Methods for spiral winding composite fan bypass ducts and other like components

Abstract

Methods for spiral winding a contoured composite component involving providing a triaxial material, cutting the material to a width, loading the width of material onto a creel, transferring the material from the creel to a tensioning device, and using a traversing screw to spirally wind the material from the tensioning device about a contoured curing mandrel such that each subsequent layer of the material overlaps by about half of the width where the contoured composite component has a cylindrical shape and non-crimp or braided material; a conical shape and non-crimp or braided material void of hoop fibers; or a combination thereof.

1 . A method for spiral winding a contoured composite component comprising:
 providing a triaxial material;   cutting the material to a width;   loading the width of material onto a creel;   transferring the material from the creel to a tensioning device; and   using a traversing screw to spirally wind the material from the tensioning device about a contoured curing mandrel such that each subsequent layer of the material overlaps by about half of the width   
     wherein the contoured composite component comprises a cylindrical shape and non-crimp or braided material; a conical shape and non-crimp or braided material void of hoop fibers; or a combination thereof. 
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the triaxial material comprises fibers selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, glass fiber, ceramic fiber, graphite fiber, aramid fiber, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the width of the material is from about 4 inches (about 10.2 cm) to about 8 inches (about 20.3 cm). 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the width of the material corresponds to a width of the creel. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the tensioning device is a magnetic break or a friction break. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the curing mandrel comprises a length and the traversing screw is positioned to lie along the length of the contoured curing mandrel. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4  comprising laterally moving the tensioning device along the traversing screw to produce a spirally wound composite component preform about the contoured curing mandrel. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein each layer of the material overlaps by about 2 inches (about 5.1 cm). 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  comprising treating the composite component preform with a resin followed by curing the preform to produce the contoured composite component. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the contoured composite component comprises a fan bypass duct or a containment casing. 
   
   
       11 . A method for spiral winding a contoured composite component comprising:
 providing a triaxial material;   cutting the material to a width;   loading the width of material onto a creel;   transferring the material from the creel to a tensioning device; and   using a traversing screw to spirally wind the material from the tensioning device about a cylindrically shaped curing mandrel such that each subsequent layer of the material overlaps by about half of the width   
     wherein the triaxial material comprises fibers selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, glass fiber, ceramic fiber, graphite fiber, aramid fiber, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the width of the material is from about 4 inches (about 10.2 cm) to about 8 inches (about 20.3 cm). 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the curing mandrel comprises a length and the traversing screw is positioned to lie along the length of the curing mandrel. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  comprising laterally moving the tensioning device along the traversing screw to produce a spirally wound contoured composite component preform about the curing mandrel. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein each layer of the material overlaps by about 2 inches (about 5.1 cm). 
   
   
       16 . A method for spiral winding a contoured composite component comprising:
 providing a triaxial material void of hoop fibers;   cutting the material to a width;   loading the width of material onto a creel;   transferring the material from the creel to a tensioning device; and   using a traversing screw to spirally wind the material from the tensioning device about a conically shaped mandrel such that each subsequent layer of the material overlaps by about half of the width.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the triaxial material comprises fibers selected from the group consisting of carbon fiber, glass fiber, ceramic fiber, graphite fiber, aramid fiber, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the width of the material is from about 4 inches (about 10.2 cm) to about 8 inches (about 20.3 cm) and wherein each layer of the material overlaps by about 2 inches (about 5.1 cm). 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the curing mandrel comprises a length and the traversing screw is positioned to lie along the length of the curing mandrel. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  comprising laterally moving the tensioning device along the traversing screw to produce a spirally wound contoured composite component preform about the curing mandrel.