Lightweight Wind Turbine Construction

A method to join composite materials without surface preparation or adhesives to eliminate material discontinuities and improve bond integrity. The method involves using stoichiometrically offset thermoset polymers on the faying surfaces of the composites. This allows reflow and diffusion of the resin during a secondary curing process to seamlessly integrate the materials. The offset ratios enable intermixing of resin components from each side, creating a conventional resin ratio at the interface. This eliminates the need for surface prep and adhesives to join composites with imperfect surfaces.

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Coating molding feedstock particles with discrete carbon nanotubes to improve properties like strength, conductivity, and processability. The coating thickness is 5-5000 nm on particles <5 mm. The carbon nanotube coatings have controlled porosity and surface modifications for sintering, wetting, and flow. The coating composition has <20% entangled nanotube bundles >5 µm in size. The coatings can be used in 3D printing, molding, and injection molding processes.

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Char-filled polymer composites for improved properties like density, weight, electrical conductivity, and flammability. The composites are made by adding pyrolyzed paint sludge or a hybrid of pyrolyzed paint sludge and lignin to polymers like polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, and polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. This replaces conventional fillers like talc and glass fiber. The pyrolyzed paint sludge can be obtained from automotive paint waste. The composites have higher strength, elongation, and density compared to virgin polymers, while reducing weight compared to fillers like talc. The composites also have lower flammability and conductivity compared to the virgin polymers.

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Manufacturing a composite material with improved thermal conductivity by planarizing the surface of the metal foam component before forming the composite. The process involves planarizing the metal foam (step b) before or during mixing with the curable polymer (step c) to create a smoother surface. This increases the bonding area between the composite and the material it contacts, improving heat transfer efficiency. Planarization can be done on the metal foam precursor, the metal foam, the polymer-foam mixture, or the cured composite.

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Method to improve fiber dispersion in ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) by coating the ceramic fibers with a polymer binder to increase inter-filament spacing. This coating facilitates applying the interface coating and infiltrating matrix into the ceramic tows during CMC fabrication. The coating also prevents fiber-to-fiber contact issues in the CMC that can lead to weaknesses or failures. The coated fibers are formed into preforms and then debulked, decomposed, coated, and densified to create the CMC component.

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Carbon fiber-reinforced composite (CFRP) material with improved lightning strike resistance without adding conductive particles. The CFRP has a structure that reduces the risk of edge glow during lightning strikes. The key feature is a specific layer with carbon fibers closely packed together to form conductive paths between layers. The layer has a unique fiber orientation distribution with low void content in the fiber direction. This forces the fibers to contact each other and provides direct conduction between layers. The CFRP also has high overall conductivity in the thickness direction.

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A panel with alternating connected and unconnected regions between skins and an intermediate portion. The panel provides reduced weight with improved strength compared to solid intermediate sections. The connected regions have protrusions in one skin and recesses in the other, alternating with unconnected regions. The sizes in the connected regions gradually change perpendicular to the direction of alternation. This allows localized connection and prevents concentration of forces. It also allows controlled cooling without sudden temperature drops.

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Additively manufactured aerospace panels with integrated truss structures to eliminate joints and reduce weight. The panels have a single monolithic structure formed by printing the skins and truss members together. The skins have lattice regions to eliminate support during printing. The truss members connect the skins and extend between intersections of the lattice grids. This allows complex shapes and features like closeout walls to be printed in one step. The panels have optimized truss angles and truss density variations for strength and thermal management.

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A near-net shape manufacturing process called in-situ friction stir forging (I-FSF) that can form complex shapes from lightweight materials like aluminum and magnesium without preheating. The process involves using a rotational tool to friction stir the material at lower temperatures than conventional forging. This intense plastic deformation and local heating enables near-net shape forming of complex parts like gears. The friction stirring also refines grain size, develops non-conventional textures, and distributes reinforcements. A simulation and microstructure analysis confirmed the process.

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Turbomachine part for sealing adjacent components without cooling. The part has composite connecting edges with embedded sealing tabs. The composite material is made of short fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix, like carbon-silicon carbide (C-SiC). This allows easy machining of the connecting edges with sealing grooves. The short fiber orientation provides good strength without weaving. The ceramic matrix provides high temperature resistance. The composite construction enables sealing without cooling, as the composite can handle the high temperatures.

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Nano-silica composite thermal insulation material with improved thermal insulation performance. The material consists of a reinforcement mesh and thermal insulation layers on either side. The thermal insulation layers contain nano-silica, silicon carbide, and fibers like carbon fiber or glass fiber. The nano-silica has a low bulk density and small particle size to maximize its insulation effect. The silicon carbide has a small particle size to hinder heat conduction. The fibers have small diameter and length to reduce pore size and improve insulation. The material is molded in steps with pressure to compact the layers and minimize pores.

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Joining unidirectional composite tapes without creating thickness variations that can cause kinking and buckling. The method involves abutting the ends of the tapes together without overlapping (butt joint) instead of overlapping and fusing. Then a prepreg with short fibers in the running direction is placed over the butt joint and fused. This creates a solid joint without thickness differences like overlapping would.

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Helicoidal composite materials with improved impact resistance and damage tolerance. The materials have a unique layered structure that spirals around the part, rather than being flat. This helical architecture allows for more design freedom and tailoring of the composite properties. The helical layup can be made using thin ply unidirectional (TPUD) fabric, thin ply woven fabric (TPW), or quasi-unidirectional woven fabric (QUDW). The helical layup provides better impact resistance compared to traditional flat layups because it allows for more controlled fiber orientation and delamination prevention.

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A method for manufacturing long fiber composites with improved impregnation efficiency when using non-Newtonian thermoplastic resins. The method involves controlling the pressure, viscosity, permeability, and penetration rate during impregnation based on equations derived from experiments. This allows optimizing the impregnation process for specific resin properties and fiber bundle thicknesses. The equations relate penetration pressure, effective viscosity, permeability, and average penetration rate to fiber bundle thickness. By adjusting these factors, the resin impregnation time can be minimized while ensuring complete penetration. The method involves supplying resin at a set pressure, moving the fiber bundle, and impregnating at controlled conditions using the derived equations.

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Splicing composite core structures with different cell sizes to join net edge composite cores without using fillers, foams, or expanding adhesives. The method involves aligning facets of the cells from each core to maximize contact, then connecting them together. This allows seamless integration of cores with varying cell sizes without adding weight or compromising venting. It involves using custom tooling during core fabrication to integrate the transition into the basic production process.

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Epoxy resin composition for sheet molding compounds (SMC) used in manufacturing fiber-reinforced composites like carbon fiber-reinforced plastics. The composition has a unique thickening mechanism that allows the epoxy resin to stabilize in a B-stage for long periods before curing. It contains an epoxy resin, an acid anhydride, and an epoxy curing agent. The acid anhydride forms ester bonds with the epoxy resin, stabilizing it in the B-stage. This enables handling and molding the SMC without excessive thickening or curing. The composition also has specific viscosity and anhydride content ranges.

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High-performance glass fiber for applications like wind turbine blades with improved strength-to-weight ratio. The glass composition has a specific modulus (stiffness/weight) that is 15-25% higher than conventional E-glass fibers. The composition contains lithium oxide (Li2O) along with higher levels of magnesium oxide (MgO) and alumina (Al2O3) than traditional glass fibers. The lithium and rare earth oxides (Y2O3, La2O3, Ce2O3) improve fiber properties like elastic modulus and strength while maintaining good forming properties.

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3D printing composite parts with customized fiber reinforcement for lightweight structures like aerospace components. The method involves using a 3D printer to create a temporary support structure with soluble material, then filling the internal cavities with resin and fiber reinforcement. The soluble support is dissolved to leave behind the composite part with optimized fiber orientation for load distribution. This allows customized fiber reinforcement patterns for load-bearing structures while leveraging the benefits of 3D printing for complex shapes.

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A complex material for applications like composites with improved properties compared to conventional biopolymers. The complex contains a polyamide compound made from specific dicarboxylic acid, dicarboxylic acid, and diamine units, along with glass fiber. The polyamide compound is kneaded with the glass fiber to make the complex. The polyamide composition provides enhanced mechanical properties like strength, elasticity, and fracture strain compared to conventional biopolymers. The glass fiber reinforces the polyamide matrix. The complex can be made by kneading the polyamide compound and glass fiber together.

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Insulated wire with improved adhesion between the aluminum conductor and insulating film, especially for applications where weight reduction is important. The aluminum conductor is treated with CO2 plasma before coating with a resin containing PAEK or PPS resins. This surface treatment significantly improves adhesion between the aluminum and resin compared to untreated aluminum. The CO2 plasma treatment creates a surface with lower surface energy and contact angle, which promotes better bonding with the resin.

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