Repair of thermoplastic composite structures by induction heating

通过感应加热修复热塑性复合材料结构

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-03738
• 负责人: Dubé, Martine
• 金额: $ 1.97万
• 依托单位: École de technologie supérieure
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=754432
• 关键词: Repair; thermoplastic; composite; structures; induction

To successfully achieve cost and weight reduction in the next generations of business and commercial airplanes, new advanced structural materials and processes must be developed. In the past decade, a class of fibre composite materials, i.e., thermoplastic composites, have been constantly gaining market share in the aerospace industry. Thermoplastic composites have some important advantages over the more conventional thermosetting composites among which their ability to be re-processed which allows them to be joined by welding (as opposed to mechanical fastening or adhesive bonding).Induction welding was identified as a promising welding process for thermoplastic composites. Induction heating is based on a high-frequency alternating electrical current circulating in a coil, which generates a time-variable magnetic field of the same frequency as the current. When an electrical conductor is placed in the vicinity of the coil, eddy currents are induced, creating heat by Joule losses. This principle is used to weld thermoplastic composites. In this case, an electromagnetic or electrically-conductive susceptor may be placed between the two adherends to be welded to localize heating at the weld interface. When the susceptor heats up, the temperature of the polymer located in its vicinity increases and when a pre-determined processing temperature is reached, the current is switched off and the weld interface cools down, under the application of pressure, resulting in a welded joint. In the current research program, I propose to develop further this process and use it to repair thermoplastic composite structures after they have been damaged. In effect, repair methods were developed for the more conventional thermosetting composites but never for thermoplastic composites, constraining the industry to replace the damaged components instead of repairing them, with associated negative cost and environmental impacts.Through modelling and experimental work, we intend to develop further the induction heating process and apply it to the repair of thermoplastic composite structures. Three research axes are proposed: (1) the development of new, more efficient, nanocomposite susceptors which will be used for repairing welded joints, (2) the development of repair methods for damaged carbon fibre thermoplastic composite structures by taking advantage of induction heating and (3) the development of a multi-physics model of the induction heating in order to predict the repair process.It is believed that this innovative research program and the associated training of highly qualified personnel will benefit the Canadian aerospace industry and ensure that it is ready to address the unique challenges of thermoplastic composites and compete in the global market.

为了成功实现下一代公务机和商用飞机的成本和重量降低，必须开发新的先进结构材料和工艺。近十年来，一类纤维复合材料，即热塑性复合材料，在航空航天领域不断获得市场份额。与更传统的热固性复合材料相比，热塑性复合材料具有一些重要的优点，其中它们能够进行再加工，这使得它们可以通过焊接连接（而不是机械紧固或粘合）。感应焊接被认为是一种有前途的焊接工艺热塑性复合材料。感应加热基于在线圈中循环的高频交流电流，该电流产生与电流频率相同的时变磁场。当电导体放置在线圈附近时，会感应出涡流，通过焦耳损失产生热量。该原理用于焊接热塑性复合材料。在这种情况下，可以将电磁或导电感受器放置在待焊接的两个粘附体之间以在焊接界面处局部加热。当基座加热时，位于其附近的聚合物的温度升高，当达到预定的加工温度时，电流被关闭，焊接界面在压力的作用下冷却，形成焊接接头。在当前的研究计划中，我建议进一步开发这一工艺，并用它来修复受损后的热塑性复合材料结构。实际上，修复方法是针对更传统的热固性复合材料开发的，而不是针对热塑性复合材料的，这限制了行业更换损坏的部件而不是修复它们，从而带来了相关的负面成本和环境影响。通过建模和实验工作，我们打算开发进一步推进感应加热工艺并将其应用于热塑性复合材料结构的修复。提出了三个研究轴：（1）开发新型、更高效的纳米复合材料感受器，用于修复焊接接头，（2）开发利用感应加热和修复受损碳纤维热塑性复合材料结构的方法。 (3)开发感应加热的多物理模型以预测修复过程。相信这一创新研究计划以及相关的高素质人才培训将有利于加拿大航空航天业并确保其准备好应对独特的挑战热塑性复合材料并在全球市场上竞争。