AERODYNAMIC ROTOR BLADE OF COMPOSITE MATERIAL FABRICATED IN ONE CURE CYCLE

Assignee

Boeing

Filed as: BOEING COMPANY, THE, A CORP. OF DE

Filed

Sep 28, 1990

Granted

Sep 28, 1993

Location

GLENOLDEN PA US

Abstract

A rotor blade, whose principal structural components are of fiber-reinforced composite material, includes a spar, fairing skins, spar wraps, splices and doublers in the precured condition cut from rolls of raw stock into flat sheets having the dimensions of the components in the assembled position and laid one laminate upon another laminate to the desired thickness dimension. A noseblock and trailing edge block are precompacted and formed to desired shapes and sizes in the precured condition. A honeycomb core, formed to the contour of the trailing portion of an airfoil behind the spar, is prepared. Molding tools, one tool having the contour of the upper blade surface and another tool having the contour of the lower blade surface, each tool adapted for assembly together so that their inner surfaces envelop the outer blade surface, are formed and adapted to receive the components of the blade therein. The components are placed in proper order and position in one molding tool, the other tool is pressed against the first tool, and the unit is sealed. A stiffened flexible bag, located in the tool between upper and lower spar packs, is pressurized. Temperature of the assembly is raised and controlled variably in accordance with a prescribed cycle that polymerizes the composite and bonds the components mutually.

Source: Google Patents