METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A COMPOSITE CORE FOR AN ELECTRICAL CABLE
A method for the manufacture of a composite core for an electrical cable. The method may include pulling carbon fiber tows and glass fiber tows through a composite core processing system. The carbon fiber tows and the glass fiber tows are contacted with a resin, such as a thermosetting resin, to impregnate the fiber tows with the resin. The glass fiber tows are disposed on the outside of the carbon fiber tows to form a glass fiber layer around the carbon. The resin is then cured to form the composite core, which is adapted for use in an electrical transmission and distribution cable.
1 . A method for the manufacture of a composite core adapted for use in an electrical transmission and distribution cable, comprising the steps of:
pulling a plurality of carbon fiber tows;
pulling a plurality of glass fiber tows;
contacting the plurality of carbon fiber tows and the plurality glass fiber tows with a resin to impregnate the carbon fiber tows and the glass fiber tows with the resin;
disposing the glass fiber tows as an outer layer surrounding the carbon fiber tows; and
curing the resin to form a cured composite core that is adapted for use in an electrical transmission and distribution cable.
2 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the resin is a thermosetting resin.
3 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the resin has a viscosity within the range of about 200 centipoise to about 1500 centipoise at 20° C.
4 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the contacting step comprises pulling the carbon fiber tows through a wet-out tank.
5 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the contacting step comprises pulling the glass fiber tows through a wet-out tank.
6 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the contacting step comprises injecting the resin into the carbon fiber tows.
7 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the contacting step comprises injecting the resin into the glass fiber tows.
8 . A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of compacting the carbon fiber tows and the glass fiber tows after the contacting step.
9 . A method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the compacting step removes excess resin from the fiber tows.
10 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the curing step comprises curing the resin at a temperature of from about 350° F. to about 400° F.
11 . A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of winding the cured composite core on a wheel for storage.
12 . A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the cured composite core has a length of at least about 6000 feet.
13 . A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of heating the resin before the curing step.
14 . A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pulling steps comprise pulling the fiber tows at processing speeds in the range of about 9 ft/min to about 50 ft/min.
15 . A method for the manufacture of a composite core adapted for use in an electrical transmission and distribution cable, comprising the steps of:
pulling a plurality of carbon fiber tows;
contacting the plurality of carbon fiber tows with a resin;
pulling a plurality of glass fiber tows;
contacting the plurality of glass fiber tows with a resin;
disposing the glass fiber tows as an outer layer surrounding the carbon fiber tows;
compacting the carbon fiber tows and the glass fiber tows after the disposing step to form a compacted fiber bundle; and
curing the resin in the compacted fiber bundle to form a cured composite core that is adapted for use in an electrical transmission and distribution cable.