Industrial oven for curing composite material structures

摘要

An industrial oven system for curing composite material parts can include an oven compartment configured to receive a composite material structure therein that extends along a majority of the length and/or width of the compartment, the compartment having an inner wall that defines a cavity between proximal and distal ends of the compartment. A shroud can be disposed circumferentially between the inner wall of the compartment and an outer wall of the composite material structure. The shroud defines a first longitudinal annular channel between the inner wall and an outer surface of the shroud, and defines a second longitudinal annular channel between the outer wall of the composite material structure and an inner surface of the shroud. The shroud is contoured to direct a heated airflow longitudinally along the annular channels and over the composite material structure to cure the composite material structure, the heated airflow generally being at a higher temperature than a surface of the composite material part. One or more contour elements of the shroud can direct more heat to a corresponding thicker portion of the composite material structure generally aligned with the contour element relative to an amount of heat directed to adjacent relatively thinner portions of the composite material structure so as to effect a desired heating rate of the composite material structure to achieve a substantially uniform temperature along substantially the entire length of the composite material structure, thereby inhibiting warping of the composite material structure during a curing process.

主权项

1. An industrial oven system for curing composite material parts, comprising:
an oven compartment having an inner wall that defines a cavity between a proximal end of the compartment and a distal closed end of the compartment, the compartment configured to receive an annular composite material structure therein that extends along a majority of the length and/or width of the compartment, the annular composite material structure having one or more relatively thicker annular portions adjacent one or more relatively thinner annular portions along the length of the annular composite material structure; and a shroud corresponding to the composite material structure and disposed circumferentially between the inner wall of the compartment and an outer wall of the composite material structure along the length of the composite material structure, the shroud defining a first annular channel between the inner wall and an outer surface of the shroud and defining a second annular channel between the outer wall of the composite material structure and an inner surface of the shroud, said channels extending longitudinally between the proximal and distal ends of the compartment, wherein the shroud is contoured to direct a heated airflow longitudinally along the annular channels and over the composite material structure to cure the composite material structure, the heated airflow generally being at a higher temperature than a surface of the composite material structure, one or more contour elements defined by the shroud and located between a proximal end of the shroud and a distal end of the shroud at longitudinal locations on the shroud corresponding to longitudinal locations in the annular composite material structure of one or more relatively thicker annular cross-sections as compared with adjacent longitudinal locations in the annular composite material structure that have relatively thinner annular cross-sections such that the one or more contour elements are aligned with the relatively thicker annular cross-sections along a same transverse plane, the one or more contour elements configured to longitudinally direct heated airflow along the second annular channel at a higher velocity at locations of the second annular channel aligned with said corresponding relatively thicker annular cross-sections of the composite material structure relative to a lower velocity of the heated airflow longitudinally directed along the second annular channel at locations of the second annular channel aligned with said adjacent relatively thinner annular cross-sections of the composite material structure, whereby said higher longitudinal velocity airflow directs relatively more heat to said relatively thicker annular cross-sections and said lower velocity airflow directs relatively less heat to said relatively thinner annular cross-sections so as to effect a desired heating rate of the composite material structure to achieve a substantially uniform temperature along the length of the composite material structure, thereby inhibiting warping of the composite material structure during a curing process.