Method for Repairing Composite Materials Via Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023405884-A1
Application number	US-202318337173-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 19, 2023
Priority date	Jun 20, 2022
Publication date	Dec 21, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided herein is a method for repairing a composite material, a layup manufacturing process of a composite and a system for manufacturing a 3-dimensional composite part. The method, process and system all utilize a dielectric barrier discharge applicator to generate a plasma to cure an epoxy material to bond a patch to a composite material or to bond two or more layers of composite material together in a 3-dimensional shape to form a composite part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for repairing a composite material, comprising:
applying an epoxy to an area of the composite material in need of repair; covering the area with an epoxy-filled patch; and curing the epoxy electromagnetically, thereby repairing the composite material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the curing step comprises:
exposing the composite material and the epoxy-filled patch to a plasma produced by an electromagnetic applicator; heating inductively via the plasma the composite material and the epoxy-filled patch; and transferring heat from the composite material and the epoxy-filled patch to the epoxy contained therein to cure the same.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the electromagnetic applicator is a dielectric barrier discharge applicator.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the dielectric barrier discharge applicator comprises:
a pair of electrodes; and a dielectric layer and an air gap positioned to separate the electrodes so that current flowing through the pair of electrodes flows through the dielectric layer to generate the plasma.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the dielectric barrier discharge applicator is a hand-held dielectric barrier discharge applicator.

6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the dielectric barrier discharge applicator does not make physical contact with the composite material during the exposing step.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the composite material is a unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced composite material, a crossweaved carbon fiber reinforced composite material, or a hybrid composite consisting of carbon fibers and carbon nanomaterials.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the epoxy-filled patch is made of a carbon fiber material, a heat-sensitive thermosetting epoxy, or nanomaterials for additional reinforcement.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the area of the composite material in need of repair is repaired in situ.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the composite material in need of repair is a component of a 3-dimensional composite part.

11 . A layup manufacturing process of a composite part, comprising:
applying an epoxy to a first layer of composite material; laying a second layer of composite material onto the first layer to shape the composite material as a layup, said epoxy disposed between said first layer and said second layer; and heating the epoxy to cure it to bond the first layer to the second layer in the layup to form the composite part.

12 . The layup manufacturing process of claim 11 , wherein the heating step comprises:
positioning a dielectric barrier discharge applicator proximal to the layup, said dielectric barrier discharge applicator comprising a pair of electrodes with a dielectric layer and air gap positioned therebetween; heating resistively the composite material in the layup with a plasma produced when an electric current is applied across the pair of electrodes in the dielectric barrier discharge; and transferring heat from the composite material in the layup to the epoxy to cure the same in the shape of the composite part.

13 . The layup manufacturing process of claim 12 , wherein the dielectric barrier discharge applicator is stationary.

14 . The layup manufacturing process of claim 12 , wherein the dielectric barrier discharge applicator is movable relative to the layup.

15 . The layup manufacturing process of claim 12 , wherein the dielectric barrier discharge applicator is a hand-held dielectric barrier discharge applicator.

16 . The layup manufacturing process of claim 12 , wherein prior to the heating step, the method further comprises:
repeating the applying step and the laying step at least once until the composite material is shaped as the composite part.

17 . The layup manufacturing process of claim 12 , wherein the composite material is a carbon fiber reinforced composite material or a composite material filled with carbon nanotubes, carbon black or chopped fibers.

18 . A system for manufacturing a 3-dimensional composite part, comprising:
a supply of a prepreg composite material stored on a spool; a supply of an epoxy material; an extruder configured to dispense the prepreg composite material and the epoxy material; and a dielectric barrier discharge applicator positioned proximal to the extruder configured to generate a plasma to resistively heat the prepreg composite material and to cure the epoxy material as they are dispensed by the extruder, said 3-dimensional composite part formed thereby.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the prepreg composite material is a carbon fiber reinforced composite material.

20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the dielectric barrier discharge applicator comprises a pair of electrodes with a dielectric layer and air gap positioned therebetween.

Assignees

• Texas A & M Univ Sys
• Essentium Ipco Llc

Inventors

• Sarmah Anubhav
• Green Micah J
• Dasari Smita Shivraj
• Carey Daniel
• Nagabandi Nirup

Classifications

• B29C35/12 Primary

  Dielectric heating · CPC title

• B29C73/12

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

• B29K2063/00

  Use of {EP, i.e.} epoxy resins {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B29C73/10

  using patches sealing on the surface of the article (B29C73/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C73/34

  for local heating · CPC title