Pressurized composite fluid lines and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9908634-B2
Application number	US-201615138377-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2016
Priority date	Apr 26, 2016
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A fluid line adapted to contain a pressurized fluid imposing loads on the line that vary along its length comprises a tube formed of a fiber reinforced plastic, wherein the fibers are locally tailored along the length of the tube to meet local load requirements. The tube is consolidated within a volumetric chamber having separate, individually controlled chamber compartments for respectively consolidating different segments of the tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid line adapted to contain a pressurized fluid imposing varying loads on the line, comprising:
a tube formed of plastic reinforced with fibers, wherein the fibers are locally tailored along a length of the tube;
wherein the fibers are braided and include fiber orientations that are locally optimized to meet local load requirements in an area of a bend along the length of the tube by varying an angle formed between the fibers in the area of the bend.

2. The fluid line of claim 1 , wherein the plastic is a thermoplastic.

3. The fluid line of claim 1 , wherein the plastic is a thermoset.

4. The fluid line of claim 1 , wherein a density of the fibers varies along the length of the tube.

5. The fluid line of claim 1 , wherein the fibers include:
axial fibers having 0 degree fiber orientations, and
braid fibers having angled fiber orientations that vary along at least a portion of the length of the tube.

6. The fluid line of claim 1 , wherein the fibers include an overwrapping of fibers having a 90 degree fiber orientation.

7. The fluid line of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the tube has a cross sectional area having a non-uniform fiber density such that at least one outside radius section comprises additional fibers that give the cross sectional area the non-uniform fiber density, wherein the additional fibers were added during a braiding process.

8. A fuel line, comprising:
at least a first tube adapted to contain a pressurized fuel, the first tube including a plurality of laminated layers of a braided composites;
at least a second tube adapted to contain a pressurized fuel, the second tube including a plurality of laminated layers of a braided composite;
a coupling between the first and second tubes, wherein the coupling is formed of a fiber reinforced plastic; and
at least one bracket for mounting the fuel line on a supporting structure, wherein the bracket is formed of a fiber reinforced plastic.

9. The fuel line of claim 8 , wherein the braided composite includes a plurality of sleeves of braided reinforcing fibers held in a plastic matrix.

10. The fuel line of claim 8 , wherein reinforcing fibers have fiber orientations that are tailored to meet varying load requirements along a length of the first tube.

11. The fuel line of claim 9 , wherein a density of the fibers varies along a length of the tube.

12. The fuel line of claim 8 , wherein the braided composite includes a plurality of laminated sleeves of braided reinforcing fibers held in a plastic matrix.

13. The fuel line of claim 12 , wherein the plastic matrix is a thermoplastic.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Shome Moushumi

Classifications

• F16L9/085

  Reinforced pipes · CPC title

• F16L9/128 Primary

  Reinforced pipes · CPC title

• F16L11/16

  wound from profiled strips or bands · CPC title

• F16L11/14

  made of rigid material, e.g. metal or hard plastics · CPC title

• F16L9/12

  of plastics with or without reinforcement (F16L9/16 - F16L9/22 take precedence) · CPC title