite component wrinkle defect; measuring each of the predetermined wrinkle defects in the first plurality of specimens for at least one performance metric to generate performance data; and generating an allowable wrinkle defect profile based on the performance data from the first plurality of specimens. In other aspects, there are methods of making a specimen with a predetermined wrinkle defect.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a specimen with a predetermined wrinkle defect, the steps comprising:
orienting a composite material around a layup tool at a wrap angle to form a closed loop;
generating at least one wrinkle with a predetermined characteristic in a portion of the dosed loop to form the specimen with a stretcher including an actuating mechanism in mechanical communication with a first arm and a second arm; the step of generating at least one wrinkle including positioning the first arm and the second arm in the closed loop; and moving at least one of the first arm and the second arm sufficient to form at least one wrinkle in the closed loop;
prior to a curing step, removing the first arm and the second arm from the closed loop; and
after the steps of generating the at least one wrinkle and removing the first arm and the second arm from the closed loop, curing the specimen;
wherein the predetermined characteristic is at least one of the following: wrinkle location, an outward wrinkle, an inward wrinkle, a wrinkle width, a wrinkle height, and a wrinkle length.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the closed loop has a generally flat oval cross-sectional shape, the closed loop includes a top arcuate portion, a bottom arcuate portion, and a hollow portion between the top and bottom arcuate portions.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first arm is disposed in the top arcuate portion and the second arm is disposed in the bottom arcuate portion.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first arm and the second arm comprise a portion of a frame.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stretcher comprises a tensile test machine or a tension load frame.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the generating at least one wrinkle step, the specimen includes an unwrinkled portion adjacent to the wrinkled portion.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the layup tool has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
after the step of curing the specimen, cutting at least one coupon from the specimen.

Assignees

• Bell Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Burnett Michael
• Lee Wei-Yueh
• Dearman Michael

Classifications

• B29C70/32

  on a rotating mould, former or core · CPC title

• G01N2203/0066

  Propagation of crack · CPC title

• G01M5/0033

  by determining damage, crack or wear · CPC title

• B29C70/30

  Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core · CPC title

• G01N3/02

  Details · CPC title