Patent Application
20250162269
This disclosure relates generally to composite structures, and more particularly to repairing composite structures using a repair tool.
Many structures are made of fiber-reinforced polymers because of their high strength and low weight. However, repairing damage to fiber-reinforced polymer structures can be complicated, time-intensive, and expensive. Although some techniques, such as scarf repair techniques, have been designed specifically to repair fiber-reinforced polymer structures, such techniques still suffer from several shortcomings. For example, some conventional scarf repairs to fiber-reinforced polymer structures result in warping of the structures, at least partially due to the pressure and heat associated with the repairs. Accordingly, maintaining the contour of a contoured structure made of a fiber-reinforced polymer, during a repair of the structure, can be difficult.
The subject matter of the present application has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the shortcomings of composite structure repair that have not yet been fully solved by currently available techniques. Accordingly, the subject matter of the present application has been developed to provide a method of repairing a composite structure that overcomes at least some of the above-discussed shortcomings of prior art techniques.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 1 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 1, a method of repairing a contoured composite structure made of fiber-reinforced polymer plies is disclosed. The method includes applying a first facesheet, made of a first cured material, onto a contoured surface of the contoured composite structure such that the first facesheet overlays a structural abnormality of the contoured composite structure and conforms to the shape of the contoured surface. The method also includes adhering a core layer to the first facesheet such that the core layer overlays the structural abnormality of the contoured composite structure and conforms to the shape of the contoured surface. The method additionally includes adhering a second facesheet, made of a second cured material, to the core layer such that the core layer is sandwiched between the first facesheet and the second facesheet, the second facesheet overlays the structural abnormality of the contoured composite structure, and the second facesheet conforms to the shape of the contoured surface. The first facesheet, the core layer, and the second facesheet form a repair tool. The method further includes removing the repair tool from the contoured surface of the contoured composite structure. After removing the repair tool from the contoured surface of the contoured composite structure, the method includes replacing the structural abnormality of the contoured composite structure with an uncured repair structure. The method also includes reapplying the repair tool onto the contoured surface such that the repair tool overlays the uncured repair structure. When the repair tool is reapplied onto the contoured surface over the uncured repair structure, the method additionally includes curing the uncured repair structure.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 2 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 2, which encompasses example 1, above, adhering the core layer to the first facesheet includes applying a first adhesive between the first facesheet and the core layer, and at least partially curing the first adhesive.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 3 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 3, which encompasses example 2, above, adhering the second facesheet to the core layer includes applying a second adhesive between the second facesheet and the core layer, and at least partially curing the second adhesive.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 4 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 4, which encompasses example 3, above, the first adhesive and the second adhesive are at least partially cured at a first cure temperature, the uncured repair structure is cured at a second cure temperature, and the second cure temperature is greater than the first cure temperature.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 5 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 5, which encompasses example 4, above, the second cure temperature is at least 1.8 times higher than the first cure temperature.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 6 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 6, which encompasses any one of examples 4 or 5, above, the first adhesive and the second adhesive are partially cured at the first cure temperature. The method further includes, after removing the repair tool from the contoured surface and before reapplying the repair tool onto the contoured surface, fully curing the first adhesive and the second adhesive at a third cure temperature greater than the first cure temperature.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 7 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 7, which encompasses any one of examples 1-6, above, each one of the first facesheet and the second facesheet includes no more than two plies of the first cured material and the second cured material, respectively.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 8 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 8, which encompasses any one of examples 1-7, above, the method further includes, before applying the first facesheet onto the contoured surface, applying a first stick-resistant sheet onto the contoured surface such that the first stick-resistant sheet is interposed between the first facesheet and the contoured surface. The method also includes removing the first stick-resistant sheet from the contoured surface after removing the repair tool from the contoured surface. The method additionally includes, before reapplying the repair tool onto the contoured surface, applying a second stick-resistant sheet onto the contoured surface such that the second stick-resistant sheet is interposed between the repair tool and the contoured surface.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 9 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 9, which encompasses any one of examples 1-8, above, curing the uncured repair structure includes applying pressure to the repair tool and the uncured repair structure and, when applying the pressure, heating the uncured repair structure.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 10 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 10, a method of repairing an abnormal contoured composite structure made of fiber-reinforced polymer plies is disclosed. The method includes applying a first facesheet, made of a first cured material, onto a normal contoured surface of a normal contoured composite structure such that the first facesheet overlays and conforms to the shape of the normal contoured surface. The shape of the normal contoured surface matches the shape of an abnormal contoured surface of the abnormal contoured composite structure. A structural abnormality of the abnormal contoured composite structure is formed in or under the abnormal contoured surface. The method also includes adhering a core layer to the first facesheet such that the core layer overlays the normal contoured surface of the normal contoured composite structure and conforms to the shape of the normal contoured surface. The method further includes adhering a second facesheet, made of a second cured material, to the core layer such that the core layer is sandwiched between the first facesheet and the second facesheet, the second facesheet overlays the normal contoured surface, and the second facesheet conforms to the shape of the normal contoured surface. The first facesheet, the core layer, and the second facesheet form a repair tool. The method also includes removing the repair tool from the normal contoured surface of the normal contoured composite structure and replacing the structural abnormality of the abnormal contoured composite structure with an uncured repair structure. The method additionally includes applying the repair tool onto the abnormal contoured surface of the abnormal contoured composite structure such that the repair tool overlays the uncured repair structure, and, when the repair tool is applied onto the abnormal contoured surface over the uncured repair structure, curing the uncured repair structure.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 11 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 11, which encompasses example 10, above, adhering the core layer to the first facesheet includes applying a first adhesive between the first facesheet and the core layer, and at least partially curing the first adhesive.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 12 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 12, which encompasses example 11, above, adhering the second facesheet to the core layer includes applying a second adhesive between the second facesheet and the core layer, and at least partially curing the second adhesive.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 13 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 13, which encompasses example 12, above, the first adhesive and the second adhesive are at least partially cured at a first cure temperature, the uncured repair structure is cured at a second cure temperature, and the second cure temperature is greater than the first cure temperature.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 14 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 14, which encompasses example 13, above, the second cure temperature is at least 1.8 times higher than the first cure temperature.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 15 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 15, which encompasses any one of examples 13-14, above, the first adhesive and the second adhesive are partially cured at the first cure temperature. The method further includes, after removing the repair tool from the normal contoured surface and before applying the repair tool onto the contoured surface of the contoured composite structure, fully curing the first adhesive and the second adhesive at a third cure temperature greater than the first cure temperature.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 16 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 16, which encompasses any one of examples 10-15, above, each one of the first facesheet and the second facesheet includes no more than two plies of the first cured material and the second cured material, respectively.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 17 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 17, which encompasses any one of examples 10-16, above, the method further includes, before applying the first facesheet onto the normal contoured surface, applying a first stick-resistant sheet onto the normal contoured surface such that the first stick-resistant sheet is interposed between the first facesheet and the normal contoured surface. The method also includes, before applying the repair tool onto the contoured surface of the contoured composite structure, applying a second stick-resistant sheet onto the contoured surface such that the second stick-resistant sheet is interposed between the repair tool and the contoured surface.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 18 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 18, which encompasses any one of examples 10-17, above, curing the uncured repair structure includes applying pressure to the repair tool and the uncured repair structure and, when applying the pressure, heating the uncured repair structure.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 19 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 19, a method of forming a repair tool for repairing an abnormal contoured composite structure made of fiber-reinforced polymer plies is disclosed. The method includes applying a first facesheet, made of a first cured material, onto one of: (1) an abnormal contoured surface of the abnormal contoured composite structure such that the first facesheet overlays a structural abnormality of the abnormal contoured composite structure and conforms to the shape of the abnormal contoured surface; or (2) a normal contoured surface of a normal contoured composite structure such that the first facesheet overlays and conforms to the shape of the normal contoured surface, wherein the shape of the normal contoured surface matches the shape of the abnormal contoured surface of the abnormal contoured composite structure. The structural abnormality of the abnormal contoured composite structure is formed in or under the abnormal contoured surface. The method also includes adhering a core layer to the first facesheet such that the core layer conforms to the shape of the first facesheet. The method additionally includes adhering a second facesheet, made of a second cured material, to the core layer such that the core layer is sandwiched between the first facesheet and the second facesheet, and the second facesheet conforms to the shape of the core layer. The method further includes removing the first facesheet, the core layer, and the second facesheet from either the abnormal contoured surface of the abnormal contoured composite structure or the normal contoured surface of the normal contoured composite structure.
The following portion of this paragraph delineates example 20 of the subject matter, disclosed herein. According to example 20, which encompasses example 19, above, adhering the core layer to the first facesheet includes applying a first adhesive between the first facesheet and the core layer and at least partially curing the first adhesive. Adhering the second facesheet to the core layer includes applying a second adhesive between the second facesheet and the core layer, and at least partially curing the second adhesive.
The described features, structures, advantages, and/or characteristics of the subject matter of the present disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments and/or implementations. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to impart a thorough understanding of embodiments of the subject matter of the present disclosure. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the subject matter of the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of the specific features, details, components, materials, and/or methods of a particular embodiment or implementation. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments and/or implementations that may not be present in all embodiments or implementations. Further, in some instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the subject matter of the present disclosure. The features and advantages of the subject matter of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the subject matter as set forth hereinafter.
In order that the advantages of the subject matter may be more readily understood, a more particular description of the subject matter briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the subject matter and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the subject matter will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the drawings, in which:
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment. Similarly, the use of the term “implementation” means an implementation having a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, however, absent an express correlation to indicate otherwise, an implementation may be associated with one or more embodiments.
Several tooling techniques exist for the purpose of maintaining the contour of a fiber-reinforced polymer structure during the repair of the structure. Some tooling techniques include foam tooling, fiberglass tooling, aluminum tooling, and carbon tooling. Although certain conventional tooling techniques promote maintenance of the contour of a structure during a repair process, the techniques can be time consuming and require expensing repair tools. Additionally, some conventional tooling techniques requiring excess heating of the part being repaired, which can lead to warping of the part. Disclosed herein are examples of methods of repairing contoured composite structures with repair tools in a timely and inexpensive manner, and in a manner that promotes the integrity of the structures under repair. According to some examples, the methods disclosed herein utilize the contour of a structure under repair, or a matching structure, to form a repair tool having a strong sandwich-panel construction that is cured at a low curing temperature, and that is stiff enough to facilitate shallow and deep repairs using any of various repair techniques.
Referring to
The depicted aircraft 100 includes a body 112 (e.g., fuselage), a pair of wings 114 coupled to and extending from the body 112, a vertical stabilizer 116 coupled to the body 112, and a pair of horizontal stabilizers 118 coupled to the body 112 and/or the vertical stabilizer 116. As depicted, the aircraft 100 represents a passenger airplane. Any of various parts or components of the aircraft 100 can include a contoured composite structure 130 made of a fiber-reinforced polymer (see, e.g.,
Referring to
The contoured composite structure 130 can be made of one or more fiber-reinforced polymer plies. In the illustrated example of
The fiber-reinforced polymer plies of the contoured composite structure 130 are laid up in a stacked formation. According to some examples, each fiber-reinforced polymer ply of the contoured composite structure 130 includes unidirectional fibers embedded within a polymer resin, a fabric embedded within a polymer resin, or both unidirectional fibers and a fabric embedded within a polymer resin (e.g., hybrid laminates).
When each fiber-reinforced polymer ply includes unidirectional fibers embedded within a polymer resin, the unidirectional fibers can be any of various fibers, such as carbon fibers, glass fibers, and the like. Each fiber of the unidirectional fibers is between about 5-20 micrometers in diameter and has a length-to-diameter aspect ratio that, while length dependent, is conventionally greater than 10,000:1. In some implementations, each unidirectional fiber has a diameter at least equal to or greater than 1 micrometer. Moreover, each fiber of the unidirectional fibers has a planar or sheet-like atomic structure. The polymer resin can be any of various thermoset polymer resins or epoxies known in the art. The unidirectional fibers are embedded in the polymer resin when the polymer resin is in a pre-cured state. In the pre-cured state, the polymer resin is relatively soft, pliable, and flexible. As the polymer resin is cured, by heating the polymer resin to a cure temperature of the polymer resin, the polymer resin becomes hard and stiff. After heating the polymer resin and well before reaching the cure temperature, a viscosity of the polymer resin decreases and the polymer resin becomes flowable. For a given fiber-reinforced polymer ply, the fibers are unidirectional because each fiber is lengthwise parallel to a given direction. The direction of the unidirectional fibers of a fiber-reinforced polymer ply is dependent on the orientation of the fiber-reinforced polymer ply in the contoured composite structure 130. To promote strength in multiple directions, the fiber-reinforced polymer plies of the contoured composite structure 130 are oriented relative to each other such that the unidirectional fibers of one fiber-reinforced polymer ply are parallel to a direction that is different than the unidirectional fibers of any directly adjacent fiber-reinforced polymer ply.
When each fiber-reinforced polymer ply includes a fabric embedded within a polymer resin, the fabric can be a woven fabric or the fabric can form a fabric weave. The fabric weave can be any of various types of weaves, such as plain weave, satin weave, tri-axial braided weave, 8-harness weave, twill weave, basket weave, three-dimensional knitted weave, and the like. The fabric weave is embedded in the polymer resin when the polymer resin is in a pre-cured state. As mentioned above, in the pre-cured state, the polymer resin is relatively soft, pliable, and flexible. As the polymer resin is cured, by heating the polymer resin to a cure temperature of the polymer resin, the polymer resin becomes hard and stiff.
The contoured composite structure 130 is in a final state (e.g., a finished product). In some examples, the contoured composite structure 130 is a finished product that has been in use for an intended purpose, such as an aircraft that has experienced one or more flights. Accordingly, the fiber-reinforced polymer plies of the contoured composite structure 130 are in a cured state (e.g., the polymer undergoes an irreversible curing or cross-linking process that prevents resoftening, reapplication, or rehardening of the polymer). Prior to curing the fiber-reinforced polymer plies together, the plies are stacked together in desired orientations relative to each other to produce desired fiber angles. After the fiber-reinforced polymer plies are in the desired orientations, the plies are heated to the curing temperature of the plies to cure the plies and effectively bond the plies together. According to some examples, an outer surface of an outermost one of the multiple plies of the contoured composite structure 130 defines the contoured surface 132. However, in some implementations, one or more additional plies or layers, such as a paint layer, a sealant layer, a protective coating, etc., are deposited onto the plies and form the contoured surface 132 of the contoured composite structure 130.
The contoured composite structure 130 may have a structural abnormality 110, such as a crack, delamination, impact damage, etc. In the illustrated example, the structural abnormality 110 is represented as a crack. The structural abnormality 110 can be the result of a defect created during the manufacturing or assembly of the contoured composite structure 130, or it can be developed during use of the contoured composite structure 130. In some situations, as shown, the structural abnormality 110 is formed in the contoured surface 132 and extends a depth into the contoured composite structure 130. However, in other situations, such as is associated with a delamination, the structural abnormality 110 is not formed in the contoured surface 132 and is located below the contoured surface 132 at some depth within the contoured composite structure 130.
To eliminate the structural abnormality 110 and ensure safe and continued use of the contoured composite structure 130, the structural abnormality 110 can be removed using any of various removal methods, such as a scarf repair method. Generally, most removal methods result in a repair structure (see, e.g., uncured repair structure 170 of
According to
Before applying the first facesheet 122A onto the contoured surface 132, the first facesheet 122A has a shape that is different than that of the contoured surface 132. In some examples, as shown, the first facesheet 122A, prior to application onto the contoured surface 132, is flat or planar. As the first facesheet 122A is applied onto the contoured surface 132, the first facesheet 122A conforms to the shape (e.g., contour or curvature) of the contoured surface 132. That is, the first facesheet 122A flexes, deforms, or is reshaped as it is applied onto the contoured surface 132, such that it takes the same shape as the contoured surface 132. Accordingly, the first facesheet 122A is less rigid or more pliable than the contoured surface 132. In certain examples, the first facesheet 122A is semi-rigid or pliable enough to be reshaped into the shape of the contoured surface 132 with only manually applied pressure. However, the first facesheet 122A is made of a cured material, such as a cured fiber-reinforced polymer material or a cured non-fibrous polymer material, such that the cured material of the first facesheet 122A has undergone an irreversible curing or cross-linking process. Despite the cured material being cured, the flexibility of the first facesheet 122A is enabled in view of the relative thinness of the first facesheet 122A. According to one example, the first facesheet 122A is made of only two stacked plies of fiber-reinforced polymeric material. For example, the first facesheet 122A can be made of a 2-ply carbon fiber sheet or fiberglass sheet. In some examples, each one of the facesheets disclosed herein can have a thickness between, and inclusive of, 0.014 inches and 0.022 inches (e.g., around 0.017 inches). Accordingly, for facesheets having two plies, each ply is equal to one-half of the thickness of the facesheet.
To promote the release of the first facesheet 122A from the contoured surface 132 after the repair tool 160 is formed on the contoured surface 132, a first stick-resistant sheet 120 can be applied directly onto the contoured surface 132 before applying the first facesheet 122A onto the contoured surface 132. In this manner, the first stick-resistant sheet 120 is interposed between the first facesheet 122A and the contoured surface 132. Accordingly, as used herein, the first facesheet 122A, or another layer or sheet, is considered to be applied onto the contoured surface 132 even if an intervening layer, such as the first stick-resistant sheet 120, is positioned therebetween. The first stick-resistant sheet 120 can be any of various flexible sheets that promotes a low-stick interface between the contoured surface 132 and the first facesheet 122A. In one example, the first stick-resistant sheet 120 is a sheet of fluorinated ethylene propylene, another copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene, or any of various other low stick materials. The flexibility of the first stick-resistant sheet 120 enables the first stick-resistant sheet 120 to conform to the shape of the contoured surface 132.
After the first facesheet 122A is applied onto the contoured composite structure 130 at block 202, and referring to
The core layer 126 is configured to support the first facesheet 122A relative to a second facesheet 122B, and to increase the flexural stiffness of the repair tool 160 with little weight gain. The core layer 126 can be a sheet of any of various types of lightweight materials and structures. For example, the core layer 126 can be a honeycomb core having an array of honeycomb-shaped cells 178 made of any of various materials, such as metal (e.g., aluminum), non-metal (e.g., fibrous paper materials) (see, e.g.,
After the core layer 126 is applied onto the contoured composite structure 130 at block 204, and again referring to
Before applying the second facesheet 122B onto the core layer 126, the second facesheet 122B has a shape that is different than that of the contoured surface 132. In some examples, as shown, the second facesheet 122B, prior to application onto the core layer 126, is flat or planar. As the second facesheet 122B is applied onto the core layer 126, the second facesheet 122B conforms to the shape (e.g., contour or curvature) of the core layer 126, and thus conforms to the shape of the contoured surface 132. That is, the second facesheet 122B flexes, deforms, or is reshaped as it is applied onto the core layer 126, such that it takes the same shape as the core layer 126 and the contoured surface 132. Accordingly, the second facesheet 122B is less rigid or more pliable than the contoured surface 132. In certain examples, the second facesheet 122B is semi-rigid or pliable enough to be reshaped into the shape of the contoured surface 132 with only manually applied pressure. Like the first facesheet 122A, the second facesheet 122B is made of a cured material, such as such as a cured fiber-reinforced polymer material or a cured non-fibrous polymer material, such that the cured material of the second facesheet 122B has undergone an irreversible curing or cross-linking process. Despite the cured material being cured, the flexibility of the second facesheet 122B is enabled in view of the relative thinness of the second facesheet 122B. According to some examples, the second facesheet 122B has the same configuration of plies as and is made of the same material as the first facesheet 122A. However, in other examples, the second facesheet 122B has a different ply configuration or is made of a different material than the first facesheet 122A.
The core layer 126, the first facesheet 122A, being adhered to the core layer 126, and the second facesheet 122B, being adhered to the core layer 126, collectively form the repair tool 160. In this manner, according to the method 200, the repair tool 160 is formed on the contoured composite structure 130 having the structural abnormality 110. Forming the repair tool 160 on the contoured composite structure 130 helps to ensure the contour of the repair tool 160 (i.e., a contour of the structure interface surface 162 or innermost surface of the repair tool 160 (see, e.g.,
As described above, the first facesheet 122A and the second facesheet 122B are fully cured in advance of applying the facesheets onto the contoured composite structure 130. The first facesheet 122A and the second facesheet 122B can be cured using any of various techniques at the same location as that of the repair of the contoured composite structure 130, or a remote location. Because the facesheets are cured before application onto the contoured composite structure 130 and at a location away from the contoured composite structure 130, the facesheets can be cured at any of various curing temperatures for any amount of time, even those that may otherwise be destructive to the contoured composite structure 130. Moreover, the curing of the facesheets being performed in advance of the repair of the contoured composite structure 130 means the fabrication of the facesheets will not delay the repair process. The layup and curing of the first facesheet 122A and the second facesheet 122B can be done on a planar tooling surface, which simplifies the curing process. In certain examples, the first facesheet 122A and the second facesheet 122B can be cut from a larger sheet of 2-ply cured fiber-reinforcement polymer material.
According to some examples, as shown in
The first adhesive 124A and the second adhesive 124B can be the same type of adhesive or different types of adhesive. In certain examples, the first adhesive 124A and the second adhesive 124B are thermoset adhesives. Each one of the first adhesive 124A and the second adhesive 124B can be a paste adhesive that can be partially or fully cured at room temperature, in one instance, or at a temperature no higher than 160° F., in another instance. When the partial or full cure temperature is greater than room temperature, as shown in
The first adhesive 124A can be applied between the first facesheet 122A and the core layer 126, and the second adhesive 124B can be applied between the second facesheet 122B and the core layer 126, in various ways. As shown in
Referring to
As shown in
In those examples where the first adhesive 124A and the second adhesive 124B are only partially cured on the contoured composite structure 130, the adhesives can be fully cured after the repair tool 160 is removed from the contoured composite structure 130. For example, as shown in
With the repair tool 160 removed from the contoured composite structure 130, and referring to
After the uncured repair structure 170 has replaced the structural abnormality 110, and referring to
After the repair tool 160 is reapplied onto the contoured surface 132 over the uncured repair structure 170, and referring to
According to a second example, and referring to
Like the method 200, the method 300 further includes (block 304) adhering the core layer 126 to the first facesheet 122A and (block 306) adhering the second facesheet 122B to the core layer 126 such that the core layer 126 is sandwiched between the first facesheet 122A and the second facesheet 122B. Instead of removing the repair tool 160 from the contoured composite structure 130, like with the method 200, the method 300 instead includes (block 308) removing the repair tool 160 from the normal contoured surface 164 of the normal contoured composite structure 130A. The method 300 further includes (block 310) replacing the structural abnormality 110 of the abnormal contoured composite structure 130 with an uncured repair structure 170, (block 312) applying the repair tool 160 onto the abnormal contoured surface 132 of the abnormal contoured composite structure 130, and (block 314) curing the uncured repair structure 170, which are effectively the same as the steps of block 210, block 212, and block 214 of the method 200. The method 300 is effective when a contoured composite part matching the contoured composite part with the structural abnormality is available and in a location proximate the repair location.
Referring to
In the above description, certain terms may be used such as “up,” “down,” “upper,” “lower,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “left,” “right,” “over,” “under” and the like. These terms are used, where applicable, to provide some clarity of description when dealing with relative relationships. But, these terms are not intended to imply absolute relationships, positions, and/or orientations. For example, with respect to an object, an “upper” surface can become a “lower” surface simply by turning the object over. Nevertheless, it is still the same object. Further, the terms “including,” “comprising,” “having,” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to” unless expressly specified otherwise. An enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive and/or mutually inclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” also refer to “one or more” unless expressly specified otherwise. Further, the term “plurality” can be defined as “at least two.” Moreover, unless otherwise noted, as defined herein a plurality of particular features does not necessarily mean every particular feature of an entire set or class of the particular features.
Additionally, instances in this specification where one element is “coupled” to another element can include direct and indirect coupling. Direct coupling can be defined as one element coupled to and in some contact with another element. Indirect coupling can be defined as coupling between two elements not in direct contact with each other, but having one or more additional elements between the coupled elements. Further, as used herein, securing one element to another element can include direct securing and indirect securing. Additionally, as used herein, “adjacent” does not necessarily denote contact. For example, one element can be adjacent another element without being in contact with that element.
As used herein, the phrase “at least one of”, when used with a list of items, means different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used and only one of the items in the list may be needed. The item may be a particular object, thing, or category. In other words, “at least one of” means any combination of items or number of items may be used from the list, but not all of the items in the list may be required. For example, “at least one of item A, item B, and item C” may mean item A; item A and item B; item B; item A, item B, and item C; or item B and item C. In some cases, “at least one of item A, item B, and item C” may mean, for example, without limitation, two of item A, one of item B, and ten of item C; four of item B and seven of item C; or some other suitable combination.
Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used herein merely as labels, and are not intended to impose ordinal, positional, or hierarchical requirements on the items to which these terms refer. Moreover, reference to, e.g., a “second” item does not require or preclude the existence of, e.g., a “first” or lower-numbered item, and/or, e.g., a “third” or higher-numbered item.
As used herein, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured to” perform a specified function is indeed capable of performing the specified function without any alteration, rather than merely having potential to perform the specified function after further modification. In other words, the system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured to” perform a specified function is specifically selected, created, implemented, utilized, programmed, and/or designed for the purpose of performing the specified function. As used herein, “configured to” denotes existing characteristics of a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware which enable the system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware to perform the specified function without further modification. For purposes of this disclosure, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware described as being “configured to” perform a particular function may additionally or alternatively be described as being “adapted to” and/or as being “operative to” perform that function.
The schematic flow chart diagrams included herein are generally set forth as logical flow chart diagrams. As such, the depicted order and labeled steps are indicative of one embodiment of the presented method. Other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function, logic, or effect to one or more steps, or portions thereof, of the illustrated method. Additionally, the format and symbols employed are provided to explain the logical steps of the method and are understood not to limit the scope of the method. Although various arrow types and line types may be employed in the flow chart diagrams, they are understood not to limit the scope of the corresponding method. Indeed, some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logical flow of the method. For instance, an arrow may indicate a waiting or monitoring period of unspecified duration between enumerated steps of the depicted method. Additionally, the order in which a particular method occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order of the corresponding steps shown.
The present subject matter may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
