Single piece co-cure composite wing
View Patent ↗A single piece co-cured composite wing is disclosed. The wing has a flying surface and structural members. In one embodiment the structural members may be a plurality of spars. The spars may have various shapes to increase the buckling strength. The spars may be wave shaped, such as a sinusoidal shape. The flying surface and the structural members are co-cured in order to form a single piece, integral wing structure. A process for manufacturing a single piece co-cured wing is also disclosed. The process may include laying out composite sheets for the flying surface of the wing. Then, the composite material of the spars is arranged around a plurality of pressurizable forms. Finally, the composite material is cured in a clamshell frame.
1. A composite wing structure comprising:
a composite flying surface;
a plurality of composite spars having a substantially sinusoidal shape, wherein the flying surface and the plurality of composite spars form a single piece co-cured wing; and
a plurality of slosh gates for controlling the movement of fuel within the wing.
2. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spars have spar caps.
3. The apparatus, as recited in claim 2 , wherein the spar caps are comprised of filament bands orientated generally parallel from the flying surface.
4. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spars have a webbing.
5. The apparatus, as recited in claim 4 , wherein the webbing is comprised of filament bands orientated about 45° from the flying surface.
6. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spars are comprised of two substantially C-shaped composite sections.
7. The apparatus, as recited in claim 6 , wherein the C-shaped sections are positioned in opposing orientations to form an I-beam.
8. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spars have a J-shaped cross-section.
9. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spar have a C-shaped cross-section.
10. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spars have substantially flat sections to allow attachment of the slosh gate.
11. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 wherein the composite flying surface comprises an upper flying surface, the apparatus further comprising a lower flying surface.
12. The apparatus, as recited in claim 11 wherein the upper flying surface is substantially comprised of a first sheet of composite material and the lower flying surface is substantially comprised of a second sheet of composite material.
13. The apparatus, as recited in claim 12 , wherein the first sheet and the second sheet intersect at a location below a leading edge of the wing.
14. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , further comprising at least one rib.
15. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wing structure is a complete wing span.
16. The apparatus, as recited in claim 15 , wherein the complete wing span has a spar that is continuous through the complete wing span.
17. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wing structure has strands of conductive material imbedded in the composite material.
18. The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a layer of primer co-cured to the flying surface.