Title: MANUFACTURE OF A SELF-SENSING COMPOSITE WING BOX STRUCTURE

Authors: Christian Pfledderer, Ryan Seifert, Andy Davis, Caleb Tanner, Matthew Cameron, Scott Huelskamp, Eric Smith

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.23.0314

Abstract: The University of Dayton Research Institute’s (UDRI) Advanced Manufacturing Process Development team manufactured a self-sensing wing box structure for an advanced unmanned aircraft. Printable layers representing the composite structure were optimally designed using Topology and Fiber Optimization (TFO) and manufactured using Tailored Fiber Placement (TFP). Tailored Fiber Placement allows for local control over fiber orientation in an automated, cost-conscious process while allowing for through-thickness reinforcement from Z-stitching. Tailored Fiber Placement also offers seamless integration of Fiber Optic (FO) embedded sensing arrays within the composite box beam parts.
The UDRI team utilized their advanced manufacturing technologies located at the Dayton Composite Center work cell to design, fabricate and assemble the wing box beam. Tailored Fiber Placement machines were used to construct the dry fiber preforms for the wing box beam composite parts. Integration of the team’s low-cost tooling and part manufacturing solutions were used to engineer and design prototype tooling-board molds, then manufactured and used to produce silicon rubber cauls. Silicon rubbers cauls are regularly used for manufacture of aerospace parts as they act as a formable, reusable solution that are rigid for layup of complex preform geometries where Fiber Optic embedded sensing alignment is crucial. The cauls also possess enough elasticity for optimal compaction force onto the composite laminate during autoclave cure while allowing for easy part demold.
In result, the UDRI team was able to produce a fully assembled Fiber Optic self-sensing composite wing box structure.

References: 1. Composite optimization. Composite Optimization : University of Dayton, Ohio. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://udayton.edu/udri/capabilities/materials/composite_optimization.php 2. High density fiber optic sensing (HD-Fos) in Composites - Luna Innovations. (2016, August 26). Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://lunainc.com/sites/default/files/assets/files/resource-library/LT_TD_EN-FY1601_Embedding-Fiber-in-Composites.pdf

Conference: SAMPE 2023

Publication Date: 2023/04/17

SKU: TP23-0000000314

Pages: 23

Price: $46.00