High-speed manufacturing method for composite flywheel

摘要

A filament winding process for manufacturing composite flywheel rims (31) having reinforcing fibers (63) embedded in a thermoset resin matrix and an apparatus for hoop-winding a fiber-wound composite flywheel rim (31) comprises: an elongate mandrel (32) having a central axis and motor (33a) for rotating the mandrel; a creel having a plurality of removable fiber spools (52); a low-volume resin bath (42) having a heater for impregnating the fibers from the creel with heated, low-viscosity resin before the set of fibers is wound on the mandrel; a resin metering and mixing apparatus (44) for supplying mixed resin and hardener to the bath (42) to maintain a supply of resin in the bath at a predetermined level; a fiber pay-out unit (37) for feeding the fiber in a controlled manner while the mandrel rotates; and a heater for heating (35) the resin on the mandrel; whereby the resin gells in a shallow radial layer near outer circumference portions of the rim while the winding proceeds.