Method of producing a fibre reinforced structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9333712-B2
Application number	US-201213440324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2012
Priority date	Apr 14, 2011
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

A method in which a fiber material is laid on a mold surface resembling a negative image of a fiber reinforced structure to be produced. Layering the fiber material on the mold surface includes laying rovings of the fiber material on the mold surface or on a fiber material already laid on the mold surface and applying an low pressure to a space between the rovings and the mold surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of laying a fibre material on a mould surface resembling a negative image of a fibre reinforced structure to be produced for a wind turbine blade, the laying comprising:
prior to infusing a resin and curing;
placing an air tight cover over a mould surface;
applying a low pressure to a space between the air tight cover and the mould surface, and
providing the one-dimensional fibre structures on a reel, wherein the laying of the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures comprises rolling the reel in the low pressure space for laying the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures on the mould surface or on the fibre material already laid on the mould surface, or
providing the one-dimensional fibre structures in a cassette, wherein the laying of the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures comprises moving the cassette in the low pressure space for laying the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures on the mould surface or on the fibre material already laid on the mould surface; and
laying approximately one-dimensional fibre structures on the mould surface or on a fibre material already laid on the mould surface.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures are dry.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reel or cassette is moved over the mould surface while the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures are rolled off the reel or laid out of the cassette.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reel or cassette is held by a support means with rollers or wheels, and where the support means rolls over the mould surface when the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures are being laid on the mould surface or on a fibre material already laid on the mould surface.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reel or cassette is held by an arm of a support means, wherein the support means is moved along the mould with the mould surface when the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures are being laid on the mould surface or on a fibre material already laid on the mould surface.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reel or cassette is located beneath the air tight cover when the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures are being laid on the mould surface or on a fibre material already laid on the mould surface.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures are provided in a length equal to the dimension mould surface.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a defined individual tension is applied to each roving laid on the mould surface or on a fibre material already laid on the mould surface.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of parallel approximately one-dimensional fibre structures are simultaneously laid on the mould surface or on a fibre material already laid on the mould surface.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein for at least a portion of the parallel approximately one-dimensional fibre structures different qualities and/or different materials are used.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein multiple layers of approximately one-dimensional fibre structures are laid.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein for at least a portion of the multiple layers of approximately one-dimensional fibre structures different qualities and/or different materials are used.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein approximately one-dimensional fibre structures of different qualities and/or different materials are used.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mould includes channels in the mould surface, and wherein the channels are open towards the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures to be laid on the mould surface or towards the fibre material already laid on the mould surface.

15. A method of producing a fibre reinforced structure, comprising: laying a fibre material according to claim 1 ; and, subsequent to restricting the movement of the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures, infusing the resin in the fibre structures having been laid; and curing the infused fibre structures.

16. A method of laying a fibre material on a mould surface resembling a negative image of a fibre reinforced structure for a wind turbine blade, the laying comprising:
prior to infusing a resin and curing;
placing a cover over a mould surface;
applying a pressure to a space between the cover and the mould surface, and
providing the one-dimensional fibre structures on a reel, wherein the laying of the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures comprises rolling the reel in the pressurized space for laying the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures on the mould surface or on the fibre material already laid on the mould surface, or
providing the one-dimensional fibre structures in a cassette, wherein the laying of the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures comprises moving the cassette in the pressurized space for laying the approximately one-dimensional fibre structures on the mould surface or on the fibre material already laid on the mould surface; and
laying approximately one-dimensional fibre structures on the mould surface or on a fibre material already laid on the mould surface.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the cover comprises an air tight cover and the pressure is an underpressure applied in response to a vacuum formed in the space.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pressure comprises compression applied by the cover.

Assignees

• Schibsbye Karsten
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Schibsbye Karsten

Classifications

• B29C70/38

  Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns {(application heads for tyres B29D30/28)} · CPC title

• B29C70/443 Primary

  and impregnating by vacuum or injection · CPC title

• B29C67/00

  Shaping techniques not covered by groups B29C39/00 - B29C65/00, B29C70/00 or B29C73/00 · CPC title

• B29C70/06 Primary

  Fibrous reinforcements only · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title