Remote Advanced Repair Guidance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016339652-A1
Application number	US-201514719141-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 21, 2015
Priority date	May 21, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and processes for enabling an off-site expert to interact with an on-site technician during repair of composite structure. The off-site expert can provide real-time guidance to an on-site technician before and during the performance of repair procedures to avoid errors. The off-site expert is also able to monitor the repair procedures in real time to verify that correct procedures are being employed. In particular, the systems and processes disclosed herein can provide direct visual guidance, feedback, and out-of-plan warnings for manual or automated scarfing and other operations during repair of composite structure. In some embodiments, the repair process combines optical three-dimensional surface measurement, illumination by at least one of visible, ultraviolet and infrared light, and digital light processing projection to provide step-by-step monitoring of the repair.

First claim

1 . A process for preparing a composite structure, comprising:
(a) projecting a first image onto a surface of a composite structure, wherein the first image indicates an area where composite material should be removed; (b) adjusting a location and a size of the projected image so that the first image overlies and is registered with a first area on the surface; and (c) removing composite material in the first area.

2 . The process as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving the first image from an image database or constructing the first image based on information about the composite structure retrieved from a database using a first computer system at a remote location; sending the first image from the first computer system to a second computer system located in proximity to the composite structure via a network; and sending the first image from the second computer system to a projector which is aimed at the composite structure.

3 . The process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first image further indicates respective regions in the area where material should be removed to respective depths which are different.

4 . The process as recited in claim 2 , wherein the regions indicated in the first image have outlines corresponding to respective plies of different sizes.

5 . The process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the removing operation comprises sanding to a maximum depth that removes a defect in the first area.

6 . The process as recited in claim 5 , wherein the removing operation further comprises sanding composite material to form a taper that extends from the maximum depth to a second area on the surface that surrounds the first area.

7 . The process as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
(d) measuring a baseline three-dimensional profile of the first area of the surface before any composite material is removed in operation (c).

8 . The process as recited in claim 7 , further comprising:
(e) measuring an updated three-dimensional profile of the first area of the surface after composite material has been removed in operation (c); and (f) determining depths in respective regions of the first area following operation (c) based on differences between the baseline and updated three-dimensional profiles.

9 . The process as recited in claim 8 , further comprising
(g) identifying a region of the first area where additional composite material should be removed based in part on the depths determined in operation (f); and (h) projecting a second image onto the first area of the surface, wherein the second image indicates the region identified in operation (g).

10 . The process as recited in claim 8 , further comprising
(g) identifying a region of the first area where no additional composite material should be removed based in part on the depths determined in operation (f); and (h) projecting a second image onto the first area of the surface, wherein the second image indicates the region identified in operation (g).

11 . The process as recited in claim 8 , further comprising
(g) identifying a region of the first area where too much composite material was removed in operation (c) based in part on the depths determined in operation (f); and (h) projecting a second image onto the first area of the surface, wherein the second image indicates the region identified in operation (g).

12 . The process as recited in claim 1 , further comprising projecting a second image onto a second area of the surface, wherein the second image comprises a specification of instructions for a procedure for removing composite material from the first area of the surface.

13 . A process for laying up plies of composite material in a depression in a composite structure at a repair site, comprising:
(a) projecting a first image onto a surface of a composite structure having a depression, wherein the first image comprises a first plurality of outlines of different sizes and an indication of orientation for a smallest one of the outlines of the first plurality; (b) adjusting a location and a size of the projected first image so that the first image overlies and is registered with the depression; and (c) placing a first ply of composite material in the depression at a location of the projected first image of the smallest one of the outlines of the first plurality with an orientation such that fibers of the first ply of composite material are parallel to the indication of orientation for the smallest one of the outlines of the first plurality.

14 . The process as recited in claim 13 , further comprising placing a ply of adhesive in the depression before the first ply of composite material is placed in the depression.

15 . The process as recited in claim 13 , further comprising:
retrieving the first image from an image database or constructing the first image based on information about the composite structure retrieved from a database using a first computer system at a remote location; sending the first image from the first computer system to a second computer system located at the repair site via a network; and sending the first image from the second computer system to a projector which is aimed at the composite structure.

16 . The process as recited in claim 13 , further comprising:
(d) projecting a second image onto the surface of the composite structure having the depression, wherein the second image comprises a second plurality of outlines of different sizes and an indication of orientation for a smallest one of the outlines of the second plurality, wherein the second plurality includes all of the outlines of the first plurality except for smallest one of the outlines of the first plurality; (e) adjusting a location and a size of the projected second image so that the second image overlies and is registered with the depression; and (f) placing a second ply of composite material in the depression at a location of the projected second image of the smallest one of the outlines of the second plurality with an orientation such that fibers of the second ply of composite material are parallel to the indication of orientation for the smallest one of the outlines of the second plurality.

17 . The process as recited in claim 13 , further comprising:
(d) illuminating the depression on the surface of the composite structure; (e) capturing a camera image of the illuminated depression using a camera having a field-of-view that encompasses the depression; (f) sending the camera image to a computer system at a remote location; (g) verifying cleanliness and roughness of a surface of the depression based on the camera image received at the remote location; and (h) sending an approval from the remote location to the repair site to start a repair procedure when the cleanliness and roughness of the surface of the depression have been verified, wherein operations (d) through (h) are performed before operations (a) through (c).

18 . A process for forming a depression in a composite structure, comprising at a repair site, comprising:
(a) removing composite material in an area of a surface of a composite structure; (b) measuring a three-dimensional profile of the area after composite material has been removed; (c) determining current depths in respective regions of the area where composite material has been removed; (d) identifying regions in which the respective current depth is less than a respective target depth; (e) generating an image that indicates the regions identified in operation (d); (f) projecting the image onto the surfa

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Safai Morteza
• Georgeson Gary E

Classifications

• B29C73/12 Primary

  Apparatus therefor, e.g. for applying (B29C73/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29K2067/00

  Use of polyesters {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• G05B19/048

  Monitoring; Safety · CPC title

• B24B49/12

  involving optical means · CPC title

• B29C69/001

  a shaping technique combined with cutting, e.g. in parts or slices combined with rearranging and joining the cut parts (for reinforced material B29C70/545; B29C49/4278, B29C51/268 take precedence) · CPC title