Title: Manufacturing control systems and logic for prognosis of defects in composite materials

Abstract

Presented are manufacturing control systems for composite-material structures, methods for assembling/operating such systems, and transfer molding techniques for predicting and ameliorating void conditions in fiber-reinforced polymer panels. A method for forming a composite-material construction includes receiving a start signal indicating a fiber-based preform is inside a mold cavity, and transmitting a command signal to inject pressurized resin into the mold to induce resin flow within the mold cavity and impregnate the fiber-based preform. An electronic controller receives, from a distributed array of sensors attached to the mold, signals indicative of pressure and/or temperature at discrete locations on an interior face of the mold cavity. The controller determines a measurement deviation between a calibrated baseline value and the pressure and/or temperature values for each of the discrete locations. If any one of the respective measurement deviations exceeds a calibrated threshold, a void signal is generated to flag a detected void condition.

Inventors:

Ghanem, Roger G.; Aitharaju, Venkateshwar R.; Kia, Hamid G.

Issue Date:

Tue Jul 21 00:00:00 EDT 2020

Research Org.:

GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (United States); Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1735036

Patent Number(s):

10717244

Application Number:

15/899,412

Assignee:

GM Global Technology Operations LLC (Detroit, MI); University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B29 - WORKING OF PLASTICS B29C - SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS

C - CHEMISTRY C08 - ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS C08G - MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS

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B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B29 - WORKING OF PLASTICS B29C - SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS

B29C33/0066 - {with a subdivided channel for feeding the material to a plurality of locations}
B29C45/02 - Transfer moulding, i.e. transferring the required volume of moulding material by a plunger from a "shot" cavity into a mould cavity
B29C70/086 - {and with one or more layers of pure plastics material, e.g. foam layers
B29C70/10 - characterised by the structure of fibrous reinforcements {, e.g. hollow fibres}
B29C70/48 - and impregnating the reinforcements in the closed mould, e.g. resin transfer moulding [RTM] {, e.g. by vacuum}
B29C70/546 - {Measures for feeding or distributing the matrix material in the reinforcing structure}
B29C70/548 - {using distribution constructions, e.g. channels incorporated in or associated with the mould}

C - CHEMISTRY C08 - ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS C08G - MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS

C08G59/20 - characterised by the epoxy compounds used

C - CHEMISTRY C08 - ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS C08J - WORKING-UP

C08J5/04 - Reinforcing macromolecular compounds with loose or coherent fibrous material

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DOE Contract Number:  

EE0006826

Resource Type:

Patent

Resource Relation:

Patent File Date: 02/20/2018

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 42 ENGINEERING