System and method for repairing a structural component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9457553-B2
Application number	US-201213721935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2012
Priority date	Dec 22, 2011
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

A system for repairing a structural component, in particular an aircraft structural component, includes a repair patch which is connected to the structural component in such a manner that it covers an opening in the structural component resulting from removing a damaged region of the structural component. A sensor is fastened to the repair patch in a region of the repair patch covering the opening in the structural component and is designed to detect strains and/or stresses occurring in the repair patch. An evaluating device is adapted to evaluate the strain values and/or stress values detected by the sensor and, in dependence on the result of this evaluation, output a signal which is characteristic of the quality state of the connection between the structural component and the repair patch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. System for repair of a structural component, in particular an aircraft structural component, having:
a repair patch which is connected to the structural component in such a manner that it covers an opening in the structural component resulting from removing a damaged region of the structural component,
a sensor which is fastened to the repair patch in a region of the repair patch covering the opening in the structural component and is configured to detect at least one of strains and stresses occurring in the repair patch,
a bridge element which is temporarily connectable to the structural component in such a manner that it spans a section of the structural component comprising the repair patch,
a sealing system which is configured to seal a space, defined by the bridge element and the section of the structural component spanned by the bridge element, against the outside atmosphere,
a negative pressure-generating device configured to generate, in the space sealed against the outside atmosphere by the sealing system, a pressure which is reduced relative to the ambient pressure, and
an evaluating device which is configured to evaluate at least one of the strain values and the stress values detected by the sensor and, in dependence on the result of this evaluation, output a signal which is characteristic of the quality state of the connection between the structural component and the repair patch to enable immediate checking of a quality of the repair patch,
wherein the bridge element comprises a base and a carrier supported by the base, the base keeping the carrier at a distance from a surface of the repair patch and the structural component to define said space sealed by the sealing system, and
wherein the negative pressure-generating device generates in the sealed space a reduced pressure acting on the repair patch, the reduced pressure corresponding to a differential pressure acting on the repair patch when the aircraft is flying at cruising altitude.

2. System according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor is fastened to the repair patch in the region of an inner surface of the repair patch.

3. System according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor is integrated into a measuring module, which further comprises at least one of:
a data store for storing the at least one of the strain values and the stress values detected by the sensor and
a transmitter for wireless transmission of signals.

4. System according to claim 3 ,
wherein the evaluating device is integrated into the measuring module and the transmitter is configured to transmit the signal, outputted by the evaluating device and characteristic of the quality state of the connection between the structural component and the repair patch, to a receiving device.

5. System according to claim 3 ,
wherein the evaluating device is integrated into a receiving device and the transmitter is configured to transmit the at least one of the strain values and the stress values, detected by the sensor, to the receiving device.

6. System according to claim 3 ,
wherein the evaluating device is integrated into a receiving device and the transmitter is configured to transmit at least one of the strain values and the stress values stored in the data store, to the receiving device.

7. System according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sealing system comprises a vacuum film covering the bridge element and connected to the structural component, and a sealing element for sealing the vacuum film against the structural component.

8. Method for repair of a structural component, in particular an aircraft structural component, having the steps:
connecting a repair patch to the structural component in such a manner that the repair patch covers an opening in the structural component resulting from removing a damaged region of the structural component,
fastening a sensor, which is configured to detect at least one of strains and stresses occurring in the repair patch, to a region of the repair patch covering the opening in the structural component,
temporarily connecting a bridge element to the structural component in such a manner that the bridge element spans a section of the structural component comprising the repair patch,
sealing a space, defined by the bridge element and the section of the structural component spanned by the bridge element, against the outside atmosphere,
generating, in the space sealed against the outside atmosphere by the sealing system, a pressure which is reduced relative to the ambient pressure,
evaluating at least one of the strain values and the stress values detected by the sensor by comparing the at least one of strains and stresses detected by the sensor with a threshold value which is characteristic of a desired quality state of the connection between the structural component and the repair patch to enable immediate checking of a quality of the repair patch, and
outputting a signal which is characteristic of the quality state of the connection between the structural component and the repair patch, in dependence on the result of said comparing operation,
wherein the bridge element comprises a base and a carrier supported by the base and connecting the bridge element, so that the base keeps the carrier at a distance from a surface of the repair patch and the structural component to define said space sealed by said sealing, and
wherein generating the pressure comprises generating in the sealed space a reduced pressure acting on the repair patch, so that the reduced pressure corresponds to a differential pressure acting on the repair patch when the aircraft is flying at cruising altitude.

9. Method according to claim 8 ,
wherein the sensor is fastened to the repair patch in the region of an inner surface of the repair patch.

10. Method according to claim 8 ,
wherein the method further comprises at least one of:
storing the at least one of the strain values and the stress values detected by the sensor in a data store which is integrated into a measuring module also comprising the sensor, and
wirelessly transmitting signals by means of a transmitter which is integrated into a measuring module also comprising the sensor.

11. Method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the at least one of the strain values and the stress values detected by the sensor are evaluated by means of an evaluating device integrated into the measuring module, and the transmitter transmits the signal, outputted by the evaluating device and characteristic of the quality state of the connection between the structural component and the repair patch, to a receiving device.

12. Method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the at least one of the strain values and the stress values detected by the sensor are evaluated by means of an evaluating device integrated into a receiving device, and the transmitter transmits the at least one of the strain values and the stress values, detected by the sensor, to the receiving device.

13. Method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the at least one of the strain values and the stress values detected by the sensor are evaluated by an evaluating device integrated in to a receiving device, and the transmitter transmits the at least one of the strain values and the stress values stored in the data store, to the receiving device.

14. Method according to claim 8 ,
wherein the space defined by the bridge element and the section of the structural component spanned by the bridge element is sealed against the outside atmosphere by means of a sealing system which comprises a vacuum film covering the bridge element and connected to the structural component,

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Stehmeiner Heiner
• Bockenheimer Clemens

Classifications

• B29C73/10 Primary

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

• B64F5/0081

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B32B41/00 Primary

  Arrangements for controlling or monitoring lamination processes; Safety arrangements · CPC title

• B29C73/24

  Apparatus or accessories not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64F5/40

  Maintaining or repairing aircraft · CPC title