Methods and systems for determining an allowable moisture content in a composite structure

Abstract

A method of determining an allowable moisture content of a composite structure includes performing a thermal analysis on the composite structure to determine a surface temperature profile of the composite structure. The surface temperature profile is determined independently of a moisture content of the composite structure. The method also includes performing a moisture analysis on the composite structure to determine an allowable moisture content of the composite structure such that the moisture analysis is based on the determined surface temperature profile.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of determining an allowable moisture content of a composite structure, said method comprising:
 performing a thermal analysis on the composite structure to determine a surface temperature profile of the composite structure wherein the surface temperature profile is independent of a moisture content of the composite structure; and   performing a moisture analysis on the composite structure to determine an allowable moisture content of the composite structure, wherein the moisture analysis is based on the determined surface temperature profile.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising manufacturing a composite structure having a thickness based on the determined allowable moisture content. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal analysis is performed over a first time period and the moisture analysis is performed over a second time period that is longer than the first time period. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein performing a thermal analysis comprises receiving environmental parameter data related to a plurality of environmental parameters from an environmental parameter database, wherein the environmental parameter data is collected from a plurality of airports over a predetermined time period. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising inputting the environmental parameter data into a parameter profile module to determine a parameter profile for each environmental parameter of the plurality of environmental parameters. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein determining a surface temperature profile includes inputting the determined parameter profiles into a surface temperature module. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising inputting the surface temperature profile into a relative humidity module to determine a relative humidity profile. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising determining a fleet utilization profile for each airport of a plurality of airports, wherein each fleet utilization profile is based on in-flight operating data and grounded non-operating data from each airport of the plurality of airports. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein performing a moisture analysis comprises inputting predetermined composite structure data and at least one environmental definition profile into an allowable moisture content module. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the environmental definition profile is based on a relative humidity profile, the surface temperature profile, the environmental data, and fleet utilization data. 
     
     
         11 . An allowable moisture content determination system comprising:
 an environmental parameter database comprising environmental parameter data related to a plurality of environmental parameters from a plurality of airports;   a surface temperature module configured to perform a thermal analysis to generate a surface temperature profile of the composite structure for the plurality of airports, wherein the surface temperature profile is based on the environmental parameter data and is independent of a moisture content of the composite structure; and   an allowable moisture content module configured to perform a moisture analysis to determine an allowable moisture content of the composite structure based on the generated surface temperature profile.   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11  further comprising a parameter profile module configured to generate a plurality of parameters based on the environmental parameter data, wherein each parameter profile is based on an environmental parameter of the plurality of environmental parameters, and wherein the surface temperature module generates the surface temperature profile based on the generated parameter profiles. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 11  further comprising an environmental definition profile for each airport of the plurality of airports, wherein the environmental definition profile is based on a relative humidity profile, the surface temperature profile, the environmental parameter data, and a fleet utilization profile. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13  further comprising a relative humidity module configured to generate the relative humidity profile for the plurality of airports, wherein the relative humidity profile is based on the determined surface temperature profile. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the fleet utilization profile is based on in-flight operating data and grounded non-operating data from each airport of the plurality of airports. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 13 , further comprising a composite structure database comprising data related to the composite structure, wherein the allowable moisture content module is configured to determine the allowable moisture content of the composite structure based on the environmental definition profile and the composite structure data. 
     
     
         17 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
 perform, using a surface temperature module, a thermal analysis of a composite structure to determine a surface temperature profile of the composite structure, wherein the surface temperature profile is independent of a moisture content of the composite structure;   perform, using an allowable moisture content module, a moisture analysis of the composite structure to determine an allowable moisture content of the composite structure, wherein the moisture analysis is based on the determined surface temperature profile; and   determine a thickness of the composite structure based on the determined allowable moisture content.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage device according to  claim 17 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 receive environmental parameter data related to a plurality of environmental parameters from an environmental parameter database, wherein the environmental parameter data is collected from a plurality of airports over a predetermined time period;   determine, using a parameter profile module, a parameter profile for each environmental parameter of the plurality of environmental parameters, wherein each parameter profile is based on the environmental parameter data; and   determine, using the surface temperature module and the determined parameter profiles, the surface temperature profile of the composite structure.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage device according to  claim 17 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 determine a relative humidity profile, using a relative humidity module, wherein the relative humidity profile is based on the surface temperature profile;   determine a fleet utilization profile for each airport of a plurality of airports, wherein each fleet utilization profile is based on in-flight operating data and grounded non-operating data from each airport of the plurality of airports; and   determine at least one environmental definition profile, wherein each environmental definition profile is based on the relative humidity profile, the surface temperature profile, the fleet utilization profile, and the environmental parameter data.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage device according to  claim 19 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 receive, from a composite structure database, data related to the composite structure; and   determine the allowable moisture content of the composite structure, using the allowable moisture content module, based on the environmental definition profile and the composite structure data.